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Welcome to Beyond Twelve Gates. Have you ever found
yourself saying, "I have time to kill?" If so, you should
meet Colin Carlson.
Even at 13, Colin Carlson believes he's running out of
time. Colin is a sophomore at the University of Connecticut,
seeking a bachelor's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology and another in
environmental studies. But he's been knocked off course by the university's
rejection of his request to take a class that includes summer field work in South Africa. Colin
and his mother say university officials told them he is too young for the
overseas course (even after his mother offered to release UConn from
liability and accompany her son as a chaperone at her own expense). So he's
filed an age discrimination claim with the university and U.S. Department of
Education, which is investigating. "I'm losing time in my
four-year plan for college," he said. "They're upsetting the
framework of one of my majors."
A ship is safe in a harbor; but that's not what ships are
made for. Ships are made to sail, and so are we. Unlike those who
say "time is money," the Torah perspective is that "time is
life." Don't ever allow yourself to say, "I have time to
kill."
Parshas Acharei
/Kedoshim Leviticus 16:1 -
20:27
Acharei begins with a lengthy description of the
special Yom Kippur service to be
performed in the Mishkan by the Kohen Gadol. The service
included the lottery selection from amongst two identical goats, one of which
would become a national sin offering and the other would be pushed off a cliff
in the desert as the bearer of the people's sins (the 'scapegoat'). We also
find described the command that Yom Kippur and its laws of fasting and
refraining from work be observed eternally by the Jewish people as a day of atonement.
Acharei concludes with a listing of the immoral and forbidden sexual
relationships, and the command that the Jewish people maintain and ensure the
holiness of the land of Israel.
Kedoshim begins
with G-d's command to the entire nation of Israel to be holy, emulating the
supreme sanctity of G-d Himself. The Torah goes on to delineate a
multitude of mitzvos through which we can achieve sanctity, covering
a wide variety of subjects, both positive
commandments and negative injunctions, dealing with our unique relationships
to G-d and our fellow man. Amongst the highlights; revere your parents,
guard Shabbos from desecration, have honest dealings with our neighbors,
refrain from tale-bearing, don't hate your brother in your heart, and the
well-known commandment to love your friend as yourself. Kedoshim concludes
with the commandment that we be a holy and distinct people from amongst the
nations of the world.
Rabbinic Ruminations
Imagine standing on the edge of achieving your life's dream. You
make a small mistake that will cost you your dream -- but if you don't say
anything, you'll probably get away with it. Would you own up to
the mistake, or would you keep quiet and hope for the best? Brian Davis isn't the
best-known name in golf -- or even the hundredth best known -- but after this
past Sunday he ought to move up a few notches. Davis was in a playoff trying to
notch his first-ever PGA Tour win. The difference in prize money between
first and second place wasn't chopped liver, either; $1.03 million
versus $615,000.
When Davis
tried to hit the ball, he realized his club may have grazed a stray weed
on his backswing. So what's the big deal? This: golf rules state
that hitting any material around your ball during your backswing
constitutes a violation of the rule against moving loose impediments, and is
an immediate two-stroke penalty. And in a playoff, that means, in effect,
game over. Davis
called over a rules official. Movement of the weed was visible on a TV
replay -- but only in slow
motion. As soon as the replays confirmed the violation, Davis conceded the
victory.
Brian Davis' honesty cost him a chance at winning his first-ever
PGA tour event and quite a bit of money. But he won much more than that
by taking the honorable route. Brian Davis understood that in golf, as in
life, honesty is more important than victory. The Torah states that 'the seal
of the Almighty is truth.' Our connection with emes, or
honesty, is vital to enrichment of our spiritual life and for a close
connection with G-d.
Quote of the Week
Lose your dreams, and you might lose your mind -- Mick Jagger
Joke of the Week
Moshe and Miriam, a young orthodox married couple, were
expecting their first baby. Unfortunately, Miriam's water broke on Shabbos, and they
had no choice but to call for a taxi to take them to the hospital's maternity
ward.
Because Moshe wanted to try and minimize the Shabbos violation, he told the
dispatcher, "Please send only a non-Jewish driver."
The taxi quickly arrived. However, when Moshe and Miriam
were getting in, they overheard the dispatcher on the two-way radioask the driver, "Have
you picked up the anti-Semites yet?"
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