Weekly Sidra: Ma’sei (Journeys)
Torah Portion: Bamidbar/ Numbers 33:1-36:13
Haftorah: Yermiyahu / Jeremiah 2:4-28; 4:1-4:2

“I brought you to this country of farm land to enjoy its fruit and its bounty; But you came and defiled My land, You made My possession abhorrent”. (Jer. 2:7)

“ If you will return, O Israel, says the LORD, return unto Me; and if you will put away thy detestable things out of My sight, and will not waver; And will swear: ‘As the LORD lives in truth, in justice, and in righteousness; then shall the nations bless themselves by Him, and in Him shall they glory”. (Jer. 4: 1-2)

The weekly reading is Parashat Masei (Journeys).  As I was reading the Haftarah portion for this week I was struck by the fact that each of can choose which journey we want to take in life.

The first verse states that Hashem brought us to a good land in order to enjoy it, but that we destroyed and defiled the land by following idols and after our own lust and desires.

Life is difficult and there are many temptations along the way.  This past Shabbat singer Amy Winehouse passed away.  She was only 27 years old.  She was plagued by drug and alcohol problems and even though the toxicology reports have not been released, it is possible that they may have had something to do with the way she died.

At first, I was ready to judge her.  I did not feel sorry about her death because she used drugs and alcohol.  If she died then that was her problem.  I have never heard her music, so I was not about to praise her as a great musician or a great person.

However, then I remembered something our Rabbi told us last week during our study of Matot.  When Moses counted all the people for battle the Hebrew says that he counted all the souls.  He then reminded us that Hashem does not look at us as people, but as souls.  We are all created in the image of God and we all have a soul.  In Talmud Megillah 10b and Sanhedrin 39b each cite the following unit, either in the name of Rabbi Yochanan or Rabbi Yonatan:

“And they did not draw near one to the other all that night” –
Said Rabbi Y: The Ministering Angels sought to say the Song:
Said the Holy Blessed One: The works of My hands are drowning in
the sea and you are saying the Song?!

In each context this unit is cited as the capstone to a proof that G-d does not celebrate the deaths of the wicked.  We are not to rejoice in the death of the wicked.  How much more should we refrain from judging a Jewish soul?

The final verses of the Haftarah give us the way to live Godly Torah lives.

• Return to Hashem
• Put away detestable things.
• Do not waiver in doing living this way.
• Live in Truth, Justice and Righteousness
• Then we will be blessed both by Hashem and the nations.

In the end, it is not for me to judge Amy Winehouse and the journey she took.  May the Holy one, Blessed be He, judge us all with mercy and forgiveness.  Amy may not be able to correct her mistakes now.  However, we still have the ability to do so and must use her death as a lesson in growing strong for Hashem.

So, which journey will you take?  One that leads to death and destruction or one that leads to blessings from Hashem?  The choice is up to you!!