One of my Rabbeim recently passed away and it saddened me.
His name was [Rav?] Norman Lear. He was my Rebbe b/c he produced many of the most popular TV shows in the 70's and 80's such as All In The Family, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Sanford And Son and Different Strokes. TV is not just an entertainment medium but actually imparts values - like a Rebbe. The *problem* is that these values are often in very stark conflict with Torah values. I *wish* that I hadn't watched all of that TV b/c it is in my mind and psyche and will never leave. But I did and that can't be changed. All I could do is make sure that my children don't watch and learn about life and how to act and speak from people soooooo far from the way we are supposed to be. So Norman taught me a lot. Unfortunately.
I was sad b/c a Yid can go over TEN DECADES living a life of total הבל הבלים. Very sad.
On a side note: When he divorced his second wife in 1985, she received a reported $112 million.
On a positive note: Norman provided me with countless free hours of fun and entertainment in my youth and for that I am grateful. When I was a child there were basically two things I really enjoyed: Watching TV and playing sports. So he really fulfilled a need.
Mussar Haskels:
1] Make sure your Rebbeim are worthy of the title...
2] Do things that have eternal value. Watching people play pretend isn't included.
3] Not having shalom bayis can be EXXXXXPENSIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
4] Always find the *positive note* and look for gratitude.
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PS - It turns out that in real life, Archie Bunker was actually a liberal!!!😳😳😳
