When an ATT salesman rings the doorbell and asks the husband, “who is the master of the home, I’d like to talk to that person; I have a great deal.” The husband responds: Great timing. Wait up five minutes. This exact question is being decided right now in the kitchen.
The portion of the Torah legislates numerous laws in order to protect and assist the poor man.
A person becomes so desperate that he is forced to sell
himself as a slave.
The Torah then commands his next of kin to redeem him from his master. When the Torah mentions the relatives who are to redeem him, first the brother of the slave, then, the uncle, then the cousin and then any other relative then himself.
Who is missing here? The PARENTS!
Why are they not mentioned?
All laws in the Torah, even those not presently applicable, represents a truth that applies to all times, peoples and places.
For today too we sell ourselves as slaves. There are people, young and old, women and men, ten agers, who reach a place in life where they do not own themselves any longer. Something else owns them entirely. No, I am not talking about a married man or woman…
I am talking about something sadder—addiction.
It is not as some people presume a bad habit exercised frequently; it is rather a disease. The addiction OWNS the addict. He or she does not own himself or herself any longer.
It comes in many forms: drugs, alcohol, gambling, food, etc. We become addicts usually due to a strong craving, a profound void, or some major pressures in life. Sometimes it begins with fun and entertainment, but soon the innocent fun lover has become a slave to his or her addiction.
The common denominator in all of addictions is, the addict is a total slave to his or her addiction. He is capable of losing the most precious things of his life—his wife, his children—because of his addiction.
Someone, who has an alcohol and gambling addiction, once shared with me what prompted him into recovery. He was in Atlantic City in a casino gambling away his fortune and life, it was late afternoon, when he suddenly realized that it was Yom Kippur when all Jews were praying the Neliah prayer! The holiest time of the year, and he was gambling in Atlantic City. This gave him a sudden clarity that he was powerless over his gambling habit and he came seeking help.
That is why the first step of the 12 step program for recovery is: “We admitted we were powerless over our addiction—that you are a slave.
This is why there is no mention of the father in the process of redeeming the addict-slave. Had this addict had a father, he would not find himself in his current situation. The reason a child can become such a tragic slave, is because he did not have a presence in his life who taught him about his Divine inner strengths, and powers. The greatest tragedy, said Chassidic master Rabbi Aharon of Karlin, is when a person forgets that he is a prince, a child of G-d.
If you believe you are a prince, you can withstand the greatest temptations; if you think you are valueless, the smallest temptations can drive you to the abyss.
A father requested a meeting with me, he unraveled the following tragic story.
He was married, with a teen-age son in the house. Yet, he fell in love with another woman, and ultimately divorced his wife,
the son remained with his father and treated the new woman who would come visit his father often, very disrespectfully, blaming her for the destruction of the family unit.
When the father proposed to her to get married, she made a condition. She would not marry him unless his teen age son would move out of their home. She does not want to see the face of that boy again.
The father, who is extremely wealthy, called in his son. He handed him an envelope with $20,000 cash; gave him the keys to a new Ferrari; gave him a few credit cards for use, to be paid for each month by the father, and finally, he gave him keys to a beautiful flat on the ocean. The father than silently added one stipulation: Son, all of this is yours, take it and enjoy; but you can’t step foot into this house any more… if you need me, give me a call, and I will come visit you.
The boy took the cash, the credit cards, the keys, and threw them back at his father, and said:
“I don’t want your money, your car, your houses, your wealth. All I want is a FATHER!”
This, is the tragedy of a father who never had the time or the courage to communicate to his son that feeling:
I am here for you. I believe in you.
The Baal Shem Tov’s father, Rabbi Eliezer, shared with his five year old son before he passed on: “You need not fear anyone or anything in this world, but G-d.”
In 1973 the New York Mets struggled in last place in the National League Eastern division midway through the season. The team’s colorful manager, Yogi Berra, had done wonders in the past, leading the team to its first-ever World Series championship in 1969, but this season looked to most observers like a wash. Asked by a sport’s reporter for one of the New York papers if the season was over for the Mets, Yogi responded with on what was to be one of the most exciting comebacks in sports history: “It Ain’t Over ’Til It’s Over!”
And as history shows, it indeed wasn’t over. Yogi Berra’s went on to take the National League East division, and capped off the season by winning the National League Pennant and going to their second World Series contest.
Friend, in your life “it ain’t over” until G-d says it’s over—and G-d says it’s not over until you win. That truth is all you need to keep your attitude positive and joyful.Your victory and destiny are guaranteed.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yoseph Geisinsky