2020 is so hard because…
Is it easy for you to complete that sentence? There have been a number of new and exceptional challenges that we have faced in the past year, some that may even be unique to our generation.
The Jews in this week’s Torah portion were also distressed. They also faced exceptional challenges that may have been unique to their generation. They abandoned their childhood homes and wandered in a desert with limited and unusual food and shelter. It’s totally understandable that they complained a bit, right?
Yet God is angered when they complain. How is that fair?
Let me ask you another question: What is on this picture?
You probably thought, ‘that is a dot.’ While you are not wrong, you’d be even more correct if you said ‘white space.’ Think about it, what percentage of that picture is dot versus white space?
It’s a fascinating part of the human condition that we tend to take the good things we have for granted, but then focus an inordinate amount of attention on even one small thing that is not working out for us.
That’s exactly what the Jews in this week’s portion were doing. God just saved them from slavery, was taking them to a land of milk and honey, and made them an eternal promise that He would always be with them. From a big picture perspective, things were certainly good. But they didn’t get to eat meat. And the one thing that was consuming their attention was the meat.
We live in a time of unparalleled abundance. Many of our ancestors worked 12 hour days in the field, had diets consisting primarily of potatoes, and had a life expectancy of 40. How much time have you spent recently focusing on the good things you have in your life? How many times have you complained about the bad?
