Ekev August 7, 2015
S.T.A.R.’s upcoming exciting events:
- Teen Late Night @ Speedzone SOLD OUT!!
This Shabbat:
- Friday Candle Lighting: 7:30 pm
- Shabbat Ends: 8:40 pm
Torah Message:
Fire
The carved images of their gods you shall burn in the fire for it is an abomination of the L-rd, your G-d. (7:25)
Our Sages teach us that extreme anger is like worshipping idols. What is the connection?
Imagine you’re a courtier in the palace of the king. While walking past you, one of the other courtiers treads on your toe, and rather than apologize he turns around and pokes his tongue out at you.
Do you curse and shout at him? I doubt it. Not, that is, unless you are unconcerned about your head staying in nodding contact with the rest of your body. Your awe of the king, not to mention the fear of his punishment, makes it easy for you to swallow your pride and smile a wan and insincere smile at your fellow courtier.
When a person becomes angry it’s as though he’s saying that he’s not in the courtroom of the king. Or worse, there is no courtroom, no king.
Everything in this physical world has a spiritual cause. Anger is always compared to fire. Anger consumes like a fire the person who feels the anger. Anger turns the face flame-red. Anger burns you up.
Sometimes, we may even get a glimpse of the connection of the spiritual to the physical:
The Hayman fire, the largest fire in the history of Colorado consumed tens of thousands of beautiful forestland. The fire was caused by a 38-year old Forest Service technician who took a letter from her estranged husband and burned it in anger. Apparently, she thought she had extinguished the fire and left, only to find later it was spreading out of control.
When we ignite the flames of wrath, it’s very difficult to put them out. If one act of anger can burn half of a state, one shudders to think what happens in the spiritual forest-lands Above when a persons anger flames.