Issue 13

When thinking about a theme for this issue, there were many ideas that came to mind but what featured most prominently was the notion of ‘purposeful living.’ Editors always need to have their ears to the ground and be listening to the ‘word on the street’ and around peoples tables, so that the choice of articles rings true. It is hard to believe that the Covid battle is still very much part of our lives, back in masks and all! But one of the more positive outcomes of this brutal pandemic is how it has compelled people to take stock of their lives and live more purposefully. The things that were previously of great relevance appear to have shifted and it seems that people have started to prioritise the things that really matter more. It is for this reason that I decided on the theme of purposeful living. So what is purposeful living and how do we go about achieving it? How do we love more purposefully, live more purposely, in our relationships, in our Judaism, in our family lives and in our professional lives?

Words are like raindrops that nourish the soil and I've always had a deep appreciation for beautiful words, especially ones that are shared for a higher purpose. It is with this in mind that I hope these words will resonate with you, as our sages teach, "words that come from the heart enter the heart." A Rabbi from Jerusalem interpreted this phrase as an application of the principle taught by King Solomon in Proverbs: "As water [reflecting] the face is to the face, so too man's heart is to [his fellow] man." This means that the human heart intuits the emotions of others, and thus if one speaks with an open heart, the heart of the listener will be open as well.