Welcome to Torahlectures.org

Ki Tisa - Maintaining Our Composure

 

How could they do such a thing???

 

This is the question that jumps out at us as we read the story of חטא העגל, the sin of the golden calf, in this week's parashah.  Just weeks after beholding Hashem's revelation, declaring נעשה ונשמע ("We will do and we will listen!") and receiving the Torah, how could Beneh Yisrael bow to an idol?

 

The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (89) answers this question for us.

 

It tells that Beneh Yisrael knew that Moshe was supposed to spend forty days atop Mount Sinai receiving the Torah from Hashem, but they miscalculated.  They thought the thirty-ninth day was the fortieth day.  When afternoon came and he had yet to return, they got nervous.  Then the Satan stepped in and עירבב את העולם – "confounded the world," making the world dark and seem chaotic.  The Satan also showed the people an image of Moshe lying dead in a coffin.  Benei Yisrael thus lost their bearings and their composure.  And once people get flustered and frantic, they're prone to act irrationally and to do things they know are very wrong.

 

If we are honest with ourselves, we will notice how true this is in our lives.  So many of the mistakes we make are made when we get flustered.  When we're tired, when we're not feeling well, when we're disappointed, when we're anxious, when we're aggravated – it is often in these situations when we make bad decisions, and when we say things that we know we shouldn't say.  This usually happens when we become "confounded," when the world becomes dark, when life seems "chaotic," when things happen that make us tense and flustered.

 

One of the clearest examples of this phenomenon is Kayin.  He took the initiative to offer a sacrifice, but it was rejected, whereas the sacrifice offered by his brother, Hevel, was accepted.  Kayin was jealous and disappointed.  The Midrash says that Kayin decided that "there is no judgment and no judge," that the world is just chaotic, that everything is bad, and in his rage, he killed his brother.

 

This is something we need to know about ourselves.  When we're tired, when we're hungry, when we're under pressure – we are far more likely to get angry, to lash out, to make irresponsible decisions, to do things that we will later regret.

 

To avoid this, we need, first and foremost, to take good care of ourselves.  We need to eat properly and get enough sleep.  We need to be careful not to take on on more than we can handle.  And we need to try to build into our schedules activities that keep us relaxed, happy, and in good spirits so we don't end up upset, tense or aggravated.

 

But additionally, we need to make the firm decision to try not to lose our composure, to always stay calm, cool and collected.

 

The Megillah says, ומרדכי לא יכרע ולא ישתחווה – Mordechai neither kneeled nor bowed to Haman.  He didn't budge.  He was so confident, so firm in his stance, that Haman's presence had no impact on him whatsoever.  Mordechai remained steadfast and resolute.

 

This is how we should aspire to live – with faith, with confidence, with resolve, and with composure.  We should be the kind of people who never "kneel," who never get rattled when things get chaotic, who have the strength and self-assurance to keep calm and level-headed under all circumstances.

 

The Satan has many tricks up its sleeve, lots of different ways to make our world seem dark and dreary so that we lose our composure.  We can't let the Satan win.  We need to resolve to remain strong and confident so we always act rationally, even when things get hectic and tense. - Joey Haber

​

https://itorah.com/weekly-inspire/maintaining-our-composure/15/31052