SJL Deep South, June 2014

Page 30

Celebrate Your Financial Health

The Beholder’s Eye by Doug Brook

Primary Concerns

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June 2014

Southern Jewish Life

“Ask not what The Lord can do for you, ask what you can do for The Lord.” That’s how Moses famously concluded his inaugural address, but how did he get to that point? Only after an arduous campaign that would make 40 years in the desert seem like a stroll on the beach. While almost several of you set out to vote in various election primaries, consider that the level of civility and decency prevalent in the modern American political machine is not a new development. Most people don’t consider that smear tactics, sarcastic quips, and bombastic claims have riddled campaigns since the founding of the United States of America in 1776, when Columbus sailed the Today’s political climate ocean… Styx? But it didn’t start there, either. goes back a long way. Civil unrest and dissatisfaction Just ask Moses. with leaders goes all the way back to the Days of Yore B.C.E., specifically to when the Israelites wandered in the Sinai for 40 years and 40 nights. While you’ve stepped out or zoned out during Torah readings, you’ve missed many exciting episodes which would rival much of primetime television if only King James hadst writteneth not in utilization of language which casteth even unto Shakespeare a more greaterly discernable light. The Israelites rebelled against Aaron while Moses was having a second cup atop Mount Sinai, which resulted in the Golden Calf, and Moses treating his resulting tension headache by smashing up two tablets. The Korach rebellion, which almost several of you will hear read later this month, was a family affair. Moses’s cousin felt left out, and suborned insurrection with a few hundred followers. In a move that political leaders today wish they could employ, the rebels were consumed by the ground or devoured by a fire from heaven. The people complained about the manna — the one-taste-fits-all food that fell from heaven every day in the desert. When the Israelites asked for a salad bar one too many times, the response was “let them eat quail.” And they ate quail. And it was bad. Moses sent 12 spies into The Promised Land. Ten returned with terrible reports, predicting defeat, gloom, doom, and the recording career of Barry Manilow. The other two spies, Joshua and Caleb, returned with good reports and then got stoned. But not in the fun way. If you’re still not convinced, consider the following actual quotes from the 40 years in the desert which were lifted by future American politicians. As Tevye once attributed to King David, Moses was slow of speech and slow of tongue. This led him to the sage wisdom, “Speak softly and carry a big staff.” Other famous quotes from Moses inspired leaders for millennia to come, including: “Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is The Lord Himself.”

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