Miller's Musings Parshas Bolok: The Don-Key To Success

  בס''ד  

Lest one think that Bilom reluctantly went along with Bolok’s plan to curse the Jews, we are told that he enthusiastically saddled his own donkey in a strikingly similar manner to the way that Avrohom saddled his own donkey on the way to sacrifice his son at the Akeidah.  In fact Hashem rebuked Bilom for this, labeling him a wicked person, pointing out that he had been already preceded by Avrohom in this act of eagerness.  The question that arises is what exact point Hashem was making to Bilom with this comparison aside from the obvious disparity between their intentions and the righteousness of their acts?

An act is often ultimately judged not at its point of inception but rather at its culmination, in terms of its success.  What dictates whether its purpose is achieved is determined by many factors one of which is whether Hashem sees the initial intention as appropriate, the other, the actual outcome.  Hashem’s message to Bilom was “You saw that the Jews’ forefather awoke early and saddled his own donkey in order to fulfil My will and yet it was all in vain and his son was not offered up because I sought to bring out from his son the Jewish people.  So if that is what happened when someone sought to do My bidding, how much more so you will fail with your goals, despite your arising early, since they are entirely antithetical to My wish for the Jewish people to endure.” Bilom was meant to learn from Avrohom and the outcome of his undertaking.  But as we know, he did not. 

Life is full of opportunities.  Opportunities to grow, opportunities to improve, but most importantly opportunities to learn.  However, as with all opportunities the essential thing is whether we take them.  There are so many situations that occur in our lives that we can learn from.  When we succeed we must analyze the source of our success and when we fail we must evaluate the cause of our failure.  But not only that.  We must look to others and see their accomplishments and their disappointments and try and see what lessons there are to be gleaned from them.  Our experiences and those of others are tremendously fertile ground for personal development.  To waste them is a travesty and a terrible misuse of a gift we are being given constantly.  We must actively look at every meaningful experience we have and pause to consider what we can take from it so that nothing happens without us using it as a tool for our progression and a key to our success.  If we look with care there is always something positive to be absorbed and always something to help us evolve as people. 

*May we learn from the Shabbos experience this week all we are meant to learn*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

לרפואת אלימלך יהושע אהרון בן דבורה רבקה

Miller's Musings Parshas Chukas: Drawing Water From A Stone

  בס''ד

If you’re going to perform a magic trick then you may as well make it the most astonishing and astounding illusion that you can muster.  You surely want to leave the audience with their mouth agape and their minds sufficiently blown by your feat of wonder. But if one were to ask what is more astonishing, to produce water from a rock by talking to it or by hitting it, the difference between the two is surely minimal.  Both of them are acts that go against nature and exhibit a mastery of the natural world. Putting aside what Moshe actually did wrong in striking the rock instead of talking to it, we must ask why it was that Hashem specifically wanted the miracle performed in this way through speech, rather than the manner that Moshe ultimately chose.

The truth is of course that the miraculous and the mundane is of no difference to Hashem.  All of reality is dictated by His Will and nothing that occurs is any more difficult or effortless for Him to achieve.  The general message generated by a miracle is to remind of us of this and that nature and its laws are the mechanism that G-d has chosen to run the world.  Yet aside from that purpose there are also messages conveyed in the manner that a miracle occurs and lessons that the people who witness them should take to heart.  Perhaps the significance of Moshe being instructed to speak to the rock was to teach the Jewish people the phenomenal power of words.  It was meant to transmit that idea that however much like a rock a person might seem, unaffected by those around them, and however much it may look like nothing being said is absorbed, there may be incredible effects that will manifest itself through the positive words one has spoken. 

Every day and every moment that we are in contact with other people, we possess an amazing potential to affect them for the better.  We have no idea how much a simple compliment or a kind word can impact those around us, even those we think would not be impacted at all.  A simple word of praise or a small indication of our approval about what someone else has done can bring so much joy and give so much confidence to another.  It is so easy to do and so powerful an act.  We might be catching that person feeling unhappy or despondent and our words may suddenly lift him through the dark cloud.  They might be struggling with their self-worth and our admiration may elevate their pride in themselves and chip away at their insecurity.  We never know the extent of the impact that we might have on another, but we do know that it takes so little to lift someone up and the effect could be monumental.

*May those who share this Shabbos with us gain from that closeness*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

לרפואת אלימלך יהושע אהרון בן דבורה רבקה

Miller's Musings Parshas Korach: the Ungrateful Dead

בס''ד

There is no question that in any leadership struggle there is one side that ends up embittered and resentful.  If one deems themselves worthy of authority, then for their push for power to end in defeat leaves them deflated and often enraged.  Korach fervently believed that he was the one that should have been chosen to be the prince of the tribe of Levi.  When, at the very beginning of Sefer Bamidbar, it was given to another, it was too much for him to bear and it eventually led to his suicidal plot to overthrow Moshe and Aharon.  But if this was indeed the motivation behind his rebellion, why did he wait so long to sow the seeds of discontent amongst the people and instigate this failed coup?  Why did he not immediately react in this way when he learned of his being snubbed?

Any follower of political intrigue and observer of the halls of power, knows that one of the most crucial skills for a person climbing the ladder of control to possess is timing. To go impulsively against one’s enemy without careful thought is foolish and self-destructive.  But to wait for the right moment, when the foe is at their weakest and already in decline, is the surest way of ensuring overall victory.  To attack whilst Moshe was in the ascendancy, having redeemed them from Egypt, begged Hashem to spare their lives after the golden calf and shown himself to be a caring and devoted leader, would have been folly.  Any attempts to incite the people against their beloved teacher would have been met with disdain and anger.  But, says the Ramban, now that they were sentenced to die in the desert and Moshe was unable this time to be their savior.  Now that they could conveniently forget all he had done for them and ‘unburden themselves’ of their gratitude.  Now was the opportune time to garner support for his proposed insurgence. 

A person’s memory is incredibly malleable, prone to persuasion and change both by oneself and others.  It is amazing how often we can soon forget the tremendous kindnesses that have been done for us at our lowest times.  When we feel indebted to someone we are incredibly adept at convincing ourselves that there is no real gratitude needed, either because we do not like to feel beholden to another or because we do not want to be reminded how far we had fallen.  This is something we must be so aware of because ingratitude can often be the truest indication of who we really are and how self-centered or giving we truly may be.  We must remind ourselves of those people who were there for us when we needed them most and ensure we show them the appropriate appreciation and love.  Surely this is the least that they deserve.

*May we be grateful for the incredible gift of Shabbos this week*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

לרפואת אלימלך יהושע אהרון בן דבורה רבקה

Miller's Musings Parshas Shelach Lecho: Good Habits Die Hard

בס''ד

Conventional thought would say that the more important something is the more reminders we would require to ensure there is the least chance of our overlooking it.  For those living a life governed by the Torah, there is nothing more valuable than the performance of Mitzvos. Therefore for those of us less naturally spiritually attuned, Hashem conferred upon us the Mitzvah of Tzitzis.  This Mitzvah, as the Torah tells us, is so “that you may see it and remember all the commandments and perform them”, which is all well and good, were it not for the fact that the Torah seemingly repeats this again in the next Posuk, “So that you may remember and perform all My commandments.” The mechanism by which gazing upon Tzitzis reminds us to act righteously is beyond the scope of our discussion, but we do need to try and fathom the need for the aforementioned replication of the stated nature of Tzitzis as a memory aid.

To succeed in a Torah life requires the use of whatever tactics are at our disposal.  A positive environment conducive to spiritual growth, preemptive safeguards and efforts to connect with G-d, are just some of these potential methods.  But if ‘old habits die hard’ it would be entirely logical to use that for our betterment and create habits that we would want to be difficult to jettison.  Each time we repeat a good pattern of behavior we make it easier the next time to reproduce this behavior due to it becoming more and more habitual and instinctive to us.  This we can suggest is the meaning of the duplication of the Torah informing us that Tzitzis prompt us towards fulfilment of Mitzvos.  When we see the Tzitzis it will inevitably remind us and inspire us to do the will of Hashem.  And once this is done, and a good deed has been accomplished, this will in turn build within us another automatic reminder to do likewise should the opportunity arise again. 

We are always warned to not perform Mitzvos by rote and to endeavour to do each mitzvo because we want to, not because we were trained to.  Yet there is a lot to be said for creating positive habits within ourselves and implanting these habits into our way of life even though it may be initially forced and unnatural.  If we are always used to praying when things go awry it becomes something that we naturally do.  If we teach ourselves to always respond warmly and with generosity to people, it will become second nature.  Of course we must find newness and instill depth into our acts, but if we start by training our habits, and the habits of our loved ones, to be as they should be, we are giving ourselves an excellent head start to eventually being the authentically great people we want to be.

*May Shabbos be a positive force for change in our habits and life*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

לרפואת אלימלך יהושע אהרון בן דבורה רבקה

Miller's Musings Parshas Behaloscha: Let Us Make Light- Building Our Connection

בס''ד

The first kindling of the menorah in the Mishkan by Aharon Hakohen brought tremendous spiritual illumination into the world and released hitherto unseen radiance onto this physical plane. The Gemoro however asks why there would be a need for light in the Mishkan and Beis Hamikdosh, rhetorically asking whether Hashem really needed a light in there! Our question is on the question itself. Throughout the Torah there are examples where Hashem is referred to in an anthropomorphic way, attributing to Him human characteristics. It talks for example about the ‘pleasing aroma’ of an offering, when G-d clearly derives no physical benefit from the korban.  So why only here do we ask about the need of G-d for light? In truth any ascribing of physical properties to Hashem is understood to be an analogy for us to somehow grasp the nature of G-d. Hashem patently has no “strong hand” or “outstretched arm” that are spoken of during the exodus from Egypt. He did not “descend upon Har Sinai” during His revelation there nor did He “go down” with Yaakov to Egypt. All of these are ways in which we as humans can relate to Hashem in our own limited way, without which we could simply not speak of Him at all. The difference in the case of the Menorah, says Reb Shimshon Dovid Pincus zt’l, is that in all other cases there is nothing negative about the analogy other than the inherent restriction of a physical association. Light however, throughout the Torah signifies something positive even referring to Hashem’s emanation into the world as a light. To then think of Hashem ‘in darkness’ is difficult not due to the corporeal element, but due to it having negative connotations, something we cannot reconcile with the perfection of G-d.  An authentic relationship with Hashem can be challenging and is predicated on an ability to perceive Him in the manner that we have discussed. Without it we cannot begin to connect with Him. But we can sometimes suffer from the lack of obvious observable interaction with Hashem and this is where we must develop the bond by working on the elements of Judaism that cultivate this. Genuinely talking to Hashem while davening and indeed whilst not davening, working on our trust in Him for the future and belief in His goodness in the past, acknowledging all that He has given us and all the times that He intervenes for our benefit. We cannot decry an absence of Him in our lives if we have not used these methods and more to feel His presence. Like everything in life, if it is truly worthwhile it requires effort, and this, the most worthwhile of all, is no exception.

*May Shabbos bring Hashem even more palpably into our lives*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

 לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

לרפואת אלימלך יהושע אהרון בן דבורה רבקה