17 Adar 5786
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Ki Tisa - Parah
After all that has come out in recent days about the "Crusader" nature of this war for many American soldiers and their leaders...
"This Shabbat, in synagogues, we will pray for the safety of IDF soldiers and for the safety of U.S. soldiers."
This is a bigger existential threat than Iran's missiles!!! Welcome to Judeo-Chr*stianity - today's Golden Calf!!!
(Re-posting from 5778/2018)...
What A Shame!
Parashat Ki Tisa
Shame is out of fashion. It is an emotion to be avoided at all costs. The modern world makes it out to be extremely negative, even harmful - not healthy. But, like everything God created, it has its purpose and its place and there are times when it is appropriate.
Despite the joyous outcome of the Purim story, we have to feel a bit shameful in regard to how our ancestors behaved at Achashverosh's banquet. It was a celebration of the (perceived) failure of the prophecy of the return of the Jewish people to Eretz Yisrael. And to top it off, the king wore the clothing of the Cohen Gadol and ate and drank from the keilim used in the service of the Beit Hamikdash. I'm sure he reasoned (erroneously) that since the Jews would not be returning, they would have no further use for them anyway.
Right on the heels of that story, we move into Shabbat - Parashat Ki Tisa which recounts what I consider to be one of the two most shameful events of our history - the incident with the Golden Calf. (The second being the crying and refusal to enter Eretz Yisrael on the first Tisha b'Av.)
We have to hang our heads in shame when we recall our abominable behavior at the moment which should have been the pinnacle of our success in the aftermath of our redemption from Egyptian bondage. And what we put poor Moshe Rabeinu through after all he had sacrificed for the nation!
Unfaithfulness, ingratitude, fearfulness - these are traits to be ashamed of for sure. But, shame is only a negative when it fails to elicit the desired response for which it was created. It is supposed to inspire us to act - to change these negative traits into their positive opposites. If it inspires teshuvah, as it was intended to, then it serves the purpose for which the Creator intended and everyone benefits.
It is entirely appropriate at this moment in time to ask ourselves whether we are still eating from Acheshverosh's table today; are we still dancing around the Golden Calf today?
As we read the parashah, we should allow ourselves to experience the shame of failure to live up to HKB"H's ideal for us and then allow it to infuse us with a new determination to rectify that failure and begin - today - to live up to the ideal.
~ Shabbat Shalom ~
Silly me. I thought that Amit Segel (the tweet you linked to) was one of the good ones. I stand corrected.
ReplyDeleteHe's a typical Religious Zionist and pro-Netanyahu. Doesn't mean he's a bad guy just ill-informed and off the straight path like so very many.
DeleteThere is no doubt that there is an alliance between the the powers in Israel and the U.S. What the yehudim have to fear is the alliance of the
ReplyDeleteterm 'Judeo/christianity'. Since most of our people worldwide are assimilated to the point of not knowing the difference between our holy Torah and the religions of the world, they could fall prey to this above term which could, c'v, lead to even more confusion and abandonment of laws and traditions that they do know.
But, we know everything will turn out exactly the way Hashem wants and all the machinations of the powers that be and of all the avoda zorahs will be for nought, because only Hashem rules and He is with us.
So sad that so many of our people have abandoned our laws just so they can be like the other nations.
These are surely the most chaotic and confusing times since the topling of the Tower of Bavel.
Also, as our Chazal teach us, this may be the way (the route) at the time of Mosiach's arrival, that the world will realize (see) that there is only Hashem. Ain Od Milvado!
Yosef
Clinging to the ultra gashmius of America is the ultimate dance around the golden calf.
ReplyDeleteCongress can declare a national state of emergency and impose an immediate travel ban, ie all same day, for anyone subject to the draft, they can change the age of teh draft, inlcuindg for non combat roles, munitions factories etc, and can change the draft to include women.
These are facts.
Are American Jews happy taking this risk. Cos wars usually go to plan.
Hitoreri