Miriam meant well when she commented to her brother Aaron her concern that Moses seemed to be neglecting his wife. Though she meant well she was punished for the sin of malicious gossip. Meaning well is not enough. Your actions matter.
Category: Repentance
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Betrayal of Society
Marriage is the basis of society. When there is suspicion that the wife is betraying her husband but there is no proof then the Torah proscribes the ritual of the Mei Sotah, Waters of Contrition. This is to find out the truth and, if possible to save the marriage.
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Punishment in the Torah
In the view of the Torah a thief has to repay his victim for what he has stolen. Just sitting in jail is not enough. He caused damage to the victim and until the victim has forgiven him, he is not forgiven.
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Bring Responsible
The reason for a Jew to become a slave is that he is not able to pay his debts. But the Torah demands that he be set free in the 7th year. If he chooses to remain a slave he is punished because the Torah wants us to be free.
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Leaders Are Accountable
There were special offerings given by the leaders if they inadvertently made a mistake, both the religious leaders as well as the religious. The reason is that people will base their decisions on what they do and say.
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Being Responsible for Our Actions
The sin offering is brought for an unintentional sin. That is something that happened but was not intended. It is not an accident but it caused damage either spiritually or physically. We are still responsible for our actions.
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True Repentance
When Judah confronts Joseph concerning Banjamin Joseph realizes that Judah has repented for his earlier actions. It is not enough to say “sorry”, you have to show through your actions that you have repented.
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Leadership Has to Be Earned
Reuben should have been the leader of the brothers but failed. He meant well but was lacking in judgement. Judah will become the leader due to his judgement.
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The Imperfection of Joseph
In this week’s portion we see that Joseph is Jacob’s favorite son. Joseph flaunts his status in front of his brothers. He will have to learn humility the hard way.
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Admonish the Sinner with Kindness
פרשת נח / כ”ט בתשרי תשפ”ג
The Dimensions of the Ark were 30 x 300 x 50 which equal the numerical value of lashon (ל=30ת ש=300ת ן=50) meaning tongue or language. This was to teach Noah that he had to admonish the people to repent from their ways.