Happy Chanukah

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Number 51 – December 26, 2005

A Hebrew Blessing for Chanukah

Baruch Atah Ado-noi-Elo-hei-nu-Melech Ha-olam Asher Ki-de-sha-nu Be-mitz-vo-sav-Ve-tzi-vanu Le-had-lik Ner Cha-nu-kah

With the Christmas holiday concluding the holiday of Hanukkah, (also spelled Chanukah,) is beginning. This Religious Holiday begins after nightfall on December 25th, so December 26th is the first day of Hanukkah.

The information I have to pass on to you about this holiday comes directly from a booklet produced and given out by Byerly’s and Lund’s Grocery Stores in Minneapolis. These are my favorite Grocery Stores, and when we were there recently I picked up ‘The Chanukah Guide.’ I really enjoyed learning about Chanukah from this little booklet.

“The festival of Chanukah is about light overcoming darkness. Our world is currently experiencing a particularly dark time. We have even become apprehensive about opening the letters in our mailbox. Our sons, daughters, friends and neighbors are half way around the world, fighting an enemy that has no borders.”

“The soul of man is the lamp of G-d’ (Proverbs). Our challenge, whether we are on the front lines or fighting rush hour at home, is to bring light into the world. The reason the Chanukah candles are lit after nightfall is to remind us that even in our darkest moments, we have the potential to illuminate when we kindle a flame.”

“King Solomon wrote, ‘Everything has its season. A time to be born, a time to die. A time for war and a time for peace’ (Ecclesiastes). In Judaism peace is essential. Yet, if one is being attacked, Jewish Law forbids a passive stance. Peace and the sanctity of human life requires, at times, that one defend one’s self, one’s family and one’s country. “

“Despite the fact that the Maccabees were fewer in strength and in numbers, they stood up against the oppressor with complete faith in G-d’ a mercy. One lesson of Chanukah is that when we resolve to introduce spirituality into our lives, G-d tells his children, ‘Make for me a small opening, like the eye of a needle, and I will open for you an opening through which caravans can enter’ (Midrash). We simply need to begin the process for G-d to help us attain that which we perceived as unattainable.”

“On Chanukah we celebrate two miracles: The victory of the Maccabees over the forces of Antiochus IV in the battlefield, and the miracle of the oil, which burned for eight days. The victory on the battlefield was a miracle that affected us in a very basic and real physical sense. The miracle of the oil enabled the Jewish people to resume the service in the Holy Temple and thus was a spiritual miracle. Jews around the world recreate this miracle and spirituality today by observing Chanukah.”

The Chanukah struggle is found within each of us. Chassidic teachings explain that we have two souls. One soul is drawn to the spiritual, the other to the material. We may reconcile this duality by being involved with the material world, but toward a spiritual end. This is one reason why there are so many mitzvot in the Torah, all of them involving physical action. When the physical is engaged for spiritual purposes, the conflict is transformed into peace and harmony. A world of peace begins with inner peace. When one makes peace within, it has an effect on his or her home, environment, and eventually the entire world.”

“What does a soul look like? Look at the flame of a candle. A flame is bright, jumping, and never resting. The natural desire of a soul is to ‘jump up’ to G-d, to break free of physical limitations. The wick and candle anchor a flame, and a physical body grounds the soul, forcing the soul to do its job, to give light and warmth. The human body, precious and holy, is likened to the Holy Temple. The Baal Shem Tov, founder of Chassidism, always advised against asceticism, excessive fasting, and hurting the body. Better, he would say, to use your body to perform deeds of kindness.”

“Kindness is contagious. When our soul tells our body to do a kind deed, both the soul and body are affected. Even more, other souls around us awaken and influence their bodies to do the same. Before long we can create an international epidemic of kindness. This is one reason the Chanukah menorah is placed where it can be seen from the street, either in the doorway across from the mezuza or in the window, reminding us of our duty to share the spiritual light of warmth and wisdom with our surroundings.”

More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all3,’ in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.

For a recipe for Potato Latkes go to http://www.recipecircus.com/recipes/Leo/ -- Happy Hanukkah!
Fraternally,
Ed Halpaus

The Candy Cane

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Number 50 – December 19, 2005

From a now unknown source

The Candy Maker Who Loved Jesus

A tale from Gail Luze


There was a man who loved Jesus so much that he decided he had to do something special for Jesus' birthday. Since he was a candy maker, he decided to use his talents and make a special candy to honor Jesus. So he designed the first Candy Cane.
If the Candy Cane is held upright, it is in the shape of a shepherd's staff, which the shepherd uses as he watches over his sheep. Jesus is our Shepherd. If the Candy Cane is turned upside down, it becomes the letter J for Jesus. The scriptures tell us that by Jesus' stripes, we are healed. Jesus was beaten and stripes were put upon His back when He was crucified in payment for our sins. So the Candy Cane was made with red and white stripes to represent the blood of Jesus which washes away our sins and makes us pure and white as snow. One bold stripe represents our belief in One God who is the Father of us all. The three finer stripes represent the Trinity: One God Who has revealed Himself to us in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
There are lots of Candy Canes in the stores today made with different colors. They are not true Candy Canes unless they are red and white and have one bold stripe and three finer stripes. True Candy Canes are Christian candy because they tell a story about Jesus. Show your love this Christmas season by giving Christian candy, a True Candy Cane, to friends and loved ones.



More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all 3,’ in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.

Fraternally,
Ed Halpaus

Masonry: A Life Philosophy

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Number 49 – December 12, 2005

Masonry: A Life Philosophy
By Rear Admiral Joseph L. Howard 32°
Published originally in The New Age magazine April 1971 for the Scottish Rite S.J.

Masonry is founded upon the idea of the Brotherhood of Man.
It is a way of life that stresses public service, patriotism, and a profound belief in God.
The idea we find in Masonry is best described by the word har­mony. We recognize differences in opinion. We recognize that our members go to different churches, engage in different pursuits, pur­sue different personal interests.
Yet, as Masons, we can work in harmony, not only among ourselves, but with others who are not Ma­sons.
We know that Masonic Lodges all over the country are deeply en­gaged in vigorous programs of pub­lic service, of private charities, of social improvement, and youth opportunity projects.
All these things are worthwhile human projects. They are the re­sults of efforts by people to raise the state of civilization.
These things are vitally impor­tant to all of us. But they are crea­tions of people. And it is the peo­ple who are most important.
Thus, the vital thing that Ma­sonry does is to inspire people by creating an environment in which good works and public service are respected and honored.
Masonry appeals to the conscience of men. It reaches to the inner­most convictions of individual men. It is an uplifting force that gives real meaning to such ideas as per­sonal integrity, honesty and the higher motivations of mankind.
It offers, in short, a philosophy by which men can be guided, a set of standards to which men can as­pire, a way of life with which men can readily identify and work hard to fulfill in the process of every­day living, on the job, at home, in sports, at leisure, and in contemplative thought.
It is inspirational, for people. And this is what makes Masonry so vitally important in our times. And this is what makes Masons, as individuals, particularly important in communities throughout the world.
Masonry is doing a lot of good things, in its quiet and unobtrusive way, in its many programs. But the total contribution of Masonry, to the well being of our country, extends well beyond these worthy endeavors.
The purposes to be served by Masonic programs transcend the immediate and important prob­lems of local interest.
In fact, the ultimate contribution of Masonry can have a significant bearing on the destiny of our country and, perhaps, the future of the world.
We are living in a time of com­pletely new dimensions; new dimensions in speed, in distances, in time projections. We even have new measurement terminologies.
And things continue to change. We are witnessing new magnitudes of change and a quicker rate of change.
Some of these changes have radically altered our way of life. Man travels faster. He sees more. Television brings him right into the heart of happenings on the other side of the world. And we can now make complex computations at fantastic speeds.
All these things are changing our outlooks and our attitudes as well. Some of these have shaken the very foundations of our thinking.
The bomb, the pill, the computer, the satellite, the moon shots, new heights in the sky, new depths in the sea, all present a dazzling array of human accomplishments. And there's more yet to come.
Modern technology has shattered many of our previous physical premises. And because of this, many of our spiritual, moral, intellectual, social, and philosophical premises have also become suspect to some people.
Across the country, we see evidence of the abandonment of basic values men have honored for centuries.
Witness the rioting, pillaging, and burning in our cities, the violence on our campuses, the reckless consumption of drugs, the alarming rise of crime in our streets, the protests and demonstrations that become anarchy and sedition.
On the other hand, among otherwise responsible citizens, we see growing dismay, a sense of withdrawal, the avoidance of com­mitment, and cynical respectability in such




phrases as "count me out," "don't get involved," "it's some­body else's problem."
Now, more than ever before, there is need for each of us, indi­vidually, to reaffirm our belief in the values that have brought us, as a people, to a position of leader­ship and influence in the world.
These are the values we have traditionally placed in truth, per­sonal integrity, self-respect, profes­sional ethics and the respect we have always had for justice, reason­ableness, common sense, and the rights of all individual human be­ings.
Most of all we must cherish our belief in the supremacy of man over machines, of people over in­stitutions, of the basic dignity of the individual person. Each of us has his own contribution to make.
We all depend on one another. This is the nature of a higher order of society.
Our interdependence is the com­panion of our higher state of civil­ization.
None of us can withdraw. And for that reason, we all have a stake in the philosophy by which everyone else is guided.
This is the point at which Ma­sonry faces its magnificent opportunity.
Masons can lead by example, because they are inspired by a philosophy that raises men's sights to a higher plane.
Masons are taught, and they live by, precepts of human conduct that place high values on integrity and on respect for the basic dignity of the human spirit.
This is the kind of thinking, and action that must be applied in solving the larger problems of our society. It is precisely the applica­tion of the precepts of Masonry that is needed, not only in dealing with the broader national prob­lems facing us, but in the interna­tional arena as well.
Well, how do we achieve this? It can be done primarily by the commitment of individual Masons to spread, by word and deed, the philosophies they live by under Masonry.
Each of us, individually, should bring the message of Masonry into broader arenas. We should all make the broader commitment to speak to various groups, to the local service clubs, to school groups, labor organizations, young peoples' groups.
In short, Masonic patterns of thought, and habits of action should be made visible in areas well beyond the circle of our own lodges, so that the good ideas of Masonry can take root and flourish far and wide.
Masonry has so much that is good, and solid, for the benefit of the whole world.
This is the great contribution that Masonry can bring to the world today. It is in the rearticulating of the principles by which we live. It is in the reaffirmation of our belief in those same Masonic values that contributed to the crea­tion of the United States in the first place.
The things we have all done, over the years, in the name of Ma­sonry, have been the result of much hard work by many dedicated Ma­sons.
Today, we face a new challenge. And that is to carry the philosophy of Masonry to the far corners of the earth, and carry it, not in the name of Masonry, but as indi­viduals who live and act according to Masonic teachings. This is not a challenge to Masonry as such. It is a challenge to Masons, as indi­viduals.
The United States is a strong, virile, and vigorous Nation. We need only to marshal our re­sources and to bring the power of our best ideas to bear on all the problems facing us today, at home as well as abroad.
This is not a job for just one man. It is not a job for a hundred men. Or a thousand.
It is a job for 200 million Ameri­cans. Masons can provide magnifi­cent leadership in this endeavor because ours is a philosophy that brought forth a Nation founded upon human freedom.
It is upon the foundation of Masonic philosophy that the Na­tion began. It is upon that same foundation that we can build a greater Nation for the future and contribute to a better world for all time to come.

More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to erhmasonic@ncis.com with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all 3’, in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.

Fraternally,

Ed Halpaus

On Being Master

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Number 48 – December 5, 2005

From the Philalethes First 50 Years CD Rom
The Worshipful Master is Master of the Lodge by Douglas Smith, Jr., P.G.M. - VirginiaFrom the Philalethes Magazine 1969
A few pointed paragraphs which may be helpful in the conduct of the affairs of the Master's office

BE MASTER!
Act like one . . . in your bearing be worthy of the title which sets you apart for the time.a. Be dignified, but not stuffy. In dress, in carriage, and in behavior in the Lodge.b. Be friendly, but not frivolous in handling your Lodge or its business.c. Be firm of opinion, but not inflexible - your election carries with it no sign of infallibility - even Worshipful Masters may err in judgment.d. Be courageous, but not cocky. The small man throws his weight about; the big man uses the weight of his judgment and ability to carry his point of view.e. Be exemplary, but not sacrosanct. Feigned piety and self-deification can destroy the value of an otherwise conscientious living of Masonic principles.BE PREPARED!a. Be well informed in the Ritual and its meaning, but delegate its performance to your officers.b. Be well informed as to your duties and responsibilities. Study the Officers' Manual and the Methodical Digest.c. Be prepared for each meeting - you tell the Secretary what the minutes will be, and share an agenda with your officers.d. Plan well ahead - even though you may find a change necessary, you can't always get the program you want on the spur of the moment.e. Time is of the essence - check it for the minutes, for the Ritual, for balloting, for Catechisms, and business - if you are overlong, hold a second meeting.f. Delegate authority - a good leader directs others and doesn't try to do it all himself.SHOW LEADERSHIP IN ACTION!a. Be the first to sympathize and congratulate - in the latter case, especially the new Initiates and members who have done outstanding acts in the community.b. Be the last to condemn before knowing the facts - many Lodges and good Masons have been ruined because of hasty conclusions based on unfounded gossip.c. Be always available and never too busy to lend an understanding ear to the problems of your members. Many will come to you BECAUSE you are the Worshipful Master.d. Be the first to whisper good counsel in the ear of an erring Brother - sometimes it takes more courage than you believe yourself to have, but often it may save a life.LIVE A BELIEF IN MASONRY AND ITS PRINCIPLESa. Believe with a great faith in God - Freemasonry does not concern itself with what you believe, but that you believe in God the Creator of all things and without this, all else is lost.b. Believe with your whole heart that there is a Modern Mission for Masonry in our time. If you think that Masonry is passé and that it has been superseded by civic clubs and other like organizations, then your contribution to its future is limited.c. Believe that your Lodge and you have a destiny to help meet this challenge, and resolve to make it and you a part of it!HOPEHave an eternal hope that the battle is to be won by a continuous fight for that which is good in life.LOVEYou must love to love people and like things. There is a brief story about a young man and his older sister who on one occasion averred, "I love ice cream." He sagely observed, "No, sister, you like ice cream - you love people.""HE WHO WOULD BE MASTER MUST FIRST BE SERVANT OF ALL."In fine:If you have the wisdom of Solomon; the patience of Job; and the love as described by St. Paul in the 11th Chapter of First Corinthians, you have the basics of becoming a great Worshipful Master.GOOD LUCK - AND GOD BE WITH YOU


More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all 3’, in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.

Fraternally,

Ed Halpaus