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February 13, 2012
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Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
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David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
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Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
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Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
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January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
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Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
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January 11, 2012
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Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
March 7, 2008
/ 30 Adar I 5768
Who is in control?
By
Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski
Something to consider when focusing on a challenge's outcome
All the work of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting,
was completed, and the Children of Israel had done everything
that G-d commanded Moses, so did they do.
Exodus 39:32
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
It would seem that logically, the order of this verse should reversed; i.e, ''The
Children of Israel did everything that G-d commanded Moses, so did they do,
and all the work of the Tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was completed.'' Why
does the Torah tell us that the Tabernacle was completed before it says that
the Israelites did as they were commanded?
The answer is that if the order were reversed, it would indicate that because the
Israelites did the work, that is why the Tabernacle was completed. The fact is that
the Tabernacle was actually completed by G-d, after the Israelites did all they were
commanded. The completion of the Tabernacle was indeed the result of their effort, but their effort alone could not have done it. It was because they tried their
utmost that they merited that G-d should complete it.
This is a lesson that we should apply in every walk of life. In virtually everything
we do, there are many factors beyond our control that can affect outcome. We are
responsible only for what we do, not for what ultimately emerges.
This does not hold true in commerce. A person may begin a business with total
disregard for every principle of economy, and if he makes a windfall profit, he is
considered to be an excellent businessman.
On the other hand, if one prepares
carefully for a business venture, attending to every detail properly, and the business
fails, he is thought of as a poor businessman.
People will invest their money
with the one who has the best outcome, not with the one who has the best method.
We are so involved in economics, that we may apply commercial principles to
our personal lives and ethical issues. Parents who tried to raise their children in the
best possible way, but have a child with errant behavior, tend to feel guilty that
they were not good parents. I have seen instances where parents who were self-indulgent
and totally neglected their children had a child who turned out to be a
fine person and a credit to society. The parents who cared and tried are good
parents, even though the child turned out to be a disappointment. The parents
who were negligent were bad parents, even if their child grew up to be a great
person.
Jews pray every day, in the central silent meditation, Amida, that G-d remember for us the merits of the patriarchs,
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Of Abraham G-d said, ''For I have loved him, because
he commands his children and his household after him that they keep the way of
G-d, doing charity and justice'' (Genesis 18:19). G-d loved Abraham for doing his
best to teach his children to walk in G-d's ways, but Abraham's son, Ishmael, did
not follow his father's teachings. Similarly, Isaac had a son, Esau, who was a
scoundrel, but that does not detract from Isaac's great spirituality. Neither Abraham
nor Isaac are held responsible for the unfavorable outcome of their children.
The phraseology describing the construction of the Tabernacle makes this point.
We must do what we can, but we must realize that the final product is really out of
our hands.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes inspiring articles. Sign up for our daily update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment by clicking here. Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. is a psychiatrist and ordained rabbi. He is the
founder of the Gateway Rehabilitation Center in Pittsburgh, a leading center
for addiction treatment. An Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University
of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, he is a prolific author, with some 30 books to
his credit, including, "Twerski on Chumash" (Bible), from which this was excerpted (Sales of this book help fund JWR).
© 2007, Mesorah Publications, Ltd.
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