Hollywood or Hosea

Hosea the Prophet teaches us that Hashem’s ways are like roads that are all paved straight – there are no forks in the road, no dangerous curves, and no potholes. The righteous traverse these roads safely and enjoyably. Transgressors suffer collisions, breakdowns, and a host of other calamities.

Today’s superhighways are proof of Hosea’s timeless wisdom; one driver enjoys every moment of the way, while another one is getting stopped for traffic violations or is suffering from road rage. Yet, both might be driving the identical model of car and traveling on the very same road.

The Gemara elaborates on Hosea’s concept with the following example: Two men come to the Holy Temple to take part in the Pascal sacrifice; one has the intent of performing Hashem’s lofty commandment, while the other has the intent of eating lamb chops. The first intended to gratify Hashem and the second intended to gratify himself. Rebbe Shimon ben Lakesh develops the idea even further; he says that since the first individual has the intent to serve Hashem, Hashem will guard him from sin. In other words, Hashem will help the righteous individual traverse safely down the road. Yet, since the second person cares only about himself, he forfeits Hashem’s protection; he goes down the same road, and cracks up.

Hashem is an equal opportunity God. He gave both the capability of performing the Pascal sacrifice. Both slaughtered lambs, yet one’s head was in the Holy of Holies while the other’s head was lamb chops and mint jelly.

Hashem gave us a Torah with 613 commandments. He gave us bodies with 613 components. Rebbe Elazar Azkari explains in his classic “Book of the Pious” (Sefer Haredim) that each mitzvah corresponds to each part of the body.

Most of us have, thank G-d, complete bodies. The Kabbalists teach us that if a person lacks a certain appendage, then it’s a sign that he has no soul correction to do with that appendage; whatever mitzvot corresponding to a person’s missing body parts don’t need correction. For example, if a person was born without arms, then putting on tefillin is not part of his soul correction. Or, if a person was born with Celiac disease and can’t eat gluten or any bead products, then eating bread and matza are not necessary for his soul correction. In the area of those mitzvot, Hashem has removed that person’s free will.

As long as we have the healthy appendage, we have free will. But don’t forget – the pious have a smooth drive down the road, while the wise guys are constantly running into trouble.

Hashem gave us two exquisitely beautiful mitzvot – one is the mitzvah to be fruitful and multiply, and the second is to bring conjugal gratification to our wives. Hashem gave us our male reproductive apparatus for these two express purposes. These two mitzvot are Hashem’s duel-lane expressway. If our intent is to use the equipment He gave us in the manner He intended, then we immediately fall into the category of Hosea’s pious guys that make it down the road to their destination with no accidents, no traffic tickets, no mechanical breakdowns, no flat tires, no empty gas tanks and no frayed nerves.

Then there are the wise guys. They think that their bodies are an amusement park, made for fun. The media, Hollywood, and the advertising world reinforce the wise guy’s attitude. Yet, the media, Hollywood, and the advertising world don’t take responsibility when the wise guy suffers from depression, feels anxiety, has no marital bliss, or is currently losing $400K or more in a nasty divorce. They also don’t take responsibility when the wise guys teenage kids are all over the place – physically and emotionally – because they follow in Dad’s footsteps.

Kabbalah teaches us that a man is like the sun and a woman is like the moon. He must shine light on her. Just look at our procreative mechanism – the man gives and the woman receives. There’s no way around it. Even more – a woman’s egg only has X chromosomes. A man’s seed has both X and Y chromosomes; if at conception, the man “throws” a Y chromosome, the child will be a male. If he throws and X chromosome, the child will be a female. So, even in genetics, the man is the giver; this is the blueprint of creation.

If a man expects to “get” something from a woman, spiritually, he’s no he-man; indeed, the minute he desires to receive instead of give, he becomes a female. Now you can understand why such men have no marital peace. If he wants to “get”, then spiritually, he’s a woman; two women can’t get along in the same kitchen…

Modern society’s entire concept of sexual relations the exact opposite of the Torah’s winning formula. The way to get the most out of your machine is to use the Manufacturer’s standard equipment in the manner that the Manufacturer intended. It’s that simple. You’ve just learned the entire theory of shmirat Habrit and personal holiness in a nutshell.

Life is a race, but it doesn’t have to be a rat race. In life’s race, we have the choice between two spiritual horses – ones name is Hollywood and the other’s name is Hosea. I’ll pick Hosea any day of the week; dearest brother, place your bets on him too, and we’ll both make it to the finish line with a big smile on our faces.