This week's parsha tells the story of the person who cursed HaShem. In discussing this story, Rav Akiva Tatz shlit"a delves into what could have brought this person to such a state that he would decide to curse HaShem. He is one of the people who left Mitzrayim and was thus privileged to see great miracles and accept the Torah. What would bring this person so low that he would do such a deed?
Rashi commenting on the story says that he was the son of Shlomit bas Divri of shevet Dan and a mitzri man. He tried to settle his tent amongst Dan and he was brought to court. Others from shevet Dan didn't want him to take some of their portion as they claimed that he wasn't from their shevet since lineage goes after one's father, who in this person's case was a mitzri. Moshe decided that the rest of shevet Dan was correct as ruled that this person had no share in the portion of Dan. As a result of this judgment, he left Moshe's beis din and cursed HaShem.
Rav Akiva Tatz explains that when someone has a fall, they fall hard. When all of a sudden things seem to be slipping away and everything you thought you knew is suddenly gone, there is no limit as to how low you can fall. That is what happened to this person. He felt he was just as Jewish as anyone else in bnei yisroel. He thought he was just as privileged as they were in gaining a portion of inheritance. And in the blink of an eye that is all taken away from him. At that moment, he lost all control.
He points out, based on a story about Shlomo haMelech, that when one experiences a fall, you must take a tally of what you have left. Don't worry about what you lost. It's gone already. Focus on what is left and be grateful for that. If you work from there you can regain what you once had. But if you just want to focus on what is now gone, you will soon lose it all.
Don't worry about how much has spilled from the glass, worry about how much remained and what can be done with it.
http://www.simpletoremember.com/media/a/greatness-and-despair-danger-of-a-fall/
Rashi commenting on the story says that he was the son of Shlomit bas Divri of shevet Dan and a mitzri man. He tried to settle his tent amongst Dan and he was brought to court. Others from shevet Dan didn't want him to take some of their portion as they claimed that he wasn't from their shevet since lineage goes after one's father, who in this person's case was a mitzri. Moshe decided that the rest of shevet Dan was correct as ruled that this person had no share in the portion of Dan. As a result of this judgment, he left Moshe's beis din and cursed HaShem.
Rav Akiva Tatz explains that when someone has a fall, they fall hard. When all of a sudden things seem to be slipping away and everything you thought you knew is suddenly gone, there is no limit as to how low you can fall. That is what happened to this person. He felt he was just as Jewish as anyone else in bnei yisroel. He thought he was just as privileged as they were in gaining a portion of inheritance. And in the blink of an eye that is all taken away from him. At that moment, he lost all control.
He points out, based on a story about Shlomo haMelech, that when one experiences a fall, you must take a tally of what you have left. Don't worry about what you lost. It's gone already. Focus on what is left and be grateful for that. If you work from there you can regain what you once had. But if you just want to focus on what is now gone, you will soon lose it all.
Don't worry about how much has spilled from the glass, worry about how much remained and what can be done with it.
http://www.simpletoremember.com/media/a/greatness-and-despair-danger-of-a-fall/
No comments:
Post a Comment