Friday, February 29, 2008

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

AT A FUNERAL MANY YEARS AGO THERE WAS NO MINYAN -QUORUM. AN ATTENDEE WHO KNEW THE NIFTAR-DECEASED WANTED TO SAY THE MEMORIAL PRAYER CALLED THE KADDISH. I REMINDED THE MAN THAT THAT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH FOR A QUORUM AND HE RESPONDED "WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT REALLY MAKE"?
WE GO THROUGH LIFE AND HAVE ARBITRARILY ASSESSED RULES LIKE 55MPH AND THINK NOTHING OF IT. WHEN IT COMES TO JEWISH PRACTICES HERE WE ARE INDIGNANT-WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT REALLY MAKE?
AT THE CORE OF THIS QUESTION IS THE DOUBT AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THE CREATOR. FURTHERMORE EVEN IF IT IS , DOES THE MERCIFUL ONE REALLY GET PERTURBED IF WE DO SOMETHING SINCERELY BUT DO IT WRONG?
DOES G-D REALLY CARE HOW WE DO SOMETHING AS LONG AS IT'S DONE . EVEN BETTER WHY SHOULD G-D CARE AT ALL?
THE RAMBAM SAYS THAT THE MITZVOS ARE DELICATELY BALANCED IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE INDIVIDUAL IN SPECIFIC AREAS. IF THE PERSON COULD MAKE UP HIS OWN RULES , ULTIMATELY THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY RULES.
THE ANSWER TO DOES IT REALLY MATTER IS YES IT MATTERS LOADS IF YOU BELIEVE THAT G-D CREATED THIS WORLD FOR A PURPOSE. THE SAME G-D WHO PUT ARSENIC IN THIS WORLD FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON ALSO GAVE US A TORAH WITH SPECIFIC RULES. JUST AS PURE WATER IS LIFE-GIVING BUT WITH A LITTLE ARSENIC IS A DISASTER,SO TOO IT IS WHEN WE CHANGE THINGS WITH THE ATTITUDE OF SO WHAT?!
LITTLE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT AND THE DETAILS ARE IMPORTANT. UNDERSTAND THIS THE NEXT TIME YOU STAND NEAR A BLACKBOARD AND SCRATCH YOUR FINGER ON THE BOARD WITH OTHERS AROUND. IF YOUR WIFE IS ANNOYED BY CERTAIN SOUNDS YOU AVOID THEM IF YOU WANT A HAPPY SPOUSE.
WHY DON'T WE TREAT G-D LIKE WE TREAT OUR DRINKING WATER AND THE PEOPLE WE WISH TO IMPRESS? THE REASON FOR THE QUESTION IS G-D REALLY WATCHING AND DOES G-D CARE. WITHOUT BLINKING I ANSWER AFFIRMATIVE ON BOTH COUNTS.

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