Miller's Musings Parshas Chayei Soroh: A Double Life

בס''ד

Despite the intense feelings of grief Avrohom was experiencing after the death of his beloved Soroh, he conducted himself with the utmost courtesy and graciousness, throughout what must have been an exceedingly testing negotiation for a place to bury his wife.  It is interesting to note, that at almost every juncture of the dialogue between Avrohom and the natives of that place, there is some reference to the fact that all the people of the town were present and aware of the proceedings.  There are many commentaries that discuss why this was necessary, but what I would like to try and discern is the reason for the curious absence of this feature at one particular stage of the transaction, when Ephron fixes the price he requires for the sale to take place. 

We can easily understand that for Avrohom there was a need for all to be present to witness the purchase of the land, so that there should be no later claims of theft or extortion, but for Ephron the onlookers were only of value up to a point.  When Avrohom indicated that he wished to purchase the plot of land owned by Ephron, Ephron’s response, notably at this point “in the ears of the children of Ches’, was both magnanimous and seemingly empathetic to Avrohom’s situation, offering him all he desired for nothing.  However when it came to the specifics of what he required Avrohom to pay, the mention of others being present is rather conspicuous by its absence.  It is here, after he in fact imposes a greatly overpriced amount for the land, that we see that the generosity of Ephron is merely a façade displayed as long as others are there to view his kindness, but totally lacking when there are now seemingly none present to attest to his benevolence.  

If we look honestly at ourselves we would all have to concede that in certain areas of our life, the way we act in the company of others can be entirely unlike the way we act when alone.  The very same davenning that took a lengthy amount of time when at shul, can suddenly be reduced to the most fleeting prayer when in one’s home.  The good character traits we display when others are watching can swiftly dissipate when we are unable to muster up the masquerade required for the charade, in the confines of our own home.  This is not to belittle those acts performed only in the public domain, for eventually they may instil within us a consistency of such deeds and they may in truth be representative of the levels we truly desire to achieve.  The key is in not allowing any self-deception with regard to the true stage of our spiritual progression, based on our societal behaviours, thereby impeding our growth through spurious beliefs and complacency.  Rather we must use the manner in which we act in private to help us acknowledge our flaws and failings, and the way that we live in the public eye as the guide for our aspirations to sincere unwavering greatness.  Our public selves should become our most private realities.

*May we live and feel the holiness of Shabbos in its every moment*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

Miller's Musings Parshas Vayeiro: Charity Begins at Home

בס''ד

 

Lot must go down as one of the most enigmatic personalities we encounter in the Torah.  Raised in the illustrious home of Avrohom, it appears much of his uncle’s teachings at the very least subliminally entered into his consciousness, as evidenced by his protection of the angels that came to obliterate Sedom.   Yet we also find that Avrohom was unable to tolerate him remaining in his vicinity due to his more questionable conduct.  Perhaps the greatest display of the inconsistency of his character was in the way in which he sheltered the strangers in his home, at great risk to his life, and in spite of that was willing to offer his own daughters as substitutes for the men he had seemingly only just met.  How are we to understand such paradoxical behaviours?

Along with every commandment that we are tasked to perform, there is a framework within which we must perform it.  This applies both to the ritualistic type mitzvos and to the ways in which we are obliged to act towards each other.  A person not guided by the Torah and its principles can easily stray from the correct form of observance and misguidedly act in a manner far from the intended purpose of Hashem’s desire for us.  Perhaps we can say that Lot understood the importance of kindness and benevolence, but without the correct structure for its implementation lost sight of to what extent it should be utilised and what limits there were to its practice.  He erroneously believed that surrendering his children was a price that must be paid in the pursuit of the highest munificence towards his fellow man, when in reality this was a bridge too far. 

Sacrifice is an integral part of our growth as people.  We must be willing to forego personal pleasure or gains at times for the greater good as we endeavour to better ourselves and the world in which we live.  The key here is in understanding that personal sacrifice is a choice each one of us can make for ourselves, but is not one we can make for another.  One of the most commendable activities a person can be involved in, is in efforts within communal affairs and towards those less fortunate than ourselves, either physically or spiritually. One must inevitably resign oneself to forfeiting some of ones time and resources for the greater good, but simultaneously must be incredibly careful that we are not negatively effecting those around us, which requires serious and extensive thought and, if required, advice from those qualified to give it.  This is of course not to discourage selfless undertakings of this kind, but if the time we spend is time desperately needed for those closest to us and if the environment we surround ourselves with is detrimental to our families, it may be time to ask whether we are truly trying to fulfil the Will of Hashem or are we in truth engaged in a distorted version of a true Torah life. 

*May the sanctitude of Shabbos realign us to the path of righteousness*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

Miller's Musings Parshas Lech Lecho: The World on Fire

The path that Avrohom took from son of a pagan idol merchant to the father of monotheism and pioneer of all modern religions, was one that would literally change the world.  The Medrash on our Parsha depicts a towering inferno of fire engulfing a citadel and an onlooker declaring that there must someone responsible for this edifice, which promptly leads its proprietor to declare his ownership.  So too, we are told, Avrohom looked at the world and understood the absolute necessity of their being an architect of such a magnificent creation.  Our sages tell us that Avrohom’s awakening to the reality of there being only one true G-d happened at an astoundingly young age, some saying at eight whilst others maintaining it occurred when he was only three.  It seems surprising therefore, that the Midrash would choose this particular point, when Avrohom is already seventy five, to tell us the analogy of how he came to this realization

Of all the most basic tenets of Judaism, perhaps the most fundamental to our faith, is our understanding of G-d’s role with regard to the world we inhabit.  In essence this relationship is in fact twofold; one as the Creator and the other as the one who maintains and guides the world according to His desire and ultimate plan for mankind.  Avrohom’s discovery at the tender age of three or eight, was of there being a Creator of our existence, but it was only at the age of seventy five that he fully grasped that despite the world being aflame with immorality and the rejection of its chosen purpose, there is still a G-d guiding the course of history and engineering the occurrence of all that transpires so as to achieve His master-plan. 

The world can be a confusing place.  As soon as you think you have it all figured out, events can occur that show you that everything you believed to be incontrovertible truths are simply not as you thought them to be. In the blink of an eye it can change from relative calm to being ablaze with confusion and despair.  It is at this point that we are reminded how little we are truly in control of much of our fate and it is at these times that we must pause to remind ourselves Who is really in charge.  In truth we don’t need to wait for moments in history to compel us in this way for we have just such a reminder every Shabbos when we are enjoined to remember how G-d rested from His Creating and are directed to stop all our worldly pursuits, allowing ourselves to consider Who truly directs our fortunes.  When the values we thought were sacrosanct seem to fall by the wayside and the world as we perceived it is not reflected in the realities we face, it is time to remember the eternal message of Shabbos, that ultimately everything is in the hands of our Creator and it is only in G-d we trust.    

*May the meaning of Shabbos live within us always*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

Miller's Musings Parshas Noach: Faith in the Rain

בס''ד

It is a well-known fact of the construction trade, that any building project takes longer than at first anticipated.  Nevertheless, the one hundred and twenty years it took Noach to assemble the ark is still bordering on the ridiculous by any standards!  Rashi tells us that this enormous length of time was to give the opportunity for all that generation to enquire of Noach what he was doing, thereby allowing them the prospect of repentance once they hear of the impending flood.  By the time the waters began to come crashing down upon the earth, Noach had spent one hundred and twenty years predicting its arrival and forewarning of the devastation it would bring.  Yet we are informed by Rashi that Noach only actually entered the safety of the ark once the deluge had actually begun and he was forced to do so, thereby labelling him as “one of the small ones of faith”.  This seems somewhat incomprehensible given his life’s work up until this point as the harbinger and sole believer in the imminent advent of G-d’s destruction.

As a prophet in direct communication with Hashem, there could be no one better placed than Noach to understand the truth of G-d’s existence.  It is therefore clear that the lack of faith could not be due to a lack of awareness of the reality of G-d, but rather was perhaps owing to this knowledge and that of Hashem’s infinite goodness.  Noach knew that despite Hashem’s warnings, there was always a possibility of redemption for mankind, and therefore until there was no other option, believed wholeheartedly that the mercy of G-d would prevail and that He would find some way to save mankind from itself and avert the world’s annihilation.  On Noach’s supremely high level, this displayed a certain lack of belief in the absolute goodness of Hashem, even in the world’s darkest hours, even when it was so hard to perceive that this is what was best for the world at this time.  He should have seen even the flood as a manifestation of G-d’s perfection and therefore relied on the message given of its looming arrival.

To believe in Hashem and recognise His goodness when times are good is the easy part of faith.  To not allow the anguish found in moments of misfortune and tragedy to break our belief, is the true test of our convictions.  Seeing terrible things happening to those far from us, or within the pages of history, rarely causes us to question G-d’s ultimate goodness.  Yet despite logic demanding that there be no difference in where suffering lands, when the adversity is found within our own lives, we are no longer able to reconcile our Creator’s benevolence with the pain He has seemed to cause us.  We can no longer make the leap of faith required to see His kindness within the moments that so deeply obscure His love.  It is of course a tremendous challenge for all who face it, but if we can look for the glimpses of sunshine, even within the gloom of the rain, we will be able to hold on to that light until the darkness dissipates and we finally see clearly His glorious radiance. 

*May the light of Shabbos illuminate our every journey*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

+