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Beyond Twelve
Gates Parshas Devarim
July 16, 2010
Welcome to Beyond Twelve Gates. Arguing over money is an
unfortunate but common occurrence in many families. Most of the time,
though, the decision isn't decreed in a court of law. In a case that
takes parent-child squabbles to a new level, Dana Soderberg
sued her father to force him to fulfill their agreement to pay for her
education at Southern Connecticut State University. Dana
didn't file a lawsuit against her own father based on a mere
promise, however -- she had a legal document to back her up. The
judge sided with the daughter, awarding her $47,000.
If a daughter successfully
suing her father for nearly $50,000 to recoup the cost of her college loans
sounds unusual, Dana's attorney, Renee C. Berman, would be the first to
agree. "Nothing that I've researched has shown any cases like this and
hopefully there won't be any more, because it's a sad situation," Berman
said.
Many recognize that there are
often special difficulties in dealing with family members.
However, the effort to forge better relationships with relatives is worth the
effort. The Talmud says, "One who seeks to draw closer to family
members can call upon G-d, and He will answer you." The greatness
of Aaron, brother of Moses, was that he 'loved peace and pursued it.'
Improving relationships within our own families will draw us closer to the
Almighty.
Parshas Devarim
Deuteronomy 1:1 - 3:11
This week we begin the fifth and final book of the
Torah, Deuteronomy. This book is also called Mishne
Torah, "Repetition of the Torah" - thus the Greek title
'Deuteronomy.' Its contents were spoken by Moses to the Jewish
people during the final 5 weeks of his life as the people prepared
to cross the Jordan River into the land of Israel.
A central theme of Deuteronomy is Moses' review of the mitzvos,
and his emphasis on the change of lifestyle the Jewish people were to
undergo. The transition was to be made from a supernatural
existence in the desert to a natural life to be experienced in the Land of Israel...
The portion begins with Moses' veiled rebuke in which he
makes reference to the many sins and rebellions of the past forty years.
Moses spends significant time discussing the failed mission of the
spies; ten of the twelve men sent to scout out the land returned with a
bad report, resulting in the entire nation wandering in the desert for forty
years. Moses later discusses the Children of Israel's conquest on the
eastern bank of the Jordan River. This
Torah portion concludes with words of encouragement for Moses' successor,
Joshua.
Rabbinic Ruminations
Do you remember the popular E.F. Hutton commercials
based on the phrase, "When E.F. Hutton talks, people
listen"? When financial guru Warren Buffett talks,
people listen. Buffett, one of the most successful investors of our
age, is consistently ranked among the world's wealthiest people, and is the
third wealthiest person in the world. Known as the "Oracle
of Omaha" or the "Sage of Omaha", Buffett is known for his
wide-ranging views on economic, political and cultural issues.
Buffett was recently asked what was the best
advice he ever received. You might be as surprised as I was by
his answer: It has nothing to do with money. The "Oracle of
Omaha" credited his father for teaching him how to live, and
explained that all parents can make a "better human being" by
offering their children unconditional love:
The power of unconditional love ... there is no power on
earth like unconditional love. And I think that if you offered that to
your child ... you're 90 percent of the way home. There may be days
when you don't feel like it, it's not uncritical love, that's a different
animal, but to know you can always come back, that is huge in life.
That takes you a long, long way. And I would say that every parent out
there that can extend that to their child at an early age, it's going to make
for a better human being.
Warren Buffett's thoughts on child raising
are echoed in traditional Judaism. The Torah teaches that raising a
child is like holding a bird in your hand. If you open your hand
too loosely, the bird will fly away. If you close your hand too
firmly, you run the risk of crushing the bird. So too, the best
way to teach a child how to live means striking a balance between measured,
appropriate discipline, and between love -- with a generous and
abundant emphasis on unconditional love.
Quote of the Week
One of the gifts of the Jewish culture to Christianity is that
it has taught Christians to think like Jews. Any modern man who
has not learned to think as though he were a Jew can hardly be said to have
learned to think at all. -- William Rees-Mogg,
English journalist
Joke of the Week
On Monday evening of this coming week (July 19) begins Tisha B'Av,
the Jewish National Day of Mourning. Tisha
B'Av is a full 24 hour fast, similar in that
respect to Yom Kippur. Tisha
B'Av is certainly the saddest day on the
Jewish calendar, commemorating the multiple tragedies that occurred to the
Jewish people throughout our long history. Remarkably, the destruction
of the first and second Holy Temples took place on Tisha
B'Av itself. Tisha
B'Av is preceded by the sad and
introspective period known as 'The 9 Days'. During these days we
minimize joy and laughter to better focus on the meaning of this period of
time. I have a great Joke of the Week to share with you .... but in deference to the
solemnity of the 9 Days and Tisha
B'Av, I'll save it for next
week.
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