I once saw one car make a left hand turn right in front of an oncoming car going straight through the intersection. (I was waiting to make a right turn at said intersection.) It was clear from my vantage point that the turner absolutely did not see the oncomer; not before his turn, nor even during his turn, and obviously not after. The oncomer, on the other hand, was (Thank Goodness) all too aware of the turner; it was only the quick reflexes of the oncomer that rendered the turners actions only annoying. I also so how angry the guiltless oncomer became... red in the face, pounding his steering wheel, and obviously screaming in rage. (No one can hear you scream in space nor behind closed windows of a car speeding now the street.)
I try to remember how ludicrous and pointless that rage was whenever I feel myself getting angry. I have mixed success with that. However, I recently heard a shiur that gave me a new tool in my arsenal to avoid anger.
The kohanim have a mitzvah to bless Klal Yisrael. HaShem concludes His instructions to the kohanim with the words: וַאֲנִי, אֲבָרְכֵם/I shall bless them. One may ask -- as, indeed, Chazal do ask -- who is the subject of the word "them"? Does it mean that when the kohanim perform this service, then (1) HaShem will bless Klal Yisrael; or (2) HaShem will bless the kohanim, just as they have blessed Klal Yisrael. So far, so good. However... from (2) we see that the kohanim are not included from the blessing they give to Klal Yisrael. Which begs the question: According to (1), how do the kohanim receive a blessing?
Tosafos brings a Yerushalmi to explain. The Yerushali relays that R' Yishmael once told goy who gave him a blessing: "I don't need to bless you, because HaShem has already blessed you. You, good sir, have blesed a Jew, and HaShem already promised Avraham Avinu that whoever blesses Jews will himself be blessed." Therefore, says, Tosafos, the kohanim are blessed by HaShem for having blessed the Jews of Klal Yisrael, in accordance with the promise that HaShem made to Avraham Avinu.
Nice... but that got me thinking: why are we so careful to reply to a Shalom from another Jew? The obligation to return a greeting to another Jew is so compelling that there are is an opinion that one may interrupt krias sh'ma to return "Shalom" to another Jew. Why does he need my blessing? He is already getting a blessing from HaShem! The answer, it seems to me, is to realize that my friend not only is getting a blessing from HaShem, but he just did a chesed for me and himself. When I experience that, don't I want to jump on the band wagon myself?
As I was continuing my ride and reflecting on this -- all the while carefully observing traffic around me -- suddenly, a goy in a big, black pickup truck pulled out to make a left in front of me. I politely rang my bell under the assumption that he just hadn't seen me. The driver proved me wrong -- he certainly had seen me, as evidenced by the quite rude gesture with which he saluted me, along with the mocking grin. Now, I am not crazy enough to "salute" him back; my 300 lbs of flesh, aluminum, and a bit of steel is really no match for his 3,000 pounds of steel and very little brain. I was, though, about to get angry.
That's when I remembered the second part of the promise HaShem made to Avraham Avinu; "whoever curses you shall be cursed." Why should I get mad? HaShem is already taking care of him.
I try to remember how ludicrous and pointless that rage was whenever I feel myself getting angry. I have mixed success with that. However, I recently heard a shiur that gave me a new tool in my arsenal to avoid anger.
The kohanim have a mitzvah to bless Klal Yisrael. HaShem concludes His instructions to the kohanim with the words: וַאֲנִי, אֲבָרְכֵם/I shall bless them. One may ask -- as, indeed, Chazal do ask -- who is the subject of the word "them"? Does it mean that when the kohanim perform this service, then (1) HaShem will bless Klal Yisrael; or (2) HaShem will bless the kohanim, just as they have blessed Klal Yisrael. So far, so good. However... from (2) we see that the kohanim are not included from the blessing they give to Klal Yisrael. Which begs the question: According to (1), how do the kohanim receive a blessing?
Tosafos brings a Yerushalmi to explain. The Yerushali relays that R' Yishmael once told goy who gave him a blessing: "I don't need to bless you, because HaShem has already blessed you. You, good sir, have blesed a Jew, and HaShem already promised Avraham Avinu that whoever blesses Jews will himself be blessed." Therefore, says, Tosafos, the kohanim are blessed by HaShem for having blessed the Jews of Klal Yisrael, in accordance with the promise that HaShem made to Avraham Avinu.
Nice... but that got me thinking: why are we so careful to reply to a Shalom from another Jew? The obligation to return a greeting to another Jew is so compelling that there are is an opinion that one may interrupt krias sh'ma to return "Shalom" to another Jew. Why does he need my blessing? He is already getting a blessing from HaShem! The answer, it seems to me, is to realize that my friend not only is getting a blessing from HaShem, but he just did a chesed for me and himself. When I experience that, don't I want to jump on the band wagon myself?
As I was continuing my ride and reflecting on this -- all the while carefully observing traffic around me -- suddenly, a goy in a big, black pickup truck pulled out to make a left in front of me. I politely rang my bell under the assumption that he just hadn't seen me. The driver proved me wrong -- he certainly had seen me, as evidenced by the quite rude gesture with which he saluted me, along with the mocking grin. Now, I am not crazy enough to "salute" him back; my 300 lbs of flesh, aluminum, and a bit of steel is really no match for his 3,000 pounds of steel and very little brain. I was, though, about to get angry.
That's when I remembered the second part of the promise HaShem made to Avraham Avinu; "whoever curses you shall be cursed." Why should I get mad? HaShem is already taking care of him.
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