The Neighborhood Watch

Double Standards. That's what the problem is.

 

I'm in a big rush so I can't give anyone a ride.... but she's so self centered and that's why she's not offering to take me home.

I forgot to invite her to my simcha- I'm only human... but what a chutzpah that someone should forget to invite ME...

I can forget to throw my socks into the hamper- sometimes I'm just  soooo tired... but him? How dare he!

If any of these examples, or similar ones, just made your brain go 'oops', I think you'd better keep reading.

 

The Parsha this week, Shoftim, speaks about setting up judges and police to ensure some safety in da hood. Safety is a mitzvah. Seat belts, car seats, property and personal protection... it's all written in the Big Book. 

But we're gonna talk about a different type of safety in a different kind of neighborhood. 

The neighborhood I speak of is a small one, consisting of just one individual. Me. Well, that's who's in mine. You- are in yours. The point of us setting up judges and police people (gotta be politically correct) for ourselves is to apply constant supervision over all of our actions and motivation.

 

It is so so easy to find fault in others:

They're spoiling their kids- they really need some chinuch classes.

Why doesn't she go on a diet- doesn't she have a mirror at home?

He's so intense. Why can't he be more like...me?

 

You get the point.

 

We can blame others and we can judge others without the slightest bit of effort. But this can easily lead to arrogance and stagnation. We need to turn the microscope around and face it inward. Let's be a little self absorbed for once.  Yes, we do have the obligation to make sure others are growing in the right direction... but not before we check our own compasses.

 

Ever been on a plane? Notice how the flight attendants make a whole performance about flight safety? When they act out the scene about what to do when there's a loss of cabin pressure, they tell you very clearly to first make sure your oxygen mask is secured and then reach over to help someone else.

Yeah, we like helping others improve. Something about that makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Especially when we can be so focused on their issues and just put ours on ignore.

 

"Make for yourself judges and police", as it is written in the parsha, is our own personal obligation to keep taking notes, asking for directions, and reviewing our own behaviors in order to continue improving.

 

Before we make judgments about other people, we need to make sure to judge ourselves first. And then, fix whatever needs fixing.

 

 Next time a child says to you, "When I get bigger, I wanna be a cop" tell him what a great idea that is.  

 

Have a great shabbos!

Yaffa

Not A Vampire´s Favorite Parsha

If you often find yourself craving a slurpee or frapp made from unmodified beast blood, I´d suggest developing a taste for mocha or strawberry instead. Because, this week’s Torah portion, Re’eh, includes a prohibition against eating the blood of any animal.  Along with this prohibition, the verse states: “You shall not eat it, in order that it be well with you and your children after you, when you do what is right in the eyes of God”

A close examination of the verse reveals an apparent contradiction: The commandment requires us NOT to do something – namely, to refrain from eating blood. Yet, the reward of a good life for oneself and one’s children is predicated on DOING what is right in the eyes of God, even though there is no actual deed associated with fulfilling this mitzvah.

The question, then, is whether the reward in this case is granted for doing the right thing, or for not doing the wrong thing, and how the two are related.
 
There is a statement in the Talmud (Kiddushin, 39B), which says that when someone refrains from doing the wrong thing, his spiritual reward is on par with having actually performed a positive commandment.
When someone holds back from delivering a really exciting piece of gossip, her reward for not speaking is equal to her reward for actually doing a positive mitzvah.
 
If only some aspects of physical reward worked the same way as spiritual reward. Imagine if, by refraining from eating a custard doughnut I´d actually burn as many calories as if I had a full work out! I do try my best, though. I may order two slices of pizza and a whole serving of cajun fries...but I get it with a Diet Coke, so it sorta cancels out, right?

So, Rashi takes this concept a step further: If the Torah rewards a person for not doing something most people find repulsive in the first place, such as eating blood, we can imagine how much more merit a person would receive when overcoming a temptation that is powerful and readily available.
Of course, each individual is unique. One person’s challenge is another person’s child’s play. As such, the reward we receive is measured according to our own personal struggle. This is the meaning of the Mishnah in Pirkei Avos,  “According to the effort, so is the reward.” 
The determining factor is not just actions, but also the sacrifice and struggle involved in doing the right thing or refraining from acting improperly.
As a side note, this is also why it´s unfair to place judgement on or to examine and determine the actions of others. It may seem obvious or easy to us, but it might be a very difficult challenge for them. And the opposite is true, as well. Something difficult for us may be a breeze for someone else.
 
So, not doing something, is equal to doing something.
 
We spend much of our lives focusing on doing things. What am I doing today? What am I doing this summer? What am I doing with my life? What am I doing with my talents?
These are all super- powerful questions that must be addressed in order to accomplish our tasks in life. 

But, there´s another equally significant side to this that many of us don´t recognize.
 
What am I not doing today? What have I not done this summer? What am I not doing with my life? What am I not doing with my talents?
Super- powerful questions. With super- powerful answers.
 
In order to accomplish our goals, and in order to reach our full potential in life, we need to turn our focus from what I´m doing, to include what I´m not doing. How many opportunities are passing me by? How many people am I not helping? How many of my gifts am I not using? How many lives have I not changed? By recognizing what I´m not doing, I´ll be able to do a whole lot more.
  Oh, and I totally recommend mocha, anyway.

  Have a great Shabbos!

Yaffa

A Grave Mitzva

Have you seen the movie The Ten Commandments? 
If you liked the movie, you would love the book. To read the original and authentic version, open up the chumash to the sedra this week, Véschanan. All ten are fascinating, interesting, and beneficial to all of us, but we're gonna focus on just one of them now: Honor thy father and mother.  

Did you know that kibud av vaem is the only commandment that is required of us to fulfill after death too? No, this isn´t a horror film; the dead person remains in the grave at all times. What I mean is that even after a parent dies they must still be treated with and spoken about with the same respect as if they were alive. 

Who do we know that was famous for his kibud av vaem? 
The first person is Esav. 
Then, there's also the famous story in the gemorah of Dama Ben Nesina. 
What do these two people have in common besides possessing strange names? 
They both were not Jewish. 

Interestingly, the only people mentioned in the Torah for their outstanding behavior towards their parents are non-Jews. How could it be that the one commandment which we are obligated to follow during life as well as after death is not even being fulfilled properly by Jews- only by the other nations?

So there's a machlokes- argument in the gemorah about the complications of the mitzva of kidud horim. Rav Yochanan said 'lucky is the person who's an orphan'. This statement was alluding to the fact that the mitzva of kibud av vaem is the most difficult mitzva in the Torah.
There's another gemorah that says that fulfilling this mitzva properly is so hard, that it's better not to have been born at all. 
How weird is that? Nowhere else do we see the Torah speaking this way!
Is it also better to be born without an arm so we don't have to wear tefillin? Or without knees so we don't have to cover them? 
Why is this commandment so especially hard for Jews to keep, but non-Jews can excel at it? 
 Let's hear the Maharal's perspective on it.

We were brought into this world by our parents. Without them, we wouldn't be. I know its hard to picture the world without us, but it would go on even with that loss. We owe our parents everything, just for bringing us here.  

One of the most fundamental aspects of Judaism is the knowledge that we are presently living in a temporary world, walking through it in order to get to the real world.
But, there's only one person that will be responsible for my entrance into the next world. Not Dad. Not Mom. Not God. Only me.
 
Our non-Jewish neighbors and fellow world inhabitants are born to eat pepperoni pizza and Big Macs. They live for material pleasures and gastronomical pleasure and sensual pleasure and fashion pleasures.They are created, and then brought into the world. This is the place they live for. Therefore, it's logical for them to be overflowing with gratitude to their parents for bringing them into the world of their dreams.
There is no other way they could've gotten here to be able to experience their wordly pleasures.
 
The Jews, however, were brought into this world, where we spend all our waking hours living for the next world. 
Don't get me wrong- I have an unbreakable bond with my pizza. Don't even try getting between us. But even while eating pizza, or sushi, or shwarma...or, while vacationing in Puerto Rico or Cancun....or while driving my BMW or wearing my beautiful ring of diamonds, I'm supposed to be focusing on and striving toward my eternal life in the real world. 
That. Is. Hard. 
So, since we're just paying rent here and not buying a permanent home, maybe we're not naturally that full of gratitude to our parents, because we're not really that thrilled to be here at all.
Our parents have nothing to do with our entrance to the next world. Only we do. And that's the world we're living for. So, perhaps we have a more difficult time respecting them and honoring them than the others have.

But, since we could never get to our eternal home without first passing through here, it´s imperative to recognize everything our parents did for us and continue to do for us- from giving us life, to the constant physical and emotional support they supply us with, the list will have no beginning and no end. Therefore, the respect that we should have for them is equally limitless- and that's why the mitzva extends into the grave.

"Children are a great comfort in your old age - and they help you reach it faster, too" :)
 
Have a great shabbos!
Yaffa

Am I A Murderer?

One of the themes in the parsha this week (Maasei) is the Cities of Refuge, the arai miklat. These are special cities where entry is allowed only by someone who's guilty of accidental murder. The reason these cities were founded was not only to escape the perhaps revengeful hand of the victim's pained family, but also because people who belong there are generally good, straight individuals who committed these unforgivable crimes completely by mistake, and were so torn and broken about it that they just didn't know what to do with themselves or where to go.

The  Chidushei HaRim explains that when someone in klal yisrael hurts someone, even unintentionally, he naturally feels full of pain and guilt. In fact, he'll be so broken that he'll feel as if he has no place in the world for him to go. That's why Hashem is offering him this City Of Refuge- a safe cove for him to hide in until the passing of the Kohen Gadol which served as the dismissal bell.

I have a friend who, a couple of years ago, at the age of 28 had 6 kids under the age of 10. May she live and be well. One day, her husband went into the hospital for a very minor, uncomplicated sinus procedure, where he was in the hands of a skilled doctor. During the surgery, though, the doctor accidentally touched a wrong nerve which caused bleeding in his eye. While trying to fix that, he shifted the bleeding and caused his patient a serious brain hemorrhage. He remained in the hospital, completely relying on life support, in a vegetative state, for the last few months of his life.
The point of bringing you this tragic story was not just to be a carrier of bad news. No way. It's because the doctor, a fine, honest, caring Jew, was so beside himself with pain and guilt that he just didn't, and still doesn't know where to put himself. He wants to run. He wants to hide. He wants to cry. He wants to repent. When I was reading the parsha this week, I understood a little better how important it is to have these cities of refuge for people who are guilty- but purely by accident.

Now, there's a catch here. Yes, the cities of refuge are a wonderful thing for people. But, it only helps if a person really feels remorse and pain. It only benefits a person who is so shattered by what he did that he feels there is no place in the world for him to go.  Someone who's not touched or moved too deeply by his mistake will not find consolation or benefit in any way from going there.
Why not?
Because when you harm someone in any way, and you deeply regret it, this can be something very positive and beneficial. It can motivate you to improve. It can encourage you to be more careful next time. Even when we do things by accident, there's a high chance that if we would have been just that much more careful, it wouldn't have happened. So if the guilty feeling brings one to be more attentive or less negligent in the future, there will definitely be a positive outcome from their mistake. And that's what the arei miklat are for. To help deal with the guilty party's emotions and help him become a person who's more conscious and careful.

Thank God most of us aren't actually killing anybody, but we still manage to hurt people in many other ways. We don't have a City Of Refuge for that, nor do we need one. But let's at least try to feel guilty when we do, and try to turn those feelings into greater consciousness and alertness.

Someone once went to the Steipler Gaon and asked him for a bracha that he should be found innocent in court for a  violation of a traffic law. Instead of giving him a blessing, the Steipler admonished him, saying "If you violated a traffic law, you're endangering the lives of other people. Therefore, you are deserving  of the greatest punishment."We hurt people with words and with actions. Ironically, we also hurt people with a lack of words and a lack of action.
This weeks parsha teaches us AWARENESS. To recognize when  we have caused someone pain and to feel so bad about that mistake, that we will not repeat it again in the future.

Have a great shabbos!

Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones

Generally, I refrain from perpetuating stereotypes. But this one I have actual proof of: Women like to talk. We bounce ideas off each other about everything from dinner ideas to fashion tips to career moves. We talk about politics and share philosophies, we vent, advise, and criticize. 
But we never speak loshon horah, of course.
In fact, out of the ten levels of speech gifted to the world, the female section grabbed nine, leaving only one for males to use. 

Women also speak more quickly than men do, devote more brainpower to chit-chat, and actually get a buzz out of hearing their own voices.
Basically, women were created with an eight-lane superhighway for processing and expressing emotion, while men have just a small country road. With cool tractors.

This is why I wasn't surprised to find that while the parsha discusses the concept of nedarim, making and breaking promises, it references women more than men. 
Of course men have also been noted to speak without thinking, but womens' tongues are usually looser.

Parshas Matos speaks about words. About making promises. And about the consequences of breaking them.

Let's talk about words for a minute.

The main thing that differentiates a human being from an animal is the power of speech. While most animals can communicate as a survival mechanism, no one other than mankind can creatively communicate or express a philosophical query. 
Speech is also what connects the spiritual world with the physical. 
And, speech transforms abstract thoughts into reality.

Speech is holy. It is the tool of creation. Through speech we can build individuals- with praise and encouragement. By making others feel important, we instill in them confidence and dignity, making them feel that their existence is necessary and their presence is significant.

But, the greater the potential for construction, the greater its power for destruction. 
Speech can also be very unholy. It can be used to destroy. By making someone feel worthless, we can wipe out their self esteem and shatter their dignity. 

Gossip, rumors, accusations being spread without being confirmed can tear apart relationships, families, reputations, and even entire communities.

We all love the invention of the internet and the creation of social media. There are many pros to living in our era; an era in which it is of more significance to have a million twitter followers than a million dollars. So much chessed has been achieved through it- thousands of people across the globe praying for someone in need of prayer, collecting tzeddaka for those in need, organizing food, events, activities to benefit others. Many friendships have developed, support groups created, so much Torah shared, and just so many positive, life altering connections have been made. 

But with everything good, there is an equal potential for bad.
How can we blindly believe one sided, bias articles that circulate social media? People are constantly spreading stories that catch their attention without realizing that the internet, and especially social media sites, are the number one platform for exposing whatever personal agenda the author may have. Because the writer knows that if it's something sensational or something that pulls at the heartstrings, the public will eat it up. And we will always have people who believe the underdog, even when the underdog is the one in the wrong.

When we read an online article slamming another individual, we need to do our own objective research before believing it. 
Do we realize that loshon horah is far worse a crime than what many of these culprits are being blamed for? We need to take extreme caution before spreading these vicious rumors. 

There's another thing Ive noticed about our era that can have the ability to be absolutely constructive, but instead, is often absolutely destructive.

The benefit to chatting with people on social media, or through text, over chatting with them in person, is the extra moment we have to filter what we say. We have the ability to proofread what we want to say before clicking 'send'. 
So, why don't we? Why are we sometimes nasty instead? People tend to be even nastier online than they would be in real life, since they're hiding behind a screen.
It should be the opposite. You have a hard time complimenting someone to their face? Try it through text. This is what technology was created for; to help us grow. To become better versions of ourselves.

There's an old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me."
This expression is incorrect. 
I wudda written, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will send me to therapy for the rest of my life."

One second. How'd we get into all that? We just got blown away on a huge tangent. I must be a woman.

Let's get back to promises.
The possuk tells us, Lo yachel devaro, which rashi explains to mean- if you don't keep your word, you become profane. By not keeping your word, you are taking something that's holy out of its holiness.
The opposite is true, too. By keeping your word, you become holy.
Sticking to your words, following through with your promises, are what consecrates you, or defiles you.

People who keep their word are reliable, respectable, and trustworthy. They are people of integrity. It means that they value themselves as well as others, creating a healthy level of self worth. Keeping your word means being true to yourself. 

If you have a problem keeping your word, or if you are unable to use the power of speech positively, when there is so much good that can come from it, you might want to explore why.

And now, story time.

Once upon a time, there was a wealthy man. One day, while sitting in his study arranging his accounts, his young son came up to him, asking him for money to buy a candy.
He handed him a gold coin.
The boy goes out and returns, happily licking his treat. When his father asked for the change, he replied that he didn't get any.

The man went down to the grocery to inquire about it.
The store owner said he did not receive a gold coin from the boy; it was copper one, and as an argument ensued, they each maintained their positions.

Seeing as they were unable to reach an agreement, they took their case to beis din, who ruled that the proprietor has to swear that he did not receive a gold coin from the boy.
 
The plaintiff objected, stating that he doesn't want him swearing falsely and requested that they dismiss the case.
Case dismissed.
But then....the people started talking. Very soon the story was buzzing all over the city, and no one wanted to have anything to do with a lying crook.
So, they boycotted his store, he was scorned in shul, his kids were bullied in school, and his wife was pointed at and whispered about at the store.

Penniless, and with no dignity left, he packed up his family and sadly said good bye to the place he had lived in since birth, to the only place his family knew as home, in hopes of starting all over in a new environment.

A few months pass. The wealthy man received a heavy envelope in the mail. Opening it, he came face to face with a gold coin and a letter.
In it was an apology from an unknown man, admitting to stealing a gold coin from him a few months back, and is now repaying that debt.

He explained that he had been in a grave financial predicament and as he walked passed his home one day, he noticed the man's son playing with a gold coin. He rationalized that if this homeowner is so wealthy that his son can sit and play with a gold coin, he surely won't miss it for a few months, and he exchanged his copper coin for the gold one.

Realizing what had happened, it was apparent that the grocer was innocent, and had been telling the truth all along.
But...too little, too late.

So, who's to blame for the dreadful turn of events in the grocer's life?
Whose fault was it that his reputation was destroyed, that he lost his job his home, and his dignity?

Was it the fault of the rich man?
The grocer?
The boy?
The thief?

None of the above.
The blame goes to the people who spoke the loshon hora. It goes to those who gossiped and spread rumors about something they knew nothing about.

Please, my dear friends, let's be careful. Social media has the potential to be responsible for some amazing accomplishments.
But it also has the power to destroy people in ways we cannot even imagine.
And when that happens, there's no one to blame but we, the people.


Have a beautiful shabbos! 
Yaffa

Mission: Impossible?

What a long, hard week this has been. After eighteen difficult, uncertain days waiting for news about our three kidnapped brothers, our hope sprinkled with anguish, we heard the final, tragic news of their brutal deaths.
 But, despite all the heartache and tears from those events, the thing that pained me most is what happened afterwards.
Ninety nine percent of my corner of the internet was filled with articles, stories, and all sorts of propaganda laden with commentary about violence and retaliation on our end. About more bloodshed through revenge and anger. And then, counter articles degrading the fellow Jews suggesting those actions along with endless negative reports about Israel.
Why was this so bothersome? I'll explain it based on a possuk from this week's parsha, Balak.

Balak, the King of Moav, is afraid of the Israelites who will soon be passing through his homeland on their way to Israel. So, in the hopes of destroying them, he hires a non-Jewish prophet, Bil'am, to cast terrible curses upon them. As the story goes on, we see that God did not allow Bil'am to do this and, miraculously, He turned the curses in his mouth into a series of beautiful and poetic blessings for the people of Israel.

The very first of the curses that became blessings, goes like this:
"Hen Am Levadad Yishkon Uvagoyim Lo Yischashuv" -"Behold it is a nation that will dwell in solitude and not be reckoned among the nations."

Apropos much?

Yes, we have felt lonelier than ever as a nation during the last 20ish days. How much attention has our story of abduction received in the press? How much support have we received from world leaders?  Not much. 
But, I can't really blame them, what with way bigger things going on in the world. 
They're not my problem.
This isn't the loneliness that dispirited me.

Our aloneness is not about isolation, distrust or discomfort from the other nations; but rather about unconditional unity and solidarity among the Jewish nation. That no matter what, I got your back and you've got mine.
The unity that formed during the infamous 18 days of hope, was stronger than I've ever seen among us. Jews from every corner of the world, of every color and form, united together in prayer, action and thought. United with one common goal: to #BringBackOurBoys. 
That was all that mattered. 
Because, when a family member is suffering, we are all in pain. And with the tragic ending to the story, each one of us lost a piece of our hearts along with them. 
The connection we formed all across the globe, was inspiring, enriching, and empowering. 

And that's why what happened afterwards was such a deep stab in the heart.

Revenge? Counter attacks? Bombings? More violence? More bloodshed?

Yes, we need to recognize evil and reject it. We need to be passionate about right and wrong.
 But, as Jews, we always take the high road. We don't stoop to the level of our attackers. 
We can never stop terror. Making peace when only one party wants it is a mission impossible. Our job is not to stop terror, we will never succeed at it.
Our job is to continue living! To unite as one, with a common goal, hold each others' hands, and plow through! To never let them break our spirit! To never let them break our unity!

Because, yes, we are alone. We are alone in our uniquness, in our connection with God, and in our common bond; the Torah. 

And just like we were able to unite so strongly during times of darkness, we need to spread that unity and carry it into the light. More tolerance, more empathy, more warmth, more smiles, more love.
The more unity we have, the less jealousy there is in the world. The more compassion we have, the less judgement there is.
Are we really, truly, sincerely happy for our friends' successes? Do we honestly wish for their uninterrupted joy and blessing?

There's a quote Ive seen that's gotten quite a bit of attention:

"Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down."

I disagree.

Most of the time, we run to help people when the bus breaks down, but turn our noses up when they're riding in their limo's. Real unity, real uniquness, real love, means feeling the happiness and success of our friends' and not just their sorrows. 

We are a nation in solitude. We are one with each other because we are one with Hashem.

Have a beautiful shabbos!

Yaffa

Some People Are Wise; Some Are Otherwise

I found this story in Rav Dessler's michtav me'eliyahu, and he writes there that he saw it written by Rav Hai Gaon.
Obviously Im paraphrasing.

 

The setting is a forest with a lion and a fox conversing calmly. The fox remains cool when the lion casually asks if he can eat him for dinner. 

Now, the fox knows that the lion is an Atkin's kinda guy.

"Your majesty," explains the fox, "I'm a skinny and bony piece of meat. I will be a fat free, carbs free, taste free dinner. I know just what will satisfy you. I will introduce you to a very fat human being who will serve as the most tasty, luscious meal for his majesty".

They walk a few feet and stand beside an invisible pit, covered with only branches and leaves. Behind it sits a Jewish man wrapped in his tallis and tefillin.

"Hmmm" drooled the lion, "he looks real tempting. But, I'm afraid he might start praying and then something bad will happen to me...".

"Oh, don't be silly," replied Mr. Fox, "nothing will happen to you, or to your son. Maybe your grandson will have to suffer for it, but that's really far ahead. By the time your grandson comes around you would have enjoyed this (any many more) tantalizing meals. Don't worry, Your Highness, indulge!"

 

The lion's persuaded and runs towards the man. While running over the covered pit, he falls inside and is trapped.

Smirking, the fox peers over the edge of the pit and looks down.

"Didn't you tell me that the punishment would only come upon my grandson," growled the angry lion? 

"Hmmm...," the fox scratches his head, "...maybe your grandfather did something wrong, and now you're suffering!"

 

This humorous little fable is actually a lot deeper than it appears on the surface.

In this week's parsha, Korach, who was an intelligent man and an honorable person, made a grave mistake. He, along with 250 heads of the Sanhedrin, openly accused Moshe and Aharon of making the fate of the Jewish people worse by taking them out of Egypt. 

Between you and me, this is the stupidest thing Ive ever heard. It was obvious that life outside of slavery was ideal and more enjoyable, and yet, Korach and his teammates (including the renowned delinquents Dasan and Aveeram) insisted with such certainty about the misdeeds of Moshe and Aharon, that it actually sounded true and convincing.

Sometimes we come across the most intelligent, educated people who vigorously argue their opinions and convictions, when there's no doubt that what they're saying is in complete contrast with the Torah. 

We have to be careful not to let their intelligence blind us from realizing that we cannot trust them when their personal desires block them from seeing the truth. Since they're so smart, they can use their intelligence to mislead others into accepting their argument as truth and logic. When we have our own agenda, we can easily fail to focus on the truth, but rather everything seems to surround our personal desires. This, needless to say is very dangerous.  
This, is how Obama became president.

 

The most obvious contemporary example portraying this idea would be $$$$ . How many marriages suffer because of misuse of money? How many times does one spouse mindlessly spend more than they earn causing the breadwinner to either go into heart attack induced debt, or, worse, leading them to work dishonestly to fulfill the spouses' desires? We can easily be carried away by our wants, (aka needs) allowing ourselves to further crooked our priorities. The same thing is with honor. On whatever level, a person running after fame or recognition can be blinded from the truth while trying to reach his goal. 

 

Getting back to the forest scene from earlier, maybe the lion fell into the trap simply because he was attracted to some fatty meat? His desire prevented him from seeing what he realized afterward was the truth.

 

We have to be on guard constantly. Either we're bound to meet people who seem smart, but are doing things we know are anti Torah, and  we need to not be misled by their charm and intelligence. Or, we, ourselves might arrive at a moment where our personal desires may start taking over our knowledge of right and wrong, and therefore we have to have clarity of mind and be focused on the truth in order to assure that our personal agenda will not interfere.

 

 I don't know about you, but I can never have a piece of chocolate cake or full fat ice cream all by myself. I always need to know that someone else is gonna gain the weight too, so before I indulge I run around looking for people to share in the delight with me.

Nobody likes to sin alone. We tend to drag people down with us. If we have a convincing argument, they're certain to join us.

Korach  and his people were intelligent, high class, educated men who had a convincing argument which contradicted the truth. These are the kind of people we have to keep our distance from... and also, to be cautious not to become one of them.

  

Have a great shabbos!

Yaffa