Rabbi's Blog

Accidents occur for a host of different reasons and circumstances. Some accidents are lethal and have tragic outcomes which, at times could be avoided, but at other times are unavoidable.

Whenever I travel, I try to keep up with my personal learning and a few chavrusos (study partners), even over the phone or via Skype. If I go to a remote, non-Jewish area, I make sure to bring the seforim/books that I will need. On a recent visit to Lakewood, I did not feel the need to shlep a certain sefer because I was sure I would find a copy of it in one of the dozens of batei midrashim in Lakewood. Lo and behold I found the sefer in the Shul where I daven regularly. I found the gabbai and asked permission to take the sefer home, explaining that I would return it later that afternoon. He said, “I’m sorry, but we do not allow any books to leave the Shul.”  At first I was shocked, thinking to myself, “Does he think I’m not going to bring it back? I was only going to be using it for a few hours.”  He went on to explain how many books and seforim are missing because people borrow them but don’t bring them back. I came to realize that no one had the intention of ‘stealing’ the books and seforim; they either just forgot about them or misplaced them. Everyone, myself included, intends to return borrowed seforim, and of course would want to return that which he borrowed.  Sometimes, however, our good intentions are not followed through.  

As we are now in the throes of summer, a time of vacations, relaxation, enjoying our children, but also a time fraught with potentially serious accidents and even tragedy, I feel the need to address a dangerous issue we ALL need to more aware of and more diligent with regard to avoiding  unnecessary tragedy: the leaving and or forgetting of an infant/ toddler in a heated, sealed car.  It can happen to anyone - anytime,  anyplace, anywhere. We sometimes read or hear about such avoidable tragedies, and we question how the parent could do such a thing, usually accusing the parent or guardian of utter negligence. We should never pass judgment on anyone - ever, but especially in these types of horrible cases where I am sure the parent was devastated beyond belief. Moreover, it’s wise to keep silent and not express opinions, speaking out, instead about how to avoid such a tragic occurrence in the future.

In 1990, Congress designated the 1990s the “Decade of the Brain.”  Throughout the ensuing decades, cognitive scientists and neuroscientists have greatly advanced our understanding of the brain.  The Human Connectome Project, a five-year study, was launched in 2009 to analyze the anatomical and functional connections of parts of the human brain.  In 2013 the BRAIN (Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neuroethologies) Initiative was launched as a public/private collaboration to advance brain research. With all of this ongoing focus on learning about the complexities of the human brain, what can we do to control our brains from causing us to make terrible mistakes and errors in judgment?  What can we do to avoid having children suffocate while trapped in cars?  How do we stop such tragedies?

“The first step,” explains neuroscientist Dr. David Diamond, “is to accept that human memory is faulty and that loving and attentive parents can unintentionally leave their children in cars.” Many parents and caregivers are just coming to understand that fateful memory lapse, not negligence, is the overwhelming cause of such tragedies. “We all like to believe that we are in control,” says Dov Brafman, CEO of Sharkk. “But the fact is, our brains don’t always do what our hearts wish they did.” Brafman, with  Sharkk Technologies, is developing a safety measure through car seats that will alert a parent or caregiver that a child has been left in the car. I think if we come to terms with this idea - that the brain - that human memory - is faulty, we will also begin to understand and perhaps gain insight into some of the questionable parts of Torah and Halacha.

A perfect example of this is found in between last week’s Parshas Balak and this week’s Parsha of Pinchas. At the end of Parshas Balak in chapter 25, the Torah relates how Bilaam’s advice of causing the Jews to sin through immorality worked and as a result led to twenty-four thousand people dying in a plague. The climax of the scene in Shittim was in Bamidbar 25:6 “V’Hinei Ish MiBnei Yisrael Bah, Vayakreiv El Echav Es HaMidyanis L’Eynei Moshe U’L’Einei Kal Adas Bnei Yisrael, V;Heima Bochim Pesach Ohel Moed” : “The judges were still weeping [in indecision] at the Communion Tent entrance, when an Israelite brought forth a Midianite woman to his brethren before the eyes of Moshe and the Israelite community”. Pinchas, the son of Elazar and grandson of Aharon HaKohen, saw this, ( everyone else saw it as well, but froze) rose up from the middle of the assemblage, and took a spear in his hand,  and speared the man and the woman to death. The woman in question was Kazbi Bas Tzur, the daughter of the king of Midian.  Her immoral behavior is not surprising. On the other hand, the man who sinned was none other than Zimri Ben Salu , the head of the tribe of Shimon. The Gemara in Sanhedrin identifies him with Shlumiel Ben Tzuri-Shadai. How is it possible that Zimri committed such a major sin in public? Furthermore, how is it possible that neither Moshe nor any of the Elders did anything about it? Why did it take a Pinchas to right this wrong?

It is interesting to note that the story is divided between the end of Balak and the beginning of Pinchas addressing the act of putting down the rebellion and ceasing of the plague in Balak and the reward and acknowledgment to Pinchas later. In the beginning of Pinchas, God spoke to Moshe saying that “Pinchas was the one who zealously took up My cause.”  Pinchas was called a ‘Kanai’ (zealot, fanatic, jealous) for standing up for Hashem and protecting His name. The answer suggested is that we needed a little time to digest his [Pinchas’] actions. The Talmud Yerushalmi in Sanhedrin 10:2 states that Pinchas did not act according to the will of the sages, and in fact they tried to excommunicate him. Being a zealot requires taking great risk because it can only be done for the sake of God one-hundred percent. Nothing less. There cannot be a shred of self-cause, saying the action is in the name of God. Therefore, the action was said earlier and the reward occurred later, demonstrating the need to investigate the intentions of Pinchas and the purity of his fanaticism.  

As far as Pinchas being the only one to jump up and act, this was because he remembered the halacha/law about what should be done under these circumstances. Everyone else simply forgot and did not remember what to do. This was a simple disconnect from what was taking place in front of them and the action that needed to be taken. As far as Moshe was concerned, he did not forget; he was waiting to see if someone would rise up to the occasion. As the Rabbis taught, “In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man”. Moshe was simply waiting to see who and when but not if someone would act.

We see clearly from this episode that the complexity of the human brain, including our ability – and, at times, the inability to recall, retain, or apply information (our memory) can challenge the core of who we are. Let us figure out a way to become like Pinchas - to remember what to do when the need arises in our personal lives and in our service and devotion to protect Hashem’s honor.

Ah Gut Shabbos       Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky