Love within Might, or discipline, means that we hold up those we love to a set of standards. We channel our love in correct directions and demand respect.
The two friends in TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin love each other something fierce even though they are never romantic lovers. And they call each other on their bullshit even when no one else will. To me, that’s a true love.
Might within Might or Discipline within Discipline means actually being mighty and limiting your discipline appropriately. We all know what happens when we let anxiety, or the need for perfection, control us. We must marshal it and get the help we need to only use discipline in a healthy manner.
In JUST SHY OF ORDINARY by A.J. Sass the main character learns this lesson about their habit of picking/pulling out hair. Sometimes we need to ask for help and be sure any anxiety/worry is constructive.
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Beauty within might means recognizing our merits and mastering or channeling them towards the good. Weeding out any negative aspects and focusing on the positive.
In THE MATCHMKER’S GIFT by Lynda Cohen Loigman the main character and her grandmother both hone their gift of matchmaking against the odds in their personal lives to bring forward only the good, discarding the bad, for the benefit of their communities.
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Eternity within might means endurance, tenacity, and discipline. I can think of no more enduring character thatn the real life subject of Michael Levy’s hauntingly beutiful memoir, ONE HUNDRED SATURDAYS, Stella Levi. She endured and her legacy will last forever.
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Might is often associated with justice. For Splendor/Humility within Might we remind ourselves that judgement should never come from a place of arrogance.
When reading THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF JERUSALEM by Sarit Yishai-Levi (translated by Anthony Berris, but hey if you don’t need a translation go for it!) I found myself judging and feeling superior to every character, only to have that arrogance come smashing down around me as I learned about them and their pasts. It was an important lesson
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Foundation within Might is working together to achieve mutual benefit. In unison we achieve a solid foundation.
When I read Rabbi Ruttenberg’s ON REPENTANCE AND REPAIR I did not feel chastised, I felt embraced in a shared goal for mutual and societal benefit. The book epitomizes for me the desire to work as a community towards a better world.
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Discipline and Might can be used destructively to tear other people down. In Majesty within might we focus on building up each others self esteem, bolstering the best in each other.
In RACHEL FRIEDMAN BREAKS THE RULES by Sarah Kapit, Rachel really does need discipline – the title is not kidding when it says she breaks the rules. But the way her father, and her Rabbi, go about it shows how much they are trying to build up Rachel as a person and celebrate her individuality.
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