DIVREI TORAH ON PARSHAS BEHAR
The Posuk, (Perek 26, Posuk 36) says, “Kol Ole Nidof”, that if Klal Yisroel doesn’t follow Hashem’s Mitzvohs, “they’ll run from the rustling of branches in the wind, believing that it is an attacking army”. The fear of attack will be so great that the mind will imagine attackers around every corner. This Kelolo (curse) isn’t one of physical destruction, but of a fragile, paranoid, state of mind, which can be as damaging to an individual as a nation.
The Posuk explains that the fear of being chased was so great that it made people imagine something that rational minds wouldn’t consider. In America, people aren’t chased by neighboring armies. Nevertheless, many people, today, irrationally believe that they’re being chased in other ways.
Many people become insulted when no insult was intended. They believe that their parents, siblings, and others, hate them, although their belief is based on a singular incident with multiple other rational explanations.
People have become very fragile, lack self-esteem, and they can’t rationally interpret the events of their lives. They see every comment, and action, as if someone’s trying to chase them away, and take what is rightfully theirs.
People who are overly sensitive should realize that this is happening. People who interact with them must learn to be patient with them, even as they try to help them.
The Posuk explains that the fear of being chased was so great that it made people imagine something that rational minds wouldn’t consider. In America, people aren’t chased by neighboring armies. Nevertheless, many people, today, irrationally believe that they’re being chased in other ways.
Many people become insulted when no insult was intended. They believe that their parents, siblings, and others, hate them, although their belief is based on a singular incident with multiple other rational explanations.
People have become very fragile, lack self-esteem, and they can’t rationally interpret the events of their lives. They see every comment, and action, as if someone’s trying to chase them away, and take what is rightfully theirs.
People who are overly sensitive should realize that this is happening. People who interact with them must learn to be patient with them, even as they try to help them.
The author can be contacted at shmuelgluck@areivim.com
This Parsha discusses what should be people’s attitudes towards money. The Akeida discusses this topic in length. I would like to present one thought within the greater discussion of people’s attitudes towards money.
In Tehillim, Dovid Hamelech says: Lo Yih'yeh b'cho Keil Zor. There should not be a strange G-D in you. The word B’cho, in you, refers to the internal Yetzer Horo. This is a powerful statement. An Avoda Zoro doesn’t have to be an outside force, or object, to which people make themselves subservient. They can also make themselves subservient to an attitude.
How does this constitute idol worshiping? Idol worshiping is the belief that any person, or object, has any level of control that it doesn’t actually have. That belief causes people not to credit the one that actually has the control. Believing, for example, that the sun controls its own movements, means that the person believes that Hashem doesn’t control the sun. That is the essence of idol worship.
Here is a more practical example. Imagine I credit an older brother for helping me find a job that, in reality, was made possible by my parents. The amount of credit I give my brother, let’s say 50%, is then taken away from my parents, who deserve 100% of the credit. Instead of crediting my parents for 100%, I only thank them for 50%. My parents have the right (although it may not be advisable) to feel insulted, and maybe even upset.
Therefore, people who believe that an Avoda Zoro deserves some appreciation for their success, even if they also believe in Hashem, are taking away some of the control that Hashem has.
Now, let’s apply this to money. If people believe that money can better their lives, by making them more popular, or happier, they take that “control” away from Hashem who is the only one who can do all of what they want. Their belief has become an Avoda Zoro.
There are many other beliefs that lessen people’s acknowledgement that Hashem controls everything. People need to recognize that everything is an extension of Hashem’s will. This is true concerning money, athletic skills, and even their sales ability. All of these, and any, and every thing else, are tools given to us by Hashem, and therefore Hashem can take them back.
In Tehillim, Dovid Hamelech says: Lo Yih'yeh b'cho Keil Zor. There should not be a strange G-D in you. The word B’cho, in you, refers to the internal Yetzer Horo. This is a powerful statement. An Avoda Zoro doesn’t have to be an outside force, or object, to which people make themselves subservient. They can also make themselves subservient to an attitude.
How does this constitute idol worshiping? Idol worshiping is the belief that any person, or object, has any level of control that it doesn’t actually have. That belief causes people not to credit the one that actually has the control. Believing, for example, that the sun controls its own movements, means that the person believes that Hashem doesn’t control the sun. That is the essence of idol worship.
Here is a more practical example. Imagine I credit an older brother for helping me find a job that, in reality, was made possible by my parents. The amount of credit I give my brother, let’s say 50%, is then taken away from my parents, who deserve 100% of the credit. Instead of crediting my parents for 100%, I only thank them for 50%. My parents have the right (although it may not be advisable) to feel insulted, and maybe even upset.
Therefore, people who believe that an Avoda Zoro deserves some appreciation for their success, even if they also believe in Hashem, are taking away some of the control that Hashem has.
Now, let’s apply this to money. If people believe that money can better their lives, by making them more popular, or happier, they take that “control” away from Hashem who is the only one who can do all of what they want. Their belief has become an Avoda Zoro.
There are many other beliefs that lessen people’s acknowledgement that Hashem controls everything. People need to recognize that everything is an extension of Hashem’s will. This is true concerning money, athletic skills, and even their sales ability. All of these, and any, and every thing else, are tools given to us by Hashem, and therefore Hashem can take them back.
The author can be contacted at shmuelgluck@areivim.com
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