Hi gals & guys. I have been trying to post for awhile. Trouble with getting the go-ahead from Simon (TH can get multiple names I cant seem to get one. Life is strange sometimes) Anyways I found this jewel while searching for information about the Passover on www.torah.com
"Any widow or orphan, you shall not afflict. For if you indeed afflict him [or her], only to Me will he surely cry, and I will surely hear his cry." [22:21-22]
In the original language of the Torah, the second of these verses contains three verbs, each of which is emphasized via a "doubled expression." "Aneh S'aneh" -- indeed you afflict; "Tza'ok Yitzak" -- he will surely cry; and "Shamo'a Eshma" -- I will surely hear. These "doubled expressions" are rare, and we do not find another verse in the Torah where there are several verbs, every one of which is emphasized in this way.
What is the lesson of these "doubled expressions?" What is the Torah trying to teach us?
Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk, the Kotzker Rebbe, says that the Torah's message is that the pain of a widow or orphan is not the same as the pain of another person. If "Reuven" does something bad to the average person, be it physical damage or monetary loss, "Shimon" feels only the pain of the thing that Reuven did. Whether Shimon feels physical pain, embarrassment, or financial loss, that is all he suffers.
This is not true, however, in the case of a widow or orphan. It is completely natural for such a person to respond to an injury or financial loss by remembering and feeling again the painful loss of spouse or parent. The orphan's heart cries inside him, and says: "if my father were alive, 'Reuven' would not have dared to hurt me like that." A widow says the same of her husband.
This is why the Torah uses the doubled expression of "Aneh S'aneh" -- if indeed you afflict -- for the affliction itself is doubled. Thus the cry of the orphan is doubled -- "Tza'ok Yitzak." And because of this, HaShem warns: "Shamo'a Eshma" -- I will surely hear; I will listen "twice."
The Torah is not speaking to the sort of creature who would, Heaven forbid, deliberately take advantage of a widow or orphan. The Torah was not written for evil people. It is speaking to ordinary, good people, who might not think about the special circumstances of others.
The Torah is warning us that we need to take the situations of others into account. We must empathize with others, and keep their circumstances in mind. If a person is poor, it is that much more important that we pay him promptly. If a person is an orphan, it is that much more important to avoid slighting him, even accidentally. If a person is emotionally fragile, it is that much more important to avoid anything which might bring him or her to tears.
And when we do look out for the circumstances of others, and we take special care to address their needs -- our Sages teach that the positive effect of good is always greater than the negative effect of evil. Imagine, then, the good which we can do!
Good Shabbos,
Rabbi Yaakov Menken
I just thought that this went along with the sentiment expressed by Joe Anderson in his letter of resignation. His whole letter was great but this one thought just stuck in my mind.
Of course, you well know this scripture (James 1:27) where James said, "The form of worship that is clean and undefiled from the standpoint of our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself with out spot from the world." Generally, we emphasized the end of this scripture and rarely analyzed the situation orphans and widows found themselves in when the husband and father died. Primarily they were without a protector, which made them extremely vulnerable. Although the situation has changed somewhat today, there still are many areas where orphans and widows need help and elders should give special care to their needs. And especially is this so with regard to those who are sexually abused. Who are their protectors, if not those who can be likened to spiritual fathersthe elders. God puts them under our care and yours too. Whatever it takes, we should go the extra mile to help abused ones. However, it appears that our organization will sacrifice a child to keep the person who denies an allegation of molestation.
I find that since leaving the borg that I am more conscious of others circumstances and how my actions or inactions may affect them. Two weeks ago I backed up on the Interstate Highway to help an elderly couple who were having difficulties. A year ago I would have passed them up and went on my way. I am quiet and reserved to the extreme. A year ago I would never had written a letter to the editor of a major magazine about anything. But I did that in July in defense of the thousands of children harmed by Watchtower policies. I, the quiet one in the back of the KH, stood up to the body of elders and refused to back down when they called me on the carpet for that offence.
It has been magnificent to see so many willing to step up and be a protector of the "widows and orphans" I became aware of the problem thru Dateline. It must have been hard for the ones who first began this fight. Being a small minority standing up to the Watchtower Publishing Corp. (tm). I have the utmost respect for all who have put their hearts into the cause. It has been thrilling to "Lurk" here and see such greatness.
Loris