Isn’t it amazing how some people have a story wherever they go?
Often speakers and pulpit rabbis seem to experience life changing events on every mundane airplane ride.
I think about this a lot.
And following on my recent obsession on the theme of being an “observant Jew” (see past articles for the definition I have been inspired by) it makes sense. Often people who speak are hoping to inspire with their message. Stands to reason that such people are keen observers of their environment and those that intersect with their path. They notice and learn from others and the wisdom they share.
Note to self: pay more attention in those public settings and don’t bury nose in book.
Rabbi Efram Goldberg recently had such an experience.
He shares that on a flight the passenger sitting next to him was growing increasingly agitated by the malfunction of her seat back screen. She got so distraught she was practically punching the screen in an effort to activate it. She caught the attention of a flight attendant and dramatically exclaimed that “nothing is working”.
The flight attendant calmly reframed.
“Nothing is working? We are in a metal box 33,000 feet in the air which will bring us to a new destination in a few hours. The plane is working fine. Isn’t that the main thing?”
Rabbi Goldberg cogitates on those words and brings from them a beautiful life lesson which connects to our Torah portion.
He reminds us that all of us have things that “aren’t working”, and those things may be minor or very significant. But if we focus on the things that are working, like breathing, seeing, hearing, thinking amongst a myriad of “mundane” gifts, we might feel quite differently about our lot in life.
This week’s Torah portion is called Behaalotcha, which means when you go up.
It is the conversation which is being had with Aaron the High Priest who is being given instruction on the lighting of the Menora.
In this portion there are many other topics. One of which is the series of complaints which the people lodge against Moses, decrying their situation. They mourn certain foodstuffs they used to eat in Egypt and gripe about the manna, the Superfood which was door dashed to the front of their tents. It is difficult to imagine these complaints.

Just from reading “The Book” we know that the Israelites were saved from years of misery, subjugation and torture via miracles of epic proportions. How could they complain?
Not only that, they are called “the complainers”,
indicating that they didn’t just complain, they became complainers, those who are defined by their complaints.
Complaints are fine when they are constructive. There are times when they are well placed.
(Although my children quickly learned to stop them when I would announce that the complaint department is now closed)!
The trick is to maintain positivity on the complaint, using it as a springboard for improvement.
But when one becomes a chronic complainer…those people don’t have many friends.
Rabbi Goldberg quotes the MaOr VShemesh, an 18th century Kabbalist, who shares a sobering thought.
The Hebrew term used in our portion for complainers is MitOnenim. This word is similar to the word Onen which means a mourner.
People who always complain have turned themselves into mourners.
They suck the life out of themselves by focusing only on the bad. By looking for the negative each and every time they are people who don’t attract life, their negativity pushes it away.
In Rabbi Goldberg’s words
“They are mourners every day”.
I just got off the phone with someone who is undergoing a challenge in her life. She didn’t hesitate to share the challenge with me. But when our conversation concluded I was smiling.
I realized that although she shared her pain with me, she spent most of the conversation regaling me with the kindnesses that others are doing for her and the incredible community that surrounds her.
She actually created that.
In her sunny attitude in the face of challenge, people are drawn to her. They want to do her kindness because she is so laser focused on the good she is receiving and she celebrates that goodness, broadcasting positivity to all, far and near.
So next time something isn’t working, it’s ok to call customer service and complain.
It needs to be fixed.
As long as the thing that needs to be fixed has not broken us!
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!