That cheap!

Joey had swallowed a nickel and his parents were frantic. “Cough!” “Oh Gosh what are we gonna do?” “This is terrible!”

After a few moments when the situation was just getting worse, the father decided to take things in his own hands, so he started slamming Joey on his back, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Finally the nickel came flying out. With a sigh of relief the parents put down the frightened child, and went back to their duties in the kitchen.

Joey’s younger brother David who had watched it all, walked over to his parents and asked if he can have a private meeting. “Why, of course!” they said.

“Mom and Dad, I decided that from now on, I will only eat bread and butter, I will bye only one pair of shoes every two years! I’ll even sleep on the floor!”

The parents were confused: “Joey, what happened? No bed, no food? Are you becoming a saint?”

Joey quietly responded: “I saw how both of you became so frantic over a nickel, and I realized how terrible our financial situation really is!”

***

We all have perceptions. I look at an object and see one thing and you look at it and see something else entirely, if not the total opposite.

To illustrate the point, let’s take a look at the holy temple the subject of the weekly portion. There is the way I see it, I as in - the basic and external perception. And then there is the true way, the way g-d sees it.

I see a magnificent structure of gold and silver, and I wonder; what is this all about? Is G-d so high maintenance?

The true way to look at it: who was gold and silver created for if not to beautify the service of the creator!

I see mass slaughter of animals, and a river of blood, making it an eerie seemingly non-holy scene.

The true way to look at it: this is a reflection of man sacrificing his personal animal, his life source, his own flesh and blood, for a higher cause.

I hear phenomenal classic music, and heart warming singing and harmony from the mouths of the Levites.

The true way to look at it: These are heavenly tunes, aimed at pulling at the Jew’s soul strings, and bring him closer and more open to his true self.

There is deeper meaning to all that occurs, to every leaf that falls and every war fought.

Open your eyes to the deeper realm and you will find the reason and purpose for it all.