Category — Behaatotecha

“As you know, the government takes 40 percent of what you make. The other 60 percent, of course, is taken by the gas stations.” – J L

With gas prices hitting the roof and emptying our pockets, “energy” is the talk of the day. “Sue the big oil companies!” cry the liberals. “Drill for oil in Alaska!” scream the conservatives. “This is a sign from heaven that we should go green!” nudge the environmentalists. “Ha! Ha!” laugh the sheiks and princes in Saudi Arabia.
The solution I’ll leave to the ‘mavens’. The lessons however are for all to find.
What everyone agrees on is the huge problem that lies in being energy dependent, at the whim and mercy of foreign governments, all of which place their own interests ahead of ours.
Once we are already discussing oil, let’s take a look into our ancient Bible, wherein lies the answers for all of today’s woes. As the Baal Shem Tov taught us, we must live with the times, the Times being the Parsha of the week!
This weeks Torah portion is called “Beha’alotevha”, where we read of G-d’s commandment to Aaron to light the Menorah. Rashi explains the word ‘Beha’alotecha’ to mean that when lighting the Menorah the flame must be lit until it lightens up from itself.
Following the saying “the candle of G-d is the soul of man,” our Sages take the verse about the Menorah and apply it to the education of man. One must educate a child and ingrain within him such strong values and principals, that his Judaism and morality should be independent – lighted up from within.
Real education means to mold the child with great inner integrity and values, so that even when no one is around, he/she remains pious and moral. This kind of integrity is the opposite of “it’s okay to… as long as you don’t get caught”. It’s the discipline to do what’s right even when mom and dad are not around, or when it’s inconvenient.
One’s thoughts, actions and words, must not be measured only when in front of a large audience, but rather at all times and in all places and circumstances.
Getting back to oil prices. One thing is for sure, that when charting the course of our own engine/integrity, we must become energy independent and educate our children likewise. The stick and slap won’t do the job of education, they will just destroy. Only energy independence – where the child feels that ‘it’s my G-d, my Judaism, and my life’ will create spiritually healthy people with an inner moral compass. It is these children who will bring positive ‘change’ to an immoral universe.
The war of energy independence has begun. All for the L-rd follow… your own conscience!

Gossip: a person who will never tell a lie if the truth will do more damage

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Family politics are as old as the world itself. Adam blamed his wife for his wrongdoing, and Cain “took care” of his brother in history’s first murder. Abraham’s father allows him to be thrown into a furnace; Jacob and Esau don’t seem to see eye to eye in anything.

This week, we read of a perhaps less dramatic issue: sibling gossip. Moshe’s sister, Miriam, passed judgment on him for separating from his righteous wife Tzippora. She then shared her opinion of the story with their brother, Aharon:

“Does he think he’s holier than any of us?” she criticized. “G-d speaks to all of us; only he decides that a prophet can’t be married?”

G-d quickly let them know of His disapproval and punished Miriam with Tzaraat (a skin disease). The fact that her opinion was wrong was not the point; she may not have known that G-d had so instructed him. Yet jumping to conclusions, casting aspersions and passing them on were inappropriate.

For seven days, according to law, Miriam remained secluded outside the Israelite camp. The Jewish nation waited for that full week until she was pure; only then did they continue the journey through the desert.

Think about it:

For four hundred years, the Jewish nation had breathlessly awaited their redemption, and now, finally redeemed, they were counting down the days to the completion of the journey – minute by minute, step be step. And now, six hundred thousand people had to delay their trip to the Holy land for an entire week, due to some minor, personal have-you-heard issues!

What does that tell us?

Snide remarks, casual gossip and vicious slander have become societal norms. Millions are made by gossip magazines and articles. Saying what’s on one’s mind is considered “freedom of speech” and is just something we “gotta live with.”

Not so for the Holy One. In G-d’s eyes, it is a sin. And because it is such an easy slip, G-d took extreme measures with Miriam, teaching a lesson for generations: no slander is acceptable. Celebrity tabloids, politics, racial and family slander – these are absolutely wrong. There is no justification for blabbering.

As the saying goes, “Big people speak of ideas; average people speak about things; small people speak of other people.”

Please do not forward this thought to gossip columnists; they might pick on me next time…

Do something about it:

Think and think again before jumping into your friend’s dirty laundry.

The joke is told about Johnny, the first meshugener, who, after years in the local mental asylum, was about to be released as a functioning member of society. In order to be sure of his progress, however, the authorities decided that his intelligence would have to be tested. The all-important question came: How much are two plus two?
All of his buddies were there for the exam, nervously biting their nails in tension. Would he make it? Jonnie had two minutes to answer the question, and he was taking his time. With only five seconds left, Jonnie jumped up. “I have the answer! It’s four!”
All at once, his buddies started protesting: “Give him another chance! Give him another chance!”

One of the most fundamental beliefs in Judaism is that it is forbidden to ever give up hope, for Hashem always gives a Jew the chance to return and repent his past sins.
In this week’s Torah portion, we read about a group of people who, for reasons of impurity, were unable to bring a sacrifice on Passover as mandated by the Torah. So they came to Moshe and complained, “It’s not fair! We also want to bring the sacrifice!”
Moshe turned to Hashem with their case. And in the merit of those who refused to forgo the opportunity to fulfill a mitzvah, Hashem instituted a new holiday on the Jewish calendar. It is named “Pesach Sheni” (second Passover), and serves as a chance for all those who, for whatever reason, did not fulfill their obligation on the fifteenth on Nissan, to be able to do so one month later.

It’s never too late! Hashem is always ready to greet us with open arms. Just try.