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I assumed a license to observe my father zt"l at all times in order to learn from his behavior. The more I observed, the more I learned, so, I was shocked when he returned from a trip to New York with a stack of Rolling Stone Magazines in his arms. The man, who usually carried a pile of holy books to read on the train, was not someone who spent any time reading the preeminent magazine about the Rock and Roll scene. Clearly, this was not of the things I should emulate.
He had been sitting and studying when a young woman walked over to him saying, "Hey man! I saw your picture in Rolling Stone!" The picture was actually of my Uncle Noach zt"l, accompanying one of the most famous essays of the late and great Ellen Willis, entitled, "Next Year in Jerusalem."
In response to her brother's question, "Do you think you would have gotten more out of being here if you had just come and gotten involved instead of having to think about your article?" Ellen reflects, "Without the protection of my writer's role - my license to observe - I might not have had the courage to come."
I recently read that, "Had the nations of Europe studied the lessons of the Civil War, they could not in 1914-18 have perpetrated the enormous tactical blunders of which that war bears record (J.F.C. Fuller, 'The Decisive Battles of the Western World')." The Europeans were locked into their observation of the Civil War as "two mobs chasing each other about the countryside," and failed to learn any lessons.
This week's portion, Shelach, contains the story of twelve spies sent by Moses to the Land of Canaan with a similar license to observe, and they, as was Ms. Willis, were changed by their experience. However, unlike Ellen, they completed their observations as lesser people than whom they were when beginning their journey.
Ellen Willis used her license to observe to keep her distance. The spies used theirs to self-destruct. I used mine to learn from someone else. The Europeans used their license to observe to limit their understanding.
I think of Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer zt"l, who kept the following verse on his desk,
"Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you (Proverbs 4:25-See Commentary on TheFoundationStone.org)." He explained that whenever he observed ugly behavior in someone facing him across his desk, he would then fix his gaze on himself to examine whether his behavior was any better.
The closing Mitzvah of Shelach, Tzitzit, contains the lesson that the only proper way to use the License to Observe, whether other people, or Observing commandments, is to always turn that power of observation inward, and to measure our growth and development. We carry a symbol of the commandments we observe close to our hearts in order to take an honest look at our own behavior, and determine whether we too will merit, "Next Year in Jerusalem."
Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Simcha L. Weinberg President If you are interested in sponsoring our  winning Newsletter, please email info@thefoundationstone.org Go to our Blog  Follow us on Twitter   Become a Fan  | 
