A quote from Friday’s email:

“The word for Story in Hebrew, “sippur” is more than just “story.” It means “sefirah”, to count, “sapir”, to illuminate (like the sapphire stone). Kabbalists will tell you that “sefirah refers to the cosmic forces at work. The “Sefer Yetzirah”, the /Book of Formation/ begins: With three seforim,
with three books did G-d create the universe: “b’sefer”, “b’sofer”
“ub’sippur”.

With a book, a scribe and a story.

So a story is more than a story. It captures the tear and the twinkle of Jews throughout history. It manifests the highest and lowest points, and everything in between, it reflects not only the dramatic moments but also the seemingly insignificant ones – life in all its nuances, hues and
colors.”

via Simon Jacobson ‘Telling the Story’ http://www.meaningfullife.com