Sensitivity and Today’s Media

Wax on, wax off. Practice makes perfect.

Each year as we study the weekly Torah portion, we inevitably chance upon small or big nuggets that jump out and provide a transformative life lesson.

It’s also amazing how they seem to always present themselves right at the time that we as a society or as an individual need to hear that lesson.

Look at today’s headlines. Any headlines, any website, any news service. I challenge you to find a website that doesn’t have a list of insults and shaming comments about some politician, hollywood star or business person.

Clearly, society has become so loose with its willingness to insult and shame people in the public eye.

In this week’s Torah portion, we read the enigmatic story of Bilaam and his talking donkey. Read up on the story here.

At one point in the story, Bilaam’s donkey challenges Bilaam’s abuse of him by saying, have I ever disobeyed you before? Bilaam’s response is an unequivocal “no”. This leaves Bilaam essentially “one upped” (shamed) by his donkey. Can you imagine being outsmarted and an argument being won by your donkey!?

When the angel challenges Bilaam on this, he tells Bilaam that in His mercy, the donkey was killed so as to prevent others from saying; “this is the donkey that outsmarted Bilaam”.

Rashi, the foremost commentator on the Torah comments on this “for the Omnipresent shows regard for human dignity”.

If G-d shows regard for the human dignity of an evil man who wished to do harm to an entire People, how much more so should we be careful with the words we use in formulating an opinion about others.

Have a good Shabbos!