Today I learned something NEW!!!馃榾 I learned what life [or at least Pesach] is ALL ABOUT!
I saw an ad [advertisements often, I believe, subtly undermine and erode everything we try to teach our children and ourselves about values. The attractive graphics and catchy phrases make things worse] encouraging me to [in huge letters and the most prominent and conspicuous part of the ad] "SPEND PESACH WITH CHEF FLAM".
I don't know who Chef Flam is. He most likely doesn't know who I am. I am sure he is a great guy. This is not personal.
What does the Parsha of Ben Sorrer Umoreh teach us?? Everyone knows what the Gemara says. [注诇 砖诐 住讜驻讜].
But let us take a look at the pashtan - the Ibn Ezra:
"讝讜诇诇 讜住讜讘讗 - 讗驻讬拽讜专讜住, 诇讗 讬讘拽砖 讞讬讬 讛注讜诇诐 讛讝讛 讻讬 讗诐 诇讛转注谞讙 讘讻诇 诪讬谞讬 诪讗讻诇 讜诪砖转讛".
Why is this boy executed [if he ever existed. See Sanhedrin 71a]? Because he thinks that life is just about PLEASURE!! Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we will die...
Yeshayahu 22-13:
Says the Metzudos:
"讛专讜讙 讘拽专" - 砖砖讞讟讜 讘讛诪讜转 讜讗讻诇讜 讘砖专 讜砖转讜 讬讬谉 讜讗诪专讜 讝讛 诇讝讛 讚专讱 诇注讙 谞讗讻讜诇 讜谞砖转讛 讘注讜讚谞讜 讞讬讬诐 讻讬 诪讞专 谞诪讜转 讘讬讚 讛讗讜讬讘 讜讗诐 诇讗 注讻砖讬讜 讗讬诪转讬.
THAT is the ad! Life is about PLEASURE!!! Eat HEARTILY now. Who knows what will be tomorrow. Spend tens of thousands of dollars. Eat, eat and then eat more. You will get fatter, your arteries will be clogged, you will become less refined, less spiritual, more inclined toward sensual pleasure.
SPEND PESACH WITH CHEF FLAM!!!
When you are there, in between the spa, the sauna, the 24 hour tea room, the trips, the entertainment, the attractive Eishes Ish's you will socialize with in the lobby - you will remember that you were once slaves to Paroh in Egypt.
Now you are slaves to your [ever widening] stomach.
This DOESN'T mean that one may not go on vacation. But it DOES MEAN that one must be very careful not to allow oneself to slide into the life of hedonistic pleasure seekers under the guise of "frum vacationers" helped by the facade of the "top hechsher with the supervision of ..." and "scholar in residence".
讗讬谉 讘谉 讞讜专讬谉 讗诇讗 诪讬 砖注讜住拽 讘转诇诪讜讚 转讜专讛.
