During the past
week, there has been an incredible amount of excitement in our home. The
excitement began late last week and thought that have been several down
moments, the excitement has once again peaked early this week. Just how much
excited is our home? Well excited enough that even our two teenage daughters
are now emotionally involved. At first I thought it was the Canadian election
which occurred earlier in the week. Nope, it wasn’t the election. I thought
maybe it was the recent Democratic debates knowing that our eldest daughters’
boss, Mrs. Clinton had done so well. I was wrong. The excitement has been a
result of the Toronto Blue Jays. Every
day I hear from my kids, who is going to the games. Every day at least one
child provides an injury report or some statistic. While Toronto is not our
family’s favorite team, we have all been caught up in the excitement. If there
is such a thing as Blue Jays fever; we have a mild case of it. It’s not just the kids who are excited, all
of our friends only talk about “last night’s game”, tickets for an upcoming
game, “did you see that inning” or “did you see that home run”. However amid
all the excitement and hoopla, I was speaking to one friend of mine who watches
each pitch and each at bad with such concern and anxiety. Interestingly enough
it is the exact same way I watch the Yankees when they are in the playoffs.
Admittedly there is something to be said about watching a fun team and not have
the anxiety since I don’t live and die with each pitch or at bat. So my friend
and I were talking about the Blue Jays. In order to take his mind of off the
current pitching match-up, he wanted to discuss the future. He was concerned
about those players that are “Free Agents” and might decide to leave for
greener pastures, more money, or bigger TV market with more commercial
possibilities. I validated his concern and told him, there will be those who
leave because they want more money, or longer contracts, and there will be
those who decide to stay because the situation in Toronto is a good fit for
them.
This week's
Parsha is Lech Lecha. In it, God commands Abram to leave his father, his
homeland and everything he has ever known and go to a place where God will show
him later. Abram does. He heads down towards Egypt because of a famine.
Eventually, Abram leaves Egypt with money, flocks, servants, and wealth. Lot,
Abram's nephew, and Abram decide to part ways since each their respective
flocks not only become intermingled but their hired hands fight among each
other. Abram then fights against several kings in an attempt to protect Lot.
Then his wife Sarai, who is barren, tells Abram to make Hagar (the maidservant)
the surrogate mother. Abram listens and Hagar has a son named Ishmael. She runs
away and then returns. God tells Abram a prophecy. Abram will become the father
of a great nation, and that nation will become enslaved for several centuries
and then will return to the land that God promised Abram. Then God instructs
Abram to circumcise himself, his son Ishmael and all the males of his
household.
The
process by which Abram and Lot separate, provides a rather fascinating example
of leaving a good situation in pursuit of a better deal. After Abram and Lot’s
men quarrel Abram desperately wants to keep the peace. Abram also understands that
Lot needs to separate himself from Abram. So he gives Lot a choice: Al Nah T’Hi Mriva Beini UVeinecha U’Ven
Ro-ai U’Ven Roecha Ki Anashim Achim Anachnu – Please let there be no strive between me and you, and between my
shepherds and your shepherds for we are kinsmen. For Abram, he views Lot as
part of the family, part of the team but also understand that Lot must decide
if he wants to remain. Abram gives Lot a choice of land. VaYisa Lot et Einav VaYar et Kol Kikar HaYarden Ki Chula Mashkeh- So Lot raised his eyes and saw the entire
plain of the Jordan that it was well watered; VaYivchar Lo Lot Eit kol Kikar HaYarden VaYisa Lot MiKedem. -So lot chose for himself the whole plain of
the Jordan and Lot journeyed from the east; VLot Yashav B’Arei HaKikar BaYe’Ehal Ad S’dom – and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain
and pitched his tent as far as S’dom. Why did Lot choose the plain of
Jordan and the cities in that area including S’dom and Amora? Obviously Lot did
not know that these place were going to be destroyed in the future. Rashi, commenting
on the word MiKedem, quotes the Midrash Tanchuma and understand the word as
Kodem, not east but rather “Earliest One” or “Primordial One” (meaning God).
Lot left the morality of Abram and the holiness of God and settled near S’Dom.
R’Shimshon Rafael Hirsch comments on Lot’s
lifting his eyes and explains that
he was led by his sense of sight rather than his sense of spirituality and God’s
presence. As a result, Lot chose a fertile, rich land that had great commercial
potential and would yield Lot great wealth.
So
Lot, the free agent, left Abram, left a great situation, and settled for
greener pastures, more money and a much worse situation. I reminded my friend
that unfortunately, most players are much more like Lot and will take the more
money and be put in a worse situation or a losing situation rather than less
money to be on in a great situation or a winning team. Cynically, I think it is human nature to “follow
the money”. However this attitude is not only limited to Lot, or free agents in
professional sports. This sort of thing happens in business all the time and
quite frequently it serves as the deciding factor for many of our own career
decisions. However, we should always be reminded that sometimes it is better to
be in the right situation, playing for a winning team and earning less, as
opposed to trying to reap financial satisfaction in an unhealthy or negative
environment.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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