Thursday, April 20, 2017

Living Our Speech And Value System

לעילוי נשמת סבי ר' שמואל פינחס בן ר' יעקב צבי 


"The only solution to the violence problem in America is a return to traditional parental involvement. This should be encouraged by every elected official. Also, the abandonment and neglect of children by their parents should have civil consequences."

"Communicated in the right way, Judeo-Christian philosophy and the religions that uphold it bind a citizenry together in pursuit of a just and generous society. "

"There comes a time when a human being has to either face evil or admit to allowing it. Abortion is legal in the United States, but it should not be celebrated or used as a political tool. Viable babies are human beings."


These are reasonably nice quotes. Who said them? Someone who has written many books and appears as a television personality who often takes the moral high ground. 

Billy O'Reilly. 

This is a lashon-nekiah-Torah-true blog [I hope], so I will not detail his disgusting behavior with numerous women. Suffice it to say that he is a מושחת and מנוול [English - BAAAAADDDDD dude. Beyond corrupt]. And was just fired by Fox news. 

The lesson for us. I see it ALL THE TIME. People TALK a "good game" but they don't live it. A person will speak about focusing on being more ruchani and at the same time drive a super-fancy luxury car, go on unnecessarily lavish vacations  etc. etc.  A person will speak about the importance of learning Torah but spend his free time with his smartphone and NOT his mishnayos or gemara. The examples are legion. 

Lesson: Don't just "talk the talk" but also "walk the walk". Live your words. Every night we say כי הם חיינו ואורך ימינו - Torah is our life. Try to mean it. 

We ask Hashem three times daily to forgive us for our sins. Do we actually plan to be a different person and stop sinning [as best we can] after mincha or are we just reciting a prepared text. 

We thank Hashem every time we have a sandwich for Eretz Yisrael. Is Eretz Yisrael just like an amusement park where we go for a good time or do we really connect on a soul level to Eretz Yisrael and hope that one day we can fulfill the mitzva to live there?? 

These are just a few examples. Let us not fall into the Bill O'Reilly and Bill Cosby and Bill Clinton [something about "Bills". I get them in the mail all the time and CAN'T STAND THEM] trap of talking and writing about values but being personally crude and immoral people. Nobody reading this would ever be like them but we have a high level of morality to reach. Our mandate is to never forget that and constantly strive to reach moral and spiritual perfection.