Miller's Musings Parshas Pinchos: Becoming of You

This week's Miller's Musings is sponsored:

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

and should be for a רפואה שלמה for

יהודה זאב בן ברכה אלכסנדרה גילה    

                                                                            דבס'' 

MILLER’S MUSINGS

פנחספרשת 

*Becoming of You*

Many profess to desire peace, but perhaps do not know the true meaning of the word. What looked like an act of war by Pinchos, in skewering the two members of royalty, was in fact performed to bring about peace.  In the face of such immoral behaviour from one supposed to be an example to all, peace between the Jewish people and Hashem could only be restored through the drastic action that Pinchos took.  This helps us understand the suitability of a covenant of peace as a reward, but it still doesn't tell us exactly what one is.  Let us try and understand the nature of this gift.

A condemned city was one in which the majority of the inhabitants had turned to idol worship.   When certain conditions had been met it would be razed to the ground and its inhabitants executed.  Those who would follow the directives of the Torah and bring about its destruction were promised by the Torah that Hashem would "give you mercy".  The reason for giving this assurance was because a massacre and annihilation of this kind could easily imbue within a person a certain level of cruelty that they had hitherto not displayed. Their innate feelings of compassion could be somewhat eroded by being party to such devastation.  They were therefore blessed with the quality of mercy to counterbalance this effect and leave their humanity still intact and still very much instilled within their hearts.  This same logic applied with Pinchos, says the Netziv.  Despite having killed only for the sake of Heaven, a small semblance of callousness may have entered into his soul.  To counteract this Hashem made a covenant that peace would exist within his being, so that he would remain, as he always was, one whose essence was one of kindness, love and amity.                                      

The war within our soul between doing what is right and doing what is wrong, is normally waged upon the battlefield of our conscience. We strive to do what Hashem would want from us because that is the best way to live our lives.  But if we succumb to the wiles of the Yetzer Horah, we justify our actions with the knowledge that this is just a one-off that will not necessarily effect who we really are. We are not our mistakes and can always rectify them if necessary.  But following on from what we have said we must realise the permanence of such acts.  Their effects are immediate and deep rooted within us and can change our essential nature. Callous acts make us more callous.  Acts that display a lack of faith cause us to be less trusting of Hashem.  Of course the converse of this is equally true. Perform an act of kindness and one becomes intrinsically more kind.  Display great reliance on Hashem and conviction in His goodness and you transform into a person of superior belief.  There is nothing that cannot be reversed through sincere Teshuva but we must realise that our actions do define who we are and what we have done will determine who we will be. 

                                                                                                                            

*May we spend this Shabbos making us true keepers of Shabbos and its holiness* 

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Please feel free to print out and distribute in your shul

Miller's Musings Parshas Bolok:It's good but it's not right

BS'D

The chief protagonists of our Parsha, Bilom and Bolok, were men who were seemingly unable to take no for an answer.  Bolok tenaciously pursued Bilom as the man to realize his nefarious scheme and Bilom repeatedly requested from Hashem consent to become a part of Bolok’s proposal.  Bilom, quite open about his limitations, states that even if he were given a house full of silver and gold “I would not be able to contravene the word of Hashem”. This in fact seems to mirror a similar oft said message of our forefathers, a tremendously high level.  So how are we to understand this statement coming from one as evil as Bilom?

                                                                                                                                                                                                       

It is the innate nature of a human being to like to get our own way.  As we grow and develop, we hopefully learn that this cannot always be the case, nor is it beneficial that it should be so.  There are factors that override our desires and preferences and mature individuals appreciate that and foster within themselves an ability to put others first.  As a Torah Jew, the primary priority must be the will of Hashem.  Bilom may have insinuated that this was how it was with him, but the mere fact that he asked again after initially being told no by Hashem, is a good indication that ultimately he was only interested in what he wanted and was loath to give up on his own wishes. A person like that, says the Saba MiKelm, will persist until a way is found to do what he always wanted and as we know “on whatever path a person wishes to go, on that path he will be led’.  Conversely, the forefathers were entirely different.  When they said they could never transgress the word of Hashem, they meant it.  Their goals were truly put aside to accomplish what it was Hashem desired of them.   

                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Doing whatever we want can perhaps feel fairly lovely, yet there is a rather irritating feeling of guilt that one can experience if this action appears to go against what Hashem wants from us.  ‘Fortunately’ we have a scheme that is often able to circumvent this problem by finding ways in which we can seemingly fully comply with Hashem’s instructions and yet still do what we want to do.  The word ‘seemingly’ here is the crucial one, because finding ways in which we are not actually contravening the Torah is not necessarily the same as doing what Hashem would like from us. With the Three Weeks almost upon us, there are those that look to avoid any direct transgressions of its laws but in doing so fail to appreciate that we are meant to feel emotions of grief and loss around this time.  If this period with our evasions do not produce this goal, then we are missing out on the whole point.  We may not be breaching the Shabbos in the way we spend it, but are we experiencing the holiness of Shabbos as it is meant to be?  These are but two examples, but there are many more when what we are doing is ‘okay’ but not actually accomplishing the intended purpose.  If we want to truly fulfil the will of Hashem, let’s make sure that we are genuinely doing just that.

                                                                                                                            

*May we experience Shabbos this week just as Hashem intended*

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Miller's Musings Parshas Chukas: Good Times

This week's Miller's Musings is sponsored in honour of the anniversary of Soroh and Gershon Kopfstein by Yossi

and should be for a רפואה שלמה for

יהודה זאב בן ברכה אלכסנדרה גילה    

                                                                            דבס'' 

MILLER’S MUSINGS

תחקפרשת 

Good Times

It is easy to view the Jewish people’s sojourn in the desert as one replete with complaints and grievances of an ungrateful nation.  Upon reflection however, these criticisms were in reality few and far between.  In an unforgiving terrain, over many years, the amount of grumbling was actually rather minimal.  Yet in our Parsha we find two examples of their objections, each one resulting in very different reactions. The first, a complaint about a lack of water, provoked Hashem to command Moshe to supply their needs.  The second, a very similar objection about an absence of food and drink, instigated a plague against the people.  Why was there such a disparity in the two outcomes of protests that were so very alike?

                                                                                                                                                           

The death of the matriarchal figure of Miriam was doubly hard to take.  Not only had they lost a role model and saintly guide, a person of tremendous spiritual stature in their midst, but her passing meant they no longer had the well of water that had accompanied them in her merit.  This was surely an incredibly bitter pill to swallow and a true test of their resolve regarding their trust in Hashem.  To be bereft of Miriam and at the same time have to cope with the resultant lack of water, perhaps made their complaints justifiable and Hashem’s reaction sympathetic.  But later in the Parsha, when they did have water and they did have food, but it was for some reason not to their liking, this is something Hashem was not willing to tolerate.  The ingratitude of the incredible gifts they were given by Hashem, albeit ones which were now routine and perhaps mundane, was what angered their Benefactor so.  When the situation was less challenging and the circumstances ones in which they had much to be appreciative of, the lack of recognition of this was what led to their downfall. 

We all know that many of life’s trials and tribulations are sent to test us.  To see how we will react to situations where Hashem’s kindness appears to be absent.  They are constructed to determine our true mettle in the face of adversity and to examine whether we will retain our faith and maintain our elevated character in these exigent moments.  But what we perhaps do not consider is that when times are good, this is equally a test of our personality and one which we must focus on passing.  Will we recognise where all this good actually comes from and actively express our appreciation to Hashem?  We will utilise the peace of mind we have been gifted for beneficial goals and the betterment of others?  How will our good fortune affect the way we treat others and will it wrongly inflate our ego?  We must be aware of all the questions that are posed when life is easy and enjoyable and make sure we have the correct answers to them.  The challenges of life are not just found when times are hard, but in the good times too.                                                                                                                            

*May we enjoy and fully appreciate this beautiful Shabbos* 

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

If you would like to sponsor a week of Miller’s Musings l’ilui nishmas someone, for a Refuah Sheleima or to celebrate a Simcha please send a message to millersmusingsrabbi@gmail.com or to 07531332970

Miller's Musings Parshas Korach: Follow the leader

This week's Miller's Musings is sponsored:

לעילוי נשמת חיים בן פרטונה  

and should be for a רפואה שלמה for

יהודה זאב בן ברכה אלכסנדרה גילה    

                                                                            דבס'' 

MILLER’S MUSINGS

 קרחפרשת 

*Follow the Leader*

Korach has gone down in ignominy for all generations as the man who stood against Moshe Rabbeinu but lost in the most poignant, yet devastating manner.  Korach’s introduction is rather curious in that it appears to begin a sentence without quite completing it.  The Posuk reads “And Korach took...and Doson and Avirom…and On ben Peles…” without ever clarifying what it was that Korach took.  How are we to understand this rather enigmatic verse?

                                                                                                                                                                                                       

One of the most tragic elements of Korach’s demise was that he was in fact a great person himself, albeit woefully misplaced in his convictions. He was amongst the leaders of his tribe and was therefore by definition a man of wisdom and distinction.  And yet his fall from grace was both dramatic and complete.  How could he have come to such a nadir to end up as he did?  In Rav Dessler’s essay on lovingkindness, he explains that there are in essence two types of individuals; the giver and the taker. Most people are composed of both aspects to varying degrees, each vying for control and perpetually in battle with each other.  The statement “and Korach took” right at the outset of Korach’s diatribe against Moshe was perhaps not really about Korach taking anything, but rather an indictment of his true motivation behind all that was to follow. Contrary to his claims, he was not on a mission to bring about equality, rather he was looking to take honour, take from Moshe and Aharon their rightful place over the nation and take all that he felt he deserved.  Moshe was ultimately vindicated and Korach shown to be driven only by greed, but right from the onset we are told that Korach’s machinations were only for himself and therefore doomed to fail.

What does it take to be a great leader? Korach thought he knew, but was severely mistaken.  More specifically, does one’s moral character affect one’s ability to lead and can one be a good leader if one is ethically bankrupt?  In the secular world it would seem that these two things are not mutually exclusive.  There have been those in the past who have certainly led morally questionable lives, yet are considered to have steered their country with mastery and success.  Even today questions are asked about certain heads of state and their moral compasses, but it is unclear if this impinges on their capabilities in their role.  With regard to leadership within a Torah framework, however, it is clear that correct values and virtuous actions are an absolute imperative.  Korach was clearly a ‘taker’ and thereby lacked the requisite traits for this responsibility. Moshe had neither the oratory skills nor the ambition to govern, yet was chosen because he possessed immense humility and cared for all.  We are told little of Aharon’s credentials, aside from his pursuit of peace, but he was selected to preside over the holiest place on earth.  An authority figure must first be someone we would aspire to emulate.  Without this you may be in charge but you are certainly not a leader.                                                                                                                              

* May this Shabbos inspire us all to be people worthy of leadership* 

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

Please feel free to print out and distribute in your shul 

If you would like to sponsor a week of Miller’s Musings l’ilui nishmas someone, for a Refuah Sheleima or to celebrate a Simcha please send a message to millersmusingsrabbi@gmail.com or to 07531332970