repentance – holy scribbles

Spiritual Plague

parasha Pinchas 5784

“They were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting.”

– Numbers 25:6, JPS 1917 Tanach

Our allegiance belongs to the L-RD. If we displace our devotion to HaShem onto something other than Him, then we are inadvertently heading in a direction that will ultimately not be of benefit to us. Even if we appear to benefit for some time, in the material sense, our spiritual compass will be amiss as a result. Thus, in terms of the values, that we inevitably promote in our own lives whether consciously, or unconsciously, we should choose wisely.

When B’nei Yisrael fell prey to the influence of the Midianites, resulting in immediate acts of idolatry and immorality, their connection with HaShem was diminished. Their emunah (faith) and kedushah (holiness) plummeted. Only through the selfless act of mesiras nefesh on the part of Pinchas, who put his own life at risk to make an atonement for their sins (Numbers 25:13), were the people reconciled to HaShem. So, the brief national diversion that had swept through the encampment was staid; and, the plague was stopped.

Yet, today, a modern-day cultural plague permeates every facet society. The personal remedy for each and every individual is to stand up for the truth, or, at least to not live by the lies being propagated in the media and every institution that has fallen prey to this ideological plague.

As revealed through G-d’s Will, via the commandments and the traditional values inherited from our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob we should stay the course of sanctification for ourselves and other. We are not called to the level of zealousness exhibited by Pinchas; yet, we may be called to some form of mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice) in our lives.

Choose Life

parasha Nitzavim-Vayelech 5783

“See, I set before you this day life and prosperity, death and adversity.”

– Deuteronomy 30:15, JPS 1985 Tanach

To accept this statement, it can be said, requires an acknowledgment of an omniscient G-d, Who has the good in mind, for our well-being. To be reliant on His discernment, of what is life-affirming and prosperous for us, versus what is destructive to the soul and adverse to our moral growth, is to accept standards that are given by a Higher Wisdom than mankind can contrive on his own.

Thus, G-d not only gives us the consequences of choosing life or death (to follow what is good for us, and avoid what is bad) according to His commandments, He also encourages us to choose life, so that our soul may flourish, and ultimately be granted chayei olam (eternal life). Sforno comments that “life” refers to “eternal life, not just life on earth,” and death refers to “eternal oblivion” (see Sforno’s commentary on Deuteronomy 30:15, sefaria.org).

Yet, mankind cannot design a set of principles, consisting of rules and regulations, concerning what is permissible vs. what is impermissible, and in doing so, guarantee our personal well-being, let alone our entrance into Olam Haba (the World-to-Come). This can be clearly demonstrated by most of mankind’s inability to govern his own passions. That being the case, anyone unable to tame his own unruly nature, is certainly not fit to govern others.

The Torah takes this into consideration, by requiring a King of Israel to not only write his own Torah scroll, but to have the Torah with him at all times, in order to discern right and wrong from its instruction. That is to say, that a king, according to G-d’s requirement, is not above the law. The Torah “shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear the L-RD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them; that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren” (Deuteronomy 17:19-20).

Spiritual Plague

parasha Pinchas 5782

“They were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting.”

– Numbers 25:6, JPS 1917 Tanach

Our allegiance belongs to the L-RD. If we displace our devotion to H’Shem onto something other than Him, then we are inadvertently heading in a direction that will ultimately not be of benefit to us. Even if we appear to benefit for some time, in the material sense, our spiritual compass will be amiss as a result. Thus, in terms of the values, that we inevitably promote in our own lives whether consciously, or unconsciously, we should choose wisely.

When B’nei Yisrael fell prey to the influence of the Midianites, resulting in immediate acts of idolatry and immorality, their connection with H’Shem was diminished. Their emunah (faith) and kedushah (holiness) plummeted. Only through the selfless act of mesiras nefesh on the part of Pinchas, who put his own life at risk to make an atonement for their sins (Numbers 25:13), were the people reconciled to H’Shem. So, the brief national diversion that had swept through the encampment was staid; and, the plague was stopped.

Yet, it is not so today, in regard to the rampant spread of a pseudo-morality known as Wokism. It’s permeation into every facet of American society is increasing substantially. Thus, like a modern-day plague, that differs from Covid, because it is namely a spiritual plague, Wokism manifests as a cultural movement. Essentially, it is a form of cultural Marxism; its ideological roots go back to Hegel, Marx and the Frankfort School.

The remedy might very well be to stand up for the truth, as revealed through G-d’s Will, via the commandments and the traditional values inherited from our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. To “live not by lies” propagated by the pseudo-morality of Wokism, and implemented through a system of soft-totalitarianism, heading towards a technocracy. We are not called to the level of zealousness exhibited by Pinchas; yet, we may very well be called to some form of mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice) in our individual lives.

Tikkun HaNefesh: Renewal of the Soul

Our entire lives may serve as an opportunity to seek tikkun hanefesh – a renewal of our souls, wherein every day may constitute an effort to rectify our personal past, within the framework of our individual lives. This is the essence of teshuvah, a returning to our unadulterated selves, not confounded by our attachments to the impermissible, nor confused by conflicting feelings, ideas, and behavior. Rather, a return, albeit, a continual progression, towards ourselves, as intended from the original blueprint of life. This path of an inner focus, differs much from the pervasive trend to point the finger at others and society. If we do not first make a concerted effort to change ourselves for the better, then we have no right to attempt to change others or society.

Additionally, because teshuvah (repentance) was created before the creation of the world, we are given continual second chances in life, despite our errors, faults, and foibles. Inasmuch that this gift is freely given to us, isn’t it right to also give others a second chance through a heartfelt expression of forgiveness? Yet, the relentless pursuit of “social justice” through the condemnation of others fails the test of human goodness, because of its incessant focus on human weakness, and redefined evils of mankind, without any offering of redemption to those who are being judged by others, who are also flawed, as we all are, myself included. A society does not become better in its overall national character through condemnation; rather, only through a natural bond of compassion towards all.