Rabbi
Doniel Staum, LMSW
Rabbi,
Kehillat New Hempstead
Rebbe/Guidance
Counselor – ASHAR
Principal
– Ohr Naftoli- New Windsor
STAM
TORAH
PARSHAS
KI SAVO 5775
“THE
OLD FOOLISH KING”
The Alter of Norvadok, Rabbi Yosef Yoizel Horowitz
zt’l[1],
related a witty parable which presents an accurate portrayal of much of our
society:
A stranger came running into town one day, looking
flustered and breathless. When people noticed a harried stranger excitedly
searching for something they became curious and intrigued. They too rushed
outside and began following the stranger on his relentless pursuit. As they
continued down the street others noticed the commotion and joined as well.
Within a short time an entourage of hundreds of people joined, and were running
through town. However, the masses had no idea why they were running, all they
knew was something excited was about to happen and they didn’t want to be left
out.
A lone man noticed the procession whizzing by him.
He ran past all the followers, and all the distinguished leaders of the community,
and caught up with the breathless stranger. “My friend, can you tell me why you
are running so fast and why all these people are following you?” The stranger
continued running as he replied, “I have no idea why all these people are
following behind me. All I know is that I really need to find a bathroom
quickly!”
After reviewing all the events and travails that
the Jewish Nation had endured throughout their forty year sojourn in the
desert, Moshe Rabbeinu foreboded the horrific curses of the tochacha (‘rebuke’)
which would besiege the nation if they did not pay heed to the Torah.
Moshe warned them that the curses would be so
severe that they would become insane from witnessing them. (28:34) “You will go
mad from the sight of your eyes that you will see[2].”
I remember once hearing a conversation between two
elderly men. The younger of the two was complaining that senility was beginning
to set in and, at times, he would forget the most obvious things. The older man
replied, “You’re at a tough stage. You still realize that you’re forgetting and
that’s why you feel old. Just wait a couple of years and you won’t even realize
that you’re forgetting. Then life will become blissful again.”
The Dubner Maggid noted that an insane person is
often convinced that his actions are normal. It is only those who watch him
that realize he is crazy. However, at times, an insane person may be sane
enough to realize that his behavior is eccentric. Such a person will be deeply
pained that he is unable to control himself.
Moshe warned the Jewish Nation, that no matter how
severe and how terrible the curses of the rebuke would be, they would always
maintain an awareness of their ‘insanity’. Many persecuted nations have escaped
their misery by ‘selling out’ or defecting. The Jewish Nation lacks that
ability. Moshe promised them that they will always be acutely aware of their
incredible pain and suffering, and will never be able to become lost in it.
Rabbi Shimshon Pinkus zt’l explains that an insane
person is not necessarily a person committed to a mental ward. It can even be a
person who society sees as normal. He illustrates this idea by contrasting a
destitute individual with an extremely wealthy individual.
A wealthy person who becomes consumed by his money
can easily lose himself to his wealth. He can become so obsessive about money
that he unwittingly prioritizes it above all else, including his family and
friends. His life becomes a marathon in pursuit of another dollar and leaves
him no rest. We can say that such an individual has gone crazy on account of
his wealth. But perhaps the greatest tragedy is that he is unaware of his
madness and does not realize the damage his wealth is causing him.
A destitute person also lives an abnormal
lifestyle. He is compelled to beg others for compassion, and he has no choice
but to rely on the graciousness of strangers who view him as a nuisance. He
must ignore the ignominy and lack of dignity that his ‘profession’ entails. The
difference is that the destitute individual is keenly aware of his insanity. If
one would ask him about his lifestyle, tears would well up in his eyes and he
would sigh out of anguish.
Rabbi Pinkus writes that this concept is true
about our generation. Our morally depraved society world is ravaged by breakdowns
in the normal social order. Family life has been shattered, respect for elders
and authority has been severely compromised, and society is built upon the
pursuit of mindless entertainment above all else.
But the scariest part about it is that we see it!
It is clear to any sensible rational person that our cultural ‘norms’ are
abnormal, and that we must transform our lifestyles. But we refuse to alter our
behaviors and trends. We want to have change without changing! And so we
continue our madness, aware that we are only deepening our problems.
Rabbi Pinuks continues that this concept is
applicable to Torah observant Jews as well. Every Torah Jew is aware of the
spiritual bliss one feels when he serves G-d properly. Hopefully, we have all
‘tasted’ the celestial joy of praying well, doing mitzvos, and the feeling of
fulfillment one enjoys when learning Torah. And yet we waste so many
opportunities to enjoy that bliss. Precious moments and days slip through our
fingers because of our inept and sloth attitudes. We are aware of our folly and
yet we continue to indulge in it.
The verse in Koheles[3] states, “Better is a poor
but wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to take
care of himself.” The Medrash explains that the ‘poor but wise youth’ refers to
one’s Good Inclination[4]. He is wise but is
considered poor because most people do not heed his call. The “old and foolish
king” refers to one’s Evil Inclination. In truth, it is not the Evil
Inclination who is foolish, but us, the victims of his schemes and plots. By
luring us into vapid temptation and inane sin, our Evil Inclination causes us
to appear foolish and callow.
One of the greatest schemes of our Evil
Inclination is to create ‘something out of nothing’. Much of our culture is built
on the pursuit of the happiness and inner peace that is achieved from glamour,
wealth, paparazzi, and fame. But it is all futile, because that whole concept
is nonexistent. It is - as the Alter of Norvadok explained - a society mindlessly
pursuing what everyone else is pursuing, as if without recourse.
Intellectually we are aware of the traps that our
Evil Inclination lays out for us. Yet we often succumb anyway. It takes a
discerning eye and heart to, not only see the emptiness of our society, but to be
ready to fight its trends.
It is a daunting task to refuse to be insane in an
insane world, but one who does so is ensured a life of inner peace and
happiness.
“You will go mad from the sight of your eyes that
you will see”
“An old and foolish king”
[1] 1850-1919
[2] Any Concentration Camp survivor
can testify to the veracity of this curse. The mere sight of what transpired
there was enough to cause any normal person to become insane.
[3] 4:13
[4] It is referred to as a ‘youth’
because it is ‘younger’ than one’s Evil Inclination. The Evil Inclination joins
a person at birth while his Good Inclination does not enter him until he
becomes a Bar/Bas Mitzvah.
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