this is a project i had to do to study the Mishnah we had to pick a verse and connect it to a song that could relate.
Verse:
“Rabbi [Judah HaNassi]* would say: Which is the right path for man to choose for himself? Whatever is harmonious for the one who does it, and harmonious for mankind.
Be as careful with a minor mitzvah as with a major one, for you do not know the rewards of the mitzvot. Consider the cost of a mitzvah against its rewards, and the rewards of a transgression against its cost. Contemplate three things, and you will not come to the hands of transgression: Know what is above from you: a seeing eye, a listening ear, and all your deeds being inscribed in a book” (Avot 2:1)
The meaning of this parashat is that in life there are going to be choices and you need to pick the choice for you and your community. For example, when you are working on a group assignment, each person has a role to play. If an individual chooses not to do their part, it can negatively impact others. The lesson you can take from this is don’t give into peer pressure or dumb ideas, you have to do what’s right for you and your future.
The song that I picked is called Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin. This song is about a father who does not care for his child and chooses to ignore him, resulting in the child learning to grow up by himself. “My child arrived just the other day He came to the world in the usual way But there were planes to catch and bills to pay He learned to walk while I was away” (Hapin). This is a part of the song that states that the father knows the boy is growing up and does not care. This lyric shows that the father is choosing not to help his son grow up. He makes a choice that negatively affects his son. These are the ideas that we have to consider when making important decisions.
Don’t separate yourself from the community which means don’t cut off a connection with others that would help you in times of
Hillel said: do not separate yourself from the community, Do not trust in yourself until the day of your death, Do not judge your fellow man until you have reached his place. (Avot 2:2)
Don’t separate yourself from the community which means don’t cut off a connection with others that would help you in times of need.
If you don’t allow yourself to have connections then you wont allow yourself to love or care for someone. Don’t disconnect yourself
from the community because I believe that depression is a form of loneliness and if you’re surrounded by people who love and care
for you you can’t be lonely. I chose the song mother by Pink floyd. This song is about a guy wants to build a wall or separate himself
from his family, friends and community. Mother, do you think they’ll drop the bomb? Mother, do you think they’ll like this song?
Mother, do you think they’ll try to break my balls? Ooh-ah, Mother, should I build the wall?. This is showing that he is contemplating
on building that separation. This connects to the verse because people sometimes have these thoughts, but you need to look around
and see that there are people who care for you so you don’t have to be lonely.