Tag Archive for Fear of G-d

Measure for Measure

September 13, 2013 G-d and Us, MUSSAR HASKEL/ A Lesson No comments

     

Germany in the 1930′s was known as a very cultural society. The Jews of Germany were so in love with its elegance, grace and blah blah blah that they considered themselves Germans first and Jews second; sounds familiar? One may wonder how can a society like that can turn to be cruel, brutal, and barbaric, which no one has seen in the history of mankind?

 

We read a few weeks ago after the miraculous crossing of the sea by our ancestors, that “they saw”, then “they feared”, then “they believed”. It seems like fear is part of the equation. Fear is part and parcel of belief. However, fear and religion – according to American taste – doesn’t get many brownie points. It’s not a popular word when associated with religion. In fact, I’m not going to title this article with that “word” in it. Hey, I got to sell this, don’t I? Americans like a slow song guitar playing spiritual orah, kumsitz style; or getting the spiritual high from appreciating the good things in life, like a good kiddush, a good meal combined with some good Torah learning. Personally, I’m all for that and that’s how I feel one can grow through the appreciation of all the wonderful things G-d has given us. However, we have to have a little fear; little just a little. I’d like to explain this through the following story. Although it’s a bit crude, it makes an effective point.

 

There was a father and son who had a nice relationship. At age 5, the boy got a racing car from his father. A number of years later, the boy received a bicycle for his birthday. After borrowing the family car too many times, the father decided to get a second vehicle and the boy ceremoniously declared it his. As time marched on, the son got married and had kids. The father, in the meantime, reaches an age where health is an issue and the doctor visits are more frequent. Years later, the son has to accompany the father to the medical facilities. It seems like the father has reached an age where he can’t take care of himself and the son has to put him into a home. The insurance doesn’t cover everything; it’s Medicare. However, the son and the father have some money saved up.

 

In today’s times, people live longer than in the past and the father has survived a good number of years at the home but the cost is a bit expensive and the family resources ran out. Therefore, he had to move back in with the son. He received plastic plates while the rest of the family was eating on the nice porcelain because of the possibility of him breaking it. It was very hard; the father became irritable and the son just the same.

 

One day, the son, although carefully planned, had an idea. He said to his father “Father, we’re going on a trip, you and me”. He takes him for a long ride on top of this huge mountain. After a nice walk, they get to the edge of the cliff. Just then, as he’s ready to push his father off the cliff, he notices his father smiling. He says to himself, my father is a very smart man. Let me ask him about his reaction. “Father I know you know why I brought you here, why are you smiling?” The father replied, “Because I did the same thing to my father”.

 

The son didn’t go through with the plan because of the fear of measure for measure in which his children will react the same.

 

A person can be educated, be cultured, and have elegance and class, but when G-d puts him in an extremely difficult predicament, he can turn into the cruelest animal one cannot even imagine. The one attribute that will prevent him from going to the extreme behavior mode is fear. The son was ready to kill his father out of frustration, but held himself back because of fear of measure for measure. What’s the expression? What goes around comes around.

Parshat Naso

May 5, 2013 Highlights on the Weekly Parsha, Uncategorized No comments

“A Cup of Coffee 

 

&

A Quick Thought”

 

 
Steaming Cup of Coffee
Spark Of Jewish Experience
 
 Nasso

June 2, 2011

29 Iyar, 5771

Dear Friends,

For those of you who had the opportunity and privilege to learn Torah on a consistent basis throughout the year – or even a minimal amount – you should feel very proud about the upcoming holiday of Shavuot. It commemorates the Jews receiving the Torah from G-d on Mount Sinai. May G-d give us the opportunity to increase the amount of our learning and enjoy the fascinating gift which He bestowed upon us. Enjoy the holiday!!!
In This Issue
Love & Fear
Shavuot

Love & Fear
love & fear

 

The scripture (Parshat Yitro 19:1-25) describes in detail the monumental event of the Jewish people receiving the Torah. But one may raise his eyebrow as to where our ancestors were camped when the revelation occurred. The literal translation of where they were standing was, under the mountain. We assumed the Torah is indicating they were near the mountain, but Rashi, the mainstream commentary on the Torah, seems to believe that G-d raised the mountain over the heads of the Israelites and threatened them ‘if you do not except the Torah I’m going to drop the mountain and kill you now!’

Presumably, this seems to be contradicting to what we were led to believe, so proudly,’NA’ASSE VE NISHMA’; meaning we will accept the Torah so blindly that we will do the commandments first, and receive the explanations later. All the other nations probed ‘what’s in it?’ and then rejected it; however, our ancestors embraced it. ‘Hey! We agreed on the conditions without even looking at the contract, so why is G- d forcing us for no reason? ‘

Rabbi Jay Shapiro, one of my mentors, quotes Rav Eliyahu Lapian’s parable and explanation on the contradiction. I think this parable is really cool. Back in the days, there was a king that was very popular and loved by all. He had an important meeting cross-country and the optimal form of transportation was the royal train. It was a three-day trip, with planned designated stops all throughout the country. Towards the end of his route to the meeting, the royal train pulls into this town. It seemed like the townspeople were hungrily ready for his arrival. Banners were hanging on the rafters of the train station with the words ‘WE LOVE YOU KING’; the band was playing his favorite song in between a presentation by the second grade choir of its prestigious school; the clowns were juggling; the hot dog stand was full.

All were waiting to see the Majesty King; the enthusiastic noise was getting more intense. After fifteen minutes, a guard emerges and made an announcement. ‘The King loves you all but he had a long day and he’s trying to get some sleep; he has a major conference tomorrow and he would appreciate some quiet.’ After he returned back to the train the crowd continued the noise. ‘WE LOVE YOU KING!’ they proclaimed showing more of their intense love. The band played louder; the juggler added another ball; more hotdogs and Marino’s ices were added. A little while later, a guard emerged from the train, this time slightly agitated and a bit more firm, ‘We ask you nicely, the King has a very important meeting tomorrow and needs his sleep. Please refrain from noise’. The guard disappeared back into the train presumably satisfied that his words made an impression. But that did not stop the crowd; they anticipated this day for a while and were eager to show their love and affection to the king.

Ten minutes later six guards appeared on the high platform next to the locomotive, carrying submachine guns (they had machine guns in those days? No, I actually altered the story a bit to bring home the point). The head goon with the dark sunglasses spoke up, ‘Whoever makes another sound will be shot’. As a result of these frightening words, one can hear a pin drop among the three thousand well-wishers.

Rav Lapian asks, ‘Do they still love their king?’ The answer is yes, but now they fear him as well as love him. If there would be no fear, the important mission would not have been accomplished properly, even though the right intentions were at heart.

In order for us to function as proper Jews and to adhere to his laws correctly, progressively and efficiently, one has to incorporate a little fear as well as the love that one dearly possesses for Him, or else there will be total chaos. A person may eat pig and say ‘I appreciate the food G d has giving me’. There is an expression, which is used frequently ‘I love G d in my heart and I’ll show it my way’. This is considered inappropriate; there has to be rules and they have to be followed. For example, if one violates Shabbat he will pay the consequences. Logically, it makes sense to have law and order, or religion will be a free for all.

This is what G-d wanted to show the Israelites by picking up the mountain and threatening them – that love and fear are part and parcel. This is also the lesson that G-d is trying to convey to us.  One needs both to be a proper Jew.

Shavuot
 Shavuot

When our ancestors uttered the famous line ‘NA’ASE VE NISHMA’, which propelled G-d to place us above all the nations, the angels asked ‘how do the Israelites know our secret’? One may ask, what secret are they talking about? And also, what is so important about the phrase that G-d found to be so important? In order to understand this, one has to examine a conversation between King Solomon and Hiram the king of Tyre.

‘You know that my father David was not able to build a house for G-d due to the wars that surrounded him’, Shlomo proclaimed. However this seems a bit hard to understand. Although King David fought many wars, he still made time to do various important functions, one of which was writing Psalms. Furthermore, there is a clear indication from the scripture, ‘The king was sitting in his house and G-d had given him respite from all his enemies’, seemingly, that David had time and was even planning the blueprint of the Temple. So why wasn’t he allowed to build it?

It is important to note a vital piece of history, which will help us understand this further. One of the reasons that the Jews were prohibited to attend the party of Achashverosh the king of Persia, (this is the story that commemorates the holiday of Purim) was because the utensils that were used at the party were the same ones used in the holy temple. They were taken by Nevuchanetzar, king of Babylonia after he destroyed the temple approximately 2500 years ago.  It was then passed down to Queen Vashti, first wife of Achashverosh, who was Nevuchanetzar’s granddaughter. Besides the utensils, Achashverosh went through great pains to wear the original garbs of the high priest, which were worn when he performed his duties. What, may you ask, was the motive of the Persian king?

Achashverosh was a student of history and took note that whenever the Jews went to battle, before they proceeded, they went in the temple, prayed to their G-d and were victorious instantly. He presumably thought the garb, which I will wear, and the utensils, which will be used at my ceremonial party, will guarantee victory among my enemies.

However, G-d said ‘build me a temple, for me’and Rashi (mainstream commentary on the Torah) explains, ‘for my sake, one should build a temple with no ulterior motives’. For this reason, David was not allowed to build the temple, because people might think, and David himself might be tempted, that he had ulterior motives to build the temple so he can be victorious in his battles and not for the sake of G-d at all. Therefore, his son Shlomo, who lives in peace and tranquil times and would be sincerein his dedication to G-d, was allowed to build it.

One of the key and unique character traits, which Jews have, is the potential to possess sincerity. This is what they displayed on Mount Sinai when they proudly and lovingly proclaimed NA’ASSE VE NISHMA’. Sincerity is the secret that the angels possess in which they thought was their exclusive. They perform their duties solely and efficiently without any ulterior motives. Perhaps that is the reason David was prohibited to build the temple; humans reach an angelic state of holiness when doing the duties in G-d’s house.

Although it is difficult to be 100% sincere, human nature has tendencies in which there is always a bit of an ulterior motive involved; and it is understandable that one cannot manufacture feelings. However, in performing good deeds to our fellow human being, one may perhaps envision the benefit that the person you are doing the kindness to is receiving, and through that action develops sincerity.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Avi Matmon
Spark of Jewish Experience