From an email:
Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalom sweeeeeetest friends!!!!
Good MMMMOOOOORRRRNNNIINNNNGGGGGG VIIIEEETTTNAMMMMM !!!! [Just in case Robin Williams reads this from Shomayim - I quote him. He was once interviewed on German television and was asked, “Why do you think there’s not so much comedy in Germany?” “Did you ever think,” Williams snapped, “you killed off all the funny people?”]
In this week's parsha [I am not sure what it is. I will find out when they read the Torah this Shabbos. The suspense is OVERWHELMING!!!] we read that the Jews who were not pure and thus disqualified from bringing the Korban Pesach came to Moshe and wanted an opportunity to bring the Korban Pesach. He answered that he will go ask the Boss....
The Targum Yerushalmi says that in 4 cases Moshe went to ask Hashem what to do. Here, the case of the daughters of Tzlafchod who wanted an inheritance, the מקושש who was Mechalel Shabbos [Parshas Shelach] and the מגדף who blasphemed Hashem's name. In the first two cases Moshe worked FAST whereas in the latter two cases he took his time.
For those who want to see it inside:
The Gemara [Makkos 22b] says that the Babylonians are foolish b/c they stand for a Torah but not for Torah scholars. Torah scholars are GREATER than the Torah. The Torah says to give 40 lashes and the Sages said it means 39. So they are the interpreters of the Torah. They get to decide what the Torah means. So we should give them the respect they deserve. It is almost like they override the Torah!!
Why does the Gemara use that example and not an example earlier on in the Torah - namely, that the Torah says to count 50 days and the Sages say 49!!?
Here is a big principle. It is really nice to be smart and authoritative. But that is not what it is really about. The question is how you use your brains and authority. To lessen the number of days we count? Not the biggest deal. We'd be cool counting the whole fifty [heck, a week and a half after Shvuos and 16 times a day I ask myself - "did you count yet?"
]. But to use your brains and authority to interpret the Torah to mean that 40 lashes really means 39 - THAT is a huge deal! To diminish the pain of others is what it is all about!!! Menos dolor más amor.
When it came to those who wanted to bring the Korban Pesach and Bnos Tzlaphchad who wanted an inheritance - Moshe displayed alacrity - זריזות [in Finnish]!! But when it came to punishing [the מקושש and מגדף] Moshe took his time. No rush to punish. THAT is a leader!! Un verdadero líder !!!
When it came to helping people - Moshe was super on board. He was less eager to punish.
We live in a world with a WHHHOOOOOLLLE lot of suffering. And it is not just stories we hear. Today everything is videoed, photographed, tik toked, facebooked, twittered, blogged etc. etc. What are we to do about everything we see and hear?
We can philosophize as to why bad things happen to good people. Teología profunda!!!
We can ignore the suffering and be thankful that we are healthy, have money in the bank and food in the fridge. Comida deliciosa.
Or - we can make a difference. We can change the world. Not the whole world necessarily but the life of an individual person and every person is a whole world.We can think looooong and haaaaard how we can best use the resources and abilities Hashem gave us to diminish the pain of others.
We are at WAR. Not Hamas vs. Israel. Not China vs. the USA. Not the Marxist-Leaning-The-Government-Will-Save-The-Day-Liberal-Left vs. the Conservative-Capitalist-Right whose Rebbe is Reb Ronald Reagan who said that big government is not the solution but the problem... [I am not taking sides in this debate:-)]. Those, per se, are not our battles. Our war is GOOD vs. EVIL. Evil wants to inflict pain and suffering. Good wants to diminish suffering and increase well being. The war starts inside of us and then extends outwards. Are we going to elevate ourselves from our natural narcissism or remain focused on our personal comfort? Are we going to eradicate all of the evil that is inside us and become great and make a difference or not?
We want to be on the side of good. But that takes time, effort, it costs a lot of money and doesn't always bring recognition. But that is our mandate in this world. NO CEASE FIRES!!! We will fight until the good prevails!! La buena voluntad prevalecerá. [I think that my Spanish speaking cleaning girl is having a shtark hashpa'a on me. That is why I keep using Spanish. What is WEIRD is that I don't HAVE a Spanish speaking cleaning girl!!!
]
So let us follow the lead of Moshe Rabbeinu and use our middah of zrizus to make the world a better place!!!!!!!
A SWEET DELICIOUS SHABBOS BELOVED FRIENDS!!!!
Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalom sweeeeeetest friends!!!!
Good MMMMOOOOORRRRNNNIINNNNGGGGGG VIIIEEETTTNAMMMMM !!!! [Just in case Robin Williams reads this from Shomayim - I quote him. He was once interviewed on German television and was asked, “Why do you think there’s not so much comedy in Germany?” “Did you ever think,” Williams snapped, “you killed off all the funny people?”]
In this week's parsha [I am not sure what it is. I will find out when they read the Torah this Shabbos. The suspense is OVERWHELMING!!!] we read that the Jews who were not pure and thus disqualified from bringing the Korban Pesach came to Moshe and wanted an opportunity to bring the Korban Pesach. He answered that he will go ask the Boss....
The Targum Yerushalmi says that in 4 cases Moshe went to ask Hashem what to do. Here, the case of the daughters of Tzlafchod who wanted an inheritance, the מקושש who was Mechalel Shabbos [Parshas Shelach] and the מגדף who blasphemed Hashem's name. In the first two cases Moshe worked FAST whereas in the latter two cases he took his time.
For those who want to see it inside:
ואמר להון דן חד מן ארבעה דינין דקמו קדם משה בתרין מנהון הוה משה זריז ובתרין מנהון הוה משה ממתין במסאבין דלא יכלו למעבד פסחה בזמנה ובדין בנתיה דצלפחד הוה משה זריז מן בגלל דהוון דיניהון דיני ממון במקוששה דחלל שבתה בזידנו ובמחרפה דפרש שמה קדישה בגדפין הוה משה ממתין מן בגלל דהוה דהוון דיניהון דיני נפשין למלפה לדייניה דקי[י]מין בתר משה די הווין זריזין בדיני ממוניה ומתינין בדיני נפשתה דלא יהוון קטלין בפריע ית מן דחמי לה מתקטלה בדינה ולא יהוון בהתין למימר לא שמענן דמשה רבן אמר לא שמעתה ואמר להון משה קומו כען ואשמע יתכון מה דתקן מן קדם יי מעבד לכון.
Why?The Gemara [Makkos 22b] says that the Babylonians are foolish b/c they stand for a Torah but not for Torah scholars. Torah scholars are GREATER than the Torah. The Torah says to give 40 lashes and the Sages said it means 39. So they are the interpreters of the Torah. They get to decide what the Torah means. So we should give them the respect they deserve. It is almost like they override the Torah!!
Why does the Gemara use that example and not an example earlier on in the Torah - namely, that the Torah says to count 50 days and the Sages say 49!!?
Here is a big principle. It is really nice to be smart and authoritative. But that is not what it is really about. The question is how you use your brains and authority. To lessen the number of days we count? Not the biggest deal. We'd be cool counting the whole fifty [heck, a week and a half after Shvuos and 16 times a day I ask myself - "did you count yet?"
When it came to those who wanted to bring the Korban Pesach and Bnos Tzlaphchad who wanted an inheritance - Moshe displayed alacrity - זריזות [in Finnish]!! But when it came to punishing [the מקושש and מגדף] Moshe took his time. No rush to punish. THAT is a leader!! Un verdadero líder !!!
When it came to helping people - Moshe was super on board. He was less eager to punish.
We live in a world with a WHHHOOOOOLLLE lot of suffering. And it is not just stories we hear. Today everything is videoed, photographed, tik toked, facebooked, twittered, blogged etc. etc. What are we to do about everything we see and hear?
We can philosophize as to why bad things happen to good people. Teología profunda!!!
We can ignore the suffering and be thankful that we are healthy, have money in the bank and food in the fridge. Comida deliciosa.
Or - we can make a difference. We can change the world. Not the whole world necessarily but the life of an individual person and every person is a whole world.We can think looooong and haaaaard how we can best use the resources and abilities Hashem gave us to diminish the pain of others.
We are at WAR. Not Hamas vs. Israel. Not China vs. the USA. Not the Marxist-Leaning-The-Government-Will-Save-The-Day-Liberal-Left vs. the Conservative-Capitalist-Right whose Rebbe is Reb Ronald Reagan who said that big government is not the solution but the problem... [I am not taking sides in this debate:-)]. Those, per se, are not our battles. Our war is GOOD vs. EVIL. Evil wants to inflict pain and suffering. Good wants to diminish suffering and increase well being. The war starts inside of us and then extends outwards. Are we going to elevate ourselves from our natural narcissism or remain focused on our personal comfort? Are we going to eradicate all of the evil that is inside us and become great and make a difference or not?
We want to be on the side of good. But that takes time, effort, it costs a lot of money and doesn't always bring recognition. But that is our mandate in this world. NO CEASE FIRES!!! We will fight until the good prevails!! La buena voluntad prevalecerá. [I think that my Spanish speaking cleaning girl is having a shtark hashpa'a on me. That is why I keep using Spanish. What is WEIRD is that I don't HAVE a Spanish speaking cleaning girl!!!
So let us follow the lead of Moshe Rabbeinu and use our middah of zrizus to make the world a better place!!!!!!!
A SWEET DELICIOUS SHABBOS BELOVED FRIENDS!!!!
