2.26.25 ~ The Game of Life
Good morning!
As we step into a new Torah portion, Tama, dealing with the blueprint of the Tabernacle I’m reminded of how fleeting things are here in America. Just over a month ago there was the opportunity for the Kansas City Chiefs to make a three-peat to be the Super Bowl champions. There was a lot of talk behind the scenes and the whole country was captured. People were excited about the pre-and the post activities and the commercials, the halftime show and the whole culture of what the SuperBowl identifies with. The heart of America comes forth on this day. Where do you stand with all of this?
All throughout the playoffs the referees were hammered for bad calls and were accused of throwing games to one team over another. This morning, I don't want to focus on that, but I want you and I to consider a valuable lesson in your life as you evaluate the 'game of life' going on around you.
If you've ever had the privilege of visiting with a professional referee, they may tell you what the hardest part of their job really is... Before I tell you at least one referee's answer, I have to share with you this beautiful thought from pirkei avot/ethics of the father. As you read the opening chapter, it begins with a unique introduction, and it gives the whole lineage of God‘s chosen people. You might ask why not save that for later on for a more appropriate context? Why do I need the lineage to learn ethics? To answer it, let me give you a beautiful little story.
Once upon a time, not too long ago, there was a young boy, his name was Moses. He was about to get his bar mitzvah. In preparation for the big day, he bought himself a beautiful new suit. Unfortunately, the only suit available was a suit which had sleeves and pants that were 2 inches too long. Being a wise boy, he used the resources available in his house. As he comes into his house on that Thursday afternoon, he asks his mother, "Mom, could you do me a favor, can you hem my suit 2 inches"? His mother says, "Moses, do you see what’s going on? I’m cooking for Shabbat. I have a lot happening... there’s food... there’s cleaning. I’m very busy." He goes to the housekeeper, he says to Matilda, "Please, can you hem my suit 2 inches"? She says, "I’m so sorry Moses, there's too much happening. I have no time." Running out of options, he goes to his older sister who’s in seminary. He says, "Rachel, could you do me a favor" and before he gets the request out of his mouth, she says, "Do you know what I have going on? I’m in seminary. I was just dating. It didn’t work out and I don’t have time to deal with it. Get out of my room, I can’t deal with it." Ouch! He goes to his high school sister. He says, "Sarah, could you hem my suit 2 inches? She says get out of my room. I’m on the phone with four different friends at the same time. I’m in the middle of studying for my underwater basket weaving class, I don’t have time. Midterms. What I'm going to wear to school… I don’t have time for your suit."
Moses, in his mature mindset, doesn’t worry about it anymore and he goes to bed that night. He hangs up the suit in his closet and goes to sleep. 6 AM in the morning, Friday morning, his mother wakes up and says to herself: I feel so bad. Moses is my most special son. She goes into the room. She takes the suit. She hems it 2 inches. 7 AM. Matilda wakes up. She says to herself, Moses is the nicest boy...she takes the suit out of the closet. She hems it 2 inches. 8 AM Rachel wakes up...She hems his suit 2 inches. 9 AM Sarah wakes up...another 2 inches. By the time Moses gets out of bed, for his big day, he puts on the suit; it's not a suit anymore. It’s shorts (True story. Names changed to protect the guilty :-)
That’s how the ethics of the world is when it comes to the Word of God, every generation cuts its own 2 inches. One generation says everyone’s equal, everyone’s not equal...men are the same, men are women. Women aren’t this way, men are this way. Every race, every color, every type, every ethnicity. Marriage is this or marriage is that. We care about animals, we don’t care about animals. America used to be woke, now President Trump is here, everything is normal again. Every generation has its own value system, its own ethics. They change from generation to generation.
The child of God, their values originate from Mount Sinai (Ex. 19ff). It has not changed from Moses to Joshua to the Prophet Zachariah to all generations til now. Our values never change.
How do these all connect? As with every Super Bowl Sunday happening, they’re telling you, the consumer, you have to buy this...this drink...this snack...that car...that vacation... and that show....
You know what the referee said in response to the question? He said the hardest part of my job is keeping my calm. Wow. How hard that must be! The fans in the stadium are losing their minds, everyone’s going wild. The players are all animated. The coaches are irate about the call; he throws off his headset. He throws his challenge flag. He’s yelling and screaming, and the ref has to see it clearly and has to focus clearly and has to think clearly, and he can’t be pulled by all of it.
The same thing is being a child of God. The whole world could be all enamored with this or that. Throwing every 'commercial' or 'promotion' your way. But, we have a different set of values and a different mentality. Honestly, there are some who don’t see any of it. There’s some that may be aware of what’s out there, but know how to put on that protection. I’m a believer in the Creator of all, the God who doesn't change, I need to be like a ref. I have to see it clearly, I have to focus clearly, I have to think clearly, and I have to know where my eyes go and where it doesn’t go, where my values go, because the world's values will change. From Super Bowl 58 to 68 the worlds hold different places, but for the believer in the Most High, our culture, our ideals, our values never change.
Have a great midweek!
Shalom!
All throughout the playoffs the referees were hammered for bad calls and were accused of throwing games to one team over another. This morning, I don't want to focus on that, but I want you and I to consider a valuable lesson in your life as you evaluate the 'game of life' going on around you.
If you've ever had the privilege of visiting with a professional referee, they may tell you what the hardest part of their job really is... Before I tell you at least one referee's answer, I have to share with you this beautiful thought from pirkei avot/ethics of the father. As you read the opening chapter, it begins with a unique introduction, and it gives the whole lineage of God‘s chosen people. You might ask why not save that for later on for a more appropriate context? Why do I need the lineage to learn ethics? To answer it, let me give you a beautiful little story.
Once upon a time, not too long ago, there was a young boy, his name was Moses. He was about to get his bar mitzvah. In preparation for the big day, he bought himself a beautiful new suit. Unfortunately, the only suit available was a suit which had sleeves and pants that were 2 inches too long. Being a wise boy, he used the resources available in his house. As he comes into his house on that Thursday afternoon, he asks his mother, "Mom, could you do me a favor, can you hem my suit 2 inches"? His mother says, "Moses, do you see what’s going on? I’m cooking for Shabbat. I have a lot happening... there’s food... there’s cleaning. I’m very busy." He goes to the housekeeper, he says to Matilda, "Please, can you hem my suit 2 inches"? She says, "I’m so sorry Moses, there's too much happening. I have no time." Running out of options, he goes to his older sister who’s in seminary. He says, "Rachel, could you do me a favor" and before he gets the request out of his mouth, she says, "Do you know what I have going on? I’m in seminary. I was just dating. It didn’t work out and I don’t have time to deal with it. Get out of my room, I can’t deal with it." Ouch! He goes to his high school sister. He says, "Sarah, could you hem my suit 2 inches? She says get out of my room. I’m on the phone with four different friends at the same time. I’m in the middle of studying for my underwater basket weaving class, I don’t have time. Midterms. What I'm going to wear to school… I don’t have time for your suit."
Moses, in his mature mindset, doesn’t worry about it anymore and he goes to bed that night. He hangs up the suit in his closet and goes to sleep. 6 AM in the morning, Friday morning, his mother wakes up and says to herself: I feel so bad. Moses is my most special son. She goes into the room. She takes the suit. She hems it 2 inches. 7 AM. Matilda wakes up. She says to herself, Moses is the nicest boy...she takes the suit out of the closet. She hems it 2 inches. 8 AM Rachel wakes up...She hems his suit 2 inches. 9 AM Sarah wakes up...another 2 inches. By the time Moses gets out of bed, for his big day, he puts on the suit; it's not a suit anymore. It’s shorts (True story. Names changed to protect the guilty :-)
That’s how the ethics of the world is when it comes to the Word of God, every generation cuts its own 2 inches. One generation says everyone’s equal, everyone’s not equal...men are the same, men are women. Women aren’t this way, men are this way. Every race, every color, every type, every ethnicity. Marriage is this or marriage is that. We care about animals, we don’t care about animals. America used to be woke, now President Trump is here, everything is normal again. Every generation has its own value system, its own ethics. They change from generation to generation.
The child of God, their values originate from Mount Sinai (Ex. 19ff). It has not changed from Moses to Joshua to the Prophet Zachariah to all generations til now. Our values never change.
How do these all connect? As with every Super Bowl Sunday happening, they’re telling you, the consumer, you have to buy this...this drink...this snack...that car...that vacation... and that show....
You know what the referee said in response to the question? He said the hardest part of my job is keeping my calm. Wow. How hard that must be! The fans in the stadium are losing their minds, everyone’s going wild. The players are all animated. The coaches are irate about the call; he throws off his headset. He throws his challenge flag. He’s yelling and screaming, and the ref has to see it clearly and has to focus clearly and has to think clearly, and he can’t be pulled by all of it.
The same thing is being a child of God. The whole world could be all enamored with this or that. Throwing every 'commercial' or 'promotion' your way. But, we have a different set of values and a different mentality. Honestly, there are some who don’t see any of it. There’s some that may be aware of what’s out there, but know how to put on that protection. I’m a believer in the Creator of all, the God who doesn't change, I need to be like a ref. I have to see it clearly, I have to focus clearly, I have to think clearly, and I have to know where my eyes go and where it doesn’t go, where my values go, because the world's values will change. From Super Bowl 58 to 68 the worlds hold different places, but for the believer in the Most High, our culture, our ideals, our values never change.
Have a great midweek!
Shalom!
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