We all cheat. We may not want to admit it but we all cheat. Taking a second or third serving of a dessert, stealing a glance at a cell phone while driving, missing a workout session at the gym – we all cheat. I don't like thinking of myself as a cheater. I see myself as being honest and I imagine you do as well. The question is... “Does cheating in small ways prompt bigger cheating?”
We all encourage our children to never cheat on tests. Parents may get very upset over a small infraction such as an allegation of cheating by glancing at a schoolmate’s homework but most parents give very little thought to exceeding the speed limit by 5 miles per hour. How do we reconcile our diligence in preaching against the ills of classroom cheating with our own tendency to speed or to include a ‘few’ personal expenses in our business deductions?
This week’s Parsha is called R-ay. It opens with one of the most famous verses in the entire Torah.
“Look, today I give you blessing and curse.”(Deut. 11:26). Each of us is faced with dozens of choices every day. How we steer our way through those choices is up to us. Parents, friends, TV and the latest trends all influence our behavior. Torah offers us a different influence. Ask yourself ‘How does this choice incline me to a blessing? How does this choice lead me towards a negative spiritual experience?’
The guilt of a “near miss” accident due to texting and the anxiety over cheating on taxes contribute to a hollowing out of our spirits. Is this how we wish to live our lives?
May we all grow in the opportunity of bringing Brachah into our lives and the lives of others on a daily basis.
Shabbat Shalom. Rabbi Steve Silberman
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