failures.
This incident can be compared to a cartoon in which a little boy complains to his father, "Mother is always blaming me for everything I do."
It is time that we begin to realize that we are not only shaped by our environment, but more so, we shape it.
The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can't find them, they make them.
This theme is enunciated in this week's Sedrah, Shoftim,in the episode of Eglah Arufah.
The Torah relates, כי ימצא חלל, "If a murdered man is found in a open field, לא נדע מי הכהו, and the murderer is not known, there is an act of Kaparah, of expiation, that is to be performed by the elders and the judges and the people in the city nearest to where the crime took place. After the ceremony the leaders of the the city had to wash their hands and make the following declaration: ידנו לא שפכו את הדם הזה ועינינו לא ראו "Our hands have not shed this blood nor have our eyes seen what took place, forgive us Hashem." The passage concludes, ואתה תבער הדם הנקי מקרבך, כי תעשה הישר בעיני ה׳, "So shall you put away the innocent blood from your midst, when you shall do what is right in the eyes of G-D."
This is truly an amazing doctrine. It is disturbing to think that the sages and the leaders of the community would ever do such a dastardly act to require them to utter such words of expiation.
There is no doubt that no one would ever accuse such leaders of murder. This entire law of Eglah Arufah, is to teach a very important lesson. A lesson that is endemic in our time - especially as we experience the havoc that is ripping our society apart.
In Judaism, all society is responsible for what happens in it's midst. Crime and uncivilized behavior is the responsibility of all, especially the leaders of our communities. It is time we begin to realize and take heed that what happens in our country affects us all - not only the victims. All of us share in the responsibility and we cannot, with all our rationalization, be absolved from blame.
Our Parsha begins with the words, שופטים ושוטרים תתן לך, "Judges and officers you shall appoint in all your cities." Our Sages suggest that if you are ever going to accomplish anything for the safety and good of your communities קשוט עצמך ואחר כך קשוט לאחרים "We first need to be introspective into our own behavioral patterns and then we can focus on others."
To change the world,we must change ourselves first. Are we taking responsibility for our actions or are we always looking to blame others for the troubles that are engulfing our society? Too often we are 'escape artists' running away from our responsibilities, not realizing that we have choices to make. The outcome of those choices will decide our entire destiny.
Reflect, if you please, on my opening remarks, "The people who get on in this world are the ones who get up and look for the circumstances they want. If they can't find them, they make them.
תמים תהיה עם ה׳ אלוקיך. What is needed today, more than ever is a strong faith in oneself and to maintain a strong belief and trust in G-D.
תמים, be your own person. Own up to who you are. Be true to yourself with pride and honor. To achieve this glorious goal we must make adjustments in our Judaic way of life by owning up to our responsibilities as a person who was created בצלם אלוקים, and to sanctify our lives by emerging from the darkness into a brilliant illuminating light of humanity.
LET US LEARN FROM THE COSMOS
AND CREATE FOR OURSELVES
A SOLAR/HUMAN ECLIPSE
LEADING US FROM
DARKNESS TO LIGHT.
שבת שלום ומבורך
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