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    When will you stop complaining? – B’shallach

    be-thankful-stop-complainingRecently a friend of mine said to someone he knows, who is often critical of people and events, “When are you going to stop complaining?”

    I don’t know what the response was, but it is an excellent question.

    Human beings are quick to complain. Sometimes it is fair enough. Life is not always kind. People are mean to other people. Events, attitudes and opinions sometimes create injustice. God Himself does not escape criticism.

    If you are blessed with an angelic disposition you can rise above it all and keep smiling, but not everybody can.

    But what everybody can do, even if they feel they can’t stop complaining, is to learn how to sing. When things do not go well, they will complain. But when things do go nicely, they mustn’t forget to sing and rejoice.

    This is Shabbat Shirah, the Sabbath of Song. Just as every day should be a Mother’s Day or a Father’s Day, so should every Shabbat be a Shabbat Shirah. Every day should be a day to sing.

    Breathe the air, stretch your limbs, congratulate yourself, and sing, “I’m alive!”

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