CHOCHMAS NASHIM: B’HAALOTCHAH: IN THE DESERT ON CENTRAL AVE.
By: Suri Stern
Did you ever wonder how G-d gave Jews food, drink, shelter, protection and clothes that never wore out in the desert, and yet in almost every torah portion, we hear them complaining? Ok, they wanted to get there already, we understand that, but after 200 years of slavery, to have all one’s cares fazorged for/taking care of, you think that gratitude would trump the complaining.
NOPE.
I heard all week about the construction on West Broadway from Rockaway Turnpike to Woodmere Blvd. First of all, new utilities had to replace the over 100 year old buried infrastructure utility lines. Secondly, they had to be reinforced to prevent flooding during storms, to permit for emergency evacuation. Thirdly, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, the local villages did not have to pay for it, which saves us Five Towns residents an increase in our real estate taxes. KIMISLONINIM, but all we hear about is inconvenience complaining, cant they work on this only on Shabbos when the Orthodox won’t be inconvenienced. LOLOLOLOL. It’s never convenient to be inconvenienced, but hey, this is what we have wanted all these years after Sandy, so be grateful. So too, when Central Avenue was being improved.
Complaints are interesting because we tend to complain to those who cant do anything about it, like each other, rather than government who can. Which brings us to the end of this week’s torah portion, where Miriam and Aaron discuss how Moshe separated from his wife, and they were discussing why Moses seemed to be haughty in that way, after all they were prophets as well, and they didn’t have to separate from their spouses. How did Mohe’s separation from his wife affect either one of them? Mere speculation.
The torah tells us that G-d very patiently explained to them how unique Moshe’s prophecy status was, that he was humble by nature, and how G-d had elevated him above the others. Miriam was stricken with a leprosy-like condition for seven days. The torah tells us that lepers are as like the dead. From this we learn that speaking ill about another, gossip, whether true or false, is as though you killed the person about whom you spoke.
You see, the Rabbis tell us that a good name is more valuable than gold, and once word gets out about a person’s bad reputation, it can never be truly restored, the person’s reputation is killed forever.
Putting the two together. I really try hard not to listen to or speak about another person. Sometimes those close to us want to unburden themselves. When the person feels more at ease, I try to get her to reach out to the person about whom she is speaking to try and make peace with the other person. If A is speaking about B to me, I always encourage her to speak to B directly to resolve the negativitiy.
But then there are matters, like the local road work. Please do not call the agency or government office to complain that you are being inconvenienced, because, in my opinion, it shows a lack of gratitude for the work being done for our benefit. Know that it is there. Use Rock Hall Road and East Broadway where possible and shoe up at 1550 Franklin Avenue on June 26th, for a hearing on the houses planning to be built on the Woodmere golf course, because that really is a quality of life and safety issue here in the Five Towns.
Shabbat shalom.
-Suri