What is it worth?
For years, I have taught a gem from the Talmud that addresses worth:
Who is rich? Whoever is happy with what they have.
Pirkei Avot 4:1a
Isn’t that brilliant? If you are content with what you have, you are wealthy.
My students, in return, have taught me three equally brilliant variants:
- Some people are so poor that all they have is money
- The rich aren’t the people who have the most; they’re the people who need the least
- The most valuable things in life are the things you can’t buy
It would be a ridiculous exercise to attempt to put a numerical dollar value on
- friendship
- evoking a smile
- feeling satisfaction
Social economist Dan Ariely talks about this in the opening of his book <http://amzn.to/1ozR8kA> Predictably Irrational. He writes that no one would take out their wallet after Thanksgiving dinner and ask the host, “So, how much do I owe you for my share?”
As William Bruce Cameron said, “not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.”
Bricks can be quantified; wisdom cannot.
Hours can be quantified; value cannot.
Test scores can be quantified; learning cannot.
Hebrew and Bible literacy can be quantified; love cannot.
While there certainly is a price of not being wise, how does one quantify the cost benefits of compassion, empowerment, and mindfulness?
With that in mind, I ask you to consider what you get from these #wisdom_biscuits that you enjoy and to consider making a regular donation so Religion-Outside-The-Box can continue its mission of feeding spiritual hunger. (If you are not able to, please do not feel guilt. Just continue to be a wonderful person in this world – that is always philanthropy enough.)
#wisdom_biscuit: Be blessed with what you have and count your blessings.
