"Aidel...but not a pushover. Strong values...but still flexible."
Sound like a description from a shidduch call? Actually, it's from a Maamer.
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It’s a pretty well-known Gemara.
"Leolam Yehei Adam Rach Ke’kaneh Veal Yehei Kashe Ke’erez."
"A Person should always soft like a reed and not hard like a cedar."
Simply put, a person should be easy-going and flexible.
But there are many things that can be used to describe a soft and bendy substance. Why a reed?
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I just looked up "aidel" on an online dictionary. It began by saying
"The word is used as an adjective in describing females." It's meaning? "Naive, sweet, etc."
I got a good laugh at this attempt of Goyim to define a Yiddish word. Only females can be aidel? Aidel is naive? But at the very least, this faulty definition made me realize that the meaning of aidel is somewhat vague.
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Aidel, says the Maamer, describes the "Hisgalus of person's Midos."
Can you control your feelings from being powerfully displayed?
Is it possible for you to keep your cool when things aren't going your way?
Are you able to restrain yourself from verbally expressing your thoughts?
Do your opinions get in the way of others?
Simply put, the world of "Aidel" only begins above the surface.
Beneath the ground, you can still be deeply opinionated with firm beliefs and values. Under your "Levushim", you can be a highly emotional and passionate person.
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"Be soft like a reed."
A reed can be deeply rooted. Its pnimious can be incredibly strong. It doesn't get blown away. It is not a pushover.
Yet, above the surface, the reed blows with the wind. Its bendy material tolerates all types of adversaries. Unlike its counterpart, the powerful cedar, it survives the hurricane.
The secret to its survival? It is firmly rooted below but flexible above.
(Veyadaata 5692)
5 comments:
got a good laugh on the Aidle but not pushover thing
the only thing that beats that is 'chasidish but worldly.' lets have a post on that
why is that laughable? You go define aidel....or better yet, achieve it.
'chassidish but worldly'- isn't that almost a contradiction? if you're into gashmiyus, you're not so into ruchniyus...k, im ruining the post.
Thank you. Wonderful definition...
Never heard this.
can you add the option to e-mail your posts to ppl?
thanks
Posts are now emailable.
Thanks for the suggestion.
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