Spirituality
TORAH PORTION
GLOBAL
The Open Mind
Begets Knowledge
Shabbat Vaera: Exodus 6:2-9:35;
Ezekiel 28:25-29:21.
E
very time the Almighty
inflicted one of the 10
plagues upon the Pharaoh's
people, the ruler summoned Moses
to appear before him and relented,
granting permission for the people
to depart. But always after the plague
had ceased and time had elapsed,
"Pharaoh hard-
ened his heart"
and refused to
allow them to
leave as he had
promised. In
consequence,
the Almighty
heaps upon
Pharaoh plague
after plague,
Rabbi Irwin
until finally, in
Groner
desperation,
Special to the
the hapless
Jewish News
monarch set the
slaves free.
Vacillation is a human frailty in
which every one of us is addicted. A
vacillating individual is soft, spineless
and unprincipled. Joseph Addison
once observed, "Nothing can make a
man so contemptible in the eyes of the
world as inconsistency." When we suc-
cumb to this prevalent frailty, we are,
or seem to be, opportunistic, cowardly,
even dishonest.
Like all other virtues, this quality
must be observed in a proper and
appropriate measure; for when carried
to excess, it can be destructive and
injurious. Life is not simple and there
are times when we should and must
change our minds. We are bound to
differentiate between consistency and
sheer stubbornness.
Life and circumstances change; and
on certain occasions, it is our duty,
indeed our obligation, to change our
attitudes or our views. When we do
so constructively and for the better,
it shows we are capable of growth,
development and maturity. It is wrong
to deny the possibilities of growth and
change, new awareness and insight.
In professing our religion, we
should keep our minds open to fresh
understanding and the possibility of
intellectual growth.
Perhaps when we were younger, we
were persuaded that Judaism is archa-
ic, that prayer is superstitious practice
for the simple-minded and that obser-
vance is reserved for the very young or
the uninformed. But when we become
older and more mature in our think-
ing, we begin to perceive that we are
not self-sufficient as we once thought
we were. We do not possess all the
answers to the mysterious and awe-
inspiring aspects of life. We begin to
search for the warmth of religion, the
strength that only faith and commit-
ment can bring.
The dimension of time gives us
opportunity to change our outlook
about relationships. Do we have the
same judgment today about the
people we know that we did years ago?
I have seen how, in some families, a
son-in-law or daughter-in-law is origi-
nally viewed with covert criticism,
with unspoken but real disapproval.
And yet, with the passage of time,
I have noted how parents come to
understand and respect the depth of
devotion that has blessed the marriage
and the fine qualities of the individual
who was not originally fully welcomed
into the family unit. This illustrates
the maturing of judgment as a conse-
quence of time and experience.
It would be tragic if, for the sake of
consistency, we would resist all change.
In the realm of the spiritual, religious
and moral, we should be growing, devel-
oping and aspiring to greater levels of
understanding, sensitivity and faith.
Irwin Groner is rabbi emeritus of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek of Oakland
County.
Conversations
Give some real, honest thought
to examples of how you have
either opened your mind and
seen resultant change or ways
in which you still remain rigid
because it is just more
comfortable.
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