There
was a recent criminal case in the state of Texas during the month of December.
A 16 year old boy from an extremely well to do Dallas family got behind the
wheel of his pickup truck with three times the legal limit of alcohol in his
bloodstream. He proceeded to get in a car accident killing four pedestrians and
paralyzing one of the passengers in his pickup truck. The 16 year olds family
lawyer claimed that the boy suffered from “affluenza” – a psychological
condition that affects children of affluent parents who are not raised with any
sense of accountability and responsibility. Incredible as it sounds, one can
now legally justify being a “spoiled brat” by blaming one’s parents never take
responsibility. Interestingly enough, the Talmudic sages have a unique way of
dealing with Affluenza. Rabbi Levi, in the Midrash Tanchuma discusses the
spoiled brat: “A child is riding on his father’s shoulders. When the child sees
something he wants, he asks for it. His father gets it for him. This happens
again and again. They encounter a person approaching from the opposite
direction, and the child asks the stranger, ‘Have you seen my father?’ The
father responds incredulously, “You ride on my shoulders and everything you
want I get you, yet you ask, ‘Have you seen my father?’ The father then takes
the child down from his shoulders and a dog comes and bites the child.”
This
week’s Parshah, Beshallach, is also known as Shabbat Shira (Shabbat of Song).
B’nai Yisroel sings throughout this Parshah. Upon successfully completing their
crossing of the Yam Suf, the headline song begins (Ex. 15:1): Oz Yashir Moshe u’Vnai Yisroel et Ha Shira Ha’zot L’Adonai va’Yomru
Leimor (Then Moses and the Children
of Israel chose to sing this song to God and they said the following). In this
song, B’nai Yisroel praises God as protector of his people. After the song,
Miriam, Moshe’s sister, tells the women “Shiru
L’Adonai Ki Ga’oh Ga’Ah Sus v’Rochvo Ramah Va’Yam (Sing to God for he is exalted above the arrogant, having hurled horse
with its rider into the sea.Ex.15:21) When tradition referred to this
Shabbat as Shabbat Shirah, clearly this is what was meant. However immediately
following these songs of praise, B’nai Yisroel begins another kind of singing.
Instead of songs of joy and praise, known as singing, there are
songs of complaint, known as whining. No sooner does B’nai
Yisroel cross the Yam Suf and sing Oz Yashir Moshe, then they complain about
the lack of good water. Moshe puts a tree into the water and it becomes sweet
(15:25-26). They whine about the lack of food. God provides the manna from
Heaven (16:6-8,16-36). They complain about the lack of meat. God provided them
with quail (16:13). They complained about the lack of water upon their arrival
in Rephidim. Moshe strikes a rock as God instructs, and provides water for the
people. They wanted it now. God gave it “now”.
B’nai
Yisroel lacks faith. They are still slaves. They live passively. They ceased
struggling for freedom They performed their tasks and returned to their slaves’
quarters and ate their slave food that the master provided. There is no sense
of responsibility for the future. There is no sense that improvement is
possible. They slave looked to the master to take care of everything. Upon
leaving Egypt and crossing the Yam Suf, B’nai Yisroel looks to God to take care
of everything. They have no sense of taking take care of themselves. So they
sang or whined, “But Daddy we want the water and meat and we want it now!”
God gave them another miracle. Like the impudent boy who asked the stranger if
he had seen his father, while all the while sitting upon his father’s
shoulders; B’nai Yisroel demonstrates the same impudence. Hayeish Adonai B’kirbeinu Im Ayin? “Is God among us or not?” The father put the boy upon the ground.
God put B’nai Yisroel upon the ground. Just like the dog bit the boy, Amalek
attacks B’nai Yisroel. B’nai Yisroel
stopped whining. They finally do for themselves. “Moshe said to Joshua, ‘Choose people for us
and go do battle with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the
staff of God in my hand’. Joshua did as Moshe said to him, to do battle with
Amalek” (Ex.17:9-10). B’nai Yisroel fought, God gave them strength. This is the
first time in the Parsha where we read that B’nai Yisroel acted first. God
helped them when they helped themselves.
Affluenza
is a spiritual disease so it requires a spiritual solution. B’nai Yisroel’s
behavior at the beginning of the Parshah is very different from their behavior
at the Parsha’s conclusion. Faith in God is a function of taking responsibility
for ones’ own actions and the faith that the results of those actions will be
all right. Before we seek God’s help, or before we blame others; we must help
ourselves. The spoiled brat is the child who won’t do for his/herself. The
spoiled brat expects others to do for him. Instead of trusting in and doing for
itself first, B’nai Yisroel relied upon God to do for them. Thank God, we are
no longer slaves in Egypt. Yet the condition
of Affluenza suggests that spiritual
slavery still exists, as affluent young people are enslaved to consumerism, and
keeping up with the Joneses. The first step in freedom is teaching our children
responsibility and accountability. It might just save their lives.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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