It is said that there was once a wise, old rabbi, who carried in his pocket two stones. One
stone had written on it, "For me the world was created." The other said, "I am dust and
ashes." The rabbi carried those two stones as a constant reminder that his life embodied a
certain tension between two contradictory aspects: an aspect of celebration, and an aspect
of penitence.
Most of us prefer celebration. It's no mystery why. To reach into our pocket and pull out
the stone that says "for me the world was created" is to revel in God's love, in the simple,
