Strategic Protection  

"For with strategies you should make war, and victory comes from abundant counsel (Proverbs 24:6)," in calligraphy on parchment, hangs on the wall of my study as a constant reminder that all of life's wars, especially internal battles, must be fought with strategies. Although "Strategy Binders" line ten of my shelves, I haven't found many strategies beyond avoidance to deal with contagious negative emotions. (Many Strategies are posted in i-Grow-Spiritual Tools, and Podcast-Tools)

Anger is contagious. An angry parent or child will often infect an entire family. Negativity is a transmittable disease. One negative person can dampen the spirits of many others. Aggressive speech will spread from on person to another.

A wise friend suggested I wash my hands after a negative meeting to prevent carrying the negativity into the rest of the day, but that simple exercise acknowledges that I've been temporarily poisoned. I've spent the last few weeks developing strategies for protecting ourselves from other people's communicable spiritual diseases, which I hope to soon post after testing. There a few better sources than this week's portion, Korach, which describes an argument that quickly infected the entire nation.

"Separate yourselves from amid this assembly (Numbers 16:21)," and, "Speak to the assembly, saying, 'Get yourselves up from around all the dwelling places of Korach, Datan, and Aviram' (Verse 24)," certainly imply the avoidance strategy: Separate yourselves from such negative influences.

Moses, however, did the opposite! "So Moses stood up and went to Datan and Aviram, and the elders of Israel, followed him (Verse 25)." Rather than instruct the people to separate from the contagious rebels, Moses leads the elders towards the disease, and, it is fair to assume as in other stories (Rashi, Exodus 18:7), that the people followed them. Moses wanted everyone to be directly exposed to the argument. "He spoke to the assembly, saying, 'Turn away now from near the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything of theirs, lest you perish because of all their sins' (Numbers 16:26)."

Moses led the people to Ground Zero of the infection just to instruct them to 'turn away and not touch.' Moses understood that avoidance was not the best protection. The people had to make a conscious decision to reject the negative influences of Korach and friends. God wanted a deliberate action, an active rejection of the argument. Passive avoidance is not powerful enough to fend off the intensely angry, resentful, and jealous arguments of Korach, Datan, and Aviram. We cannot passively protect ourselves from the aggressive germs of negative emotions. The primary strategy of protection is a deliberate rejection of the attacking virus.

We were attacked last week with the kidnapping of Gilad Shaar, Naftali Frenkel, and Eyal Yifrach. The cruelty and hatred can infect us, especially as we are aggressively searching for these three innocent young men. Passive avoidance will not protect us. Deliberate acts of joy and love, generosity and compassion, are the best forms of Strategic Protection.

I pray that such deliberate actions will accrue to the merit of Gilad, Naftali, and Eyal, so that they will soon be back in the loving grasp of their parents.

My son Oriel and his spectacular bride, Shayna, would like to direct the joy of their wedding this coming Sunday to the hearts of these three young men, infecting them with hope and happiness. 

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Simcha L. Weinberg 

President 
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