justice system would set standard sentences, depending onthe perceived motive of the crime and the level of recklessness displayed by the killer. That seems verylogical. Is the Torah system fair? Is it fair to punish killersequally no matter what their motives were?Actually, the Torah system is the fairest system of all, saysthe Meshech Chochmah, because it is literally Divine. Inthe Torah's system, a person will remain in the ir miklat forthe precise amount of time that it takes for him to atone forhis actions. HaKadosh Baruch Hu evaluates the motives of each killer sent to the arei miklat, and determines the termof the Kohen Gadol based on how long each killer issupposed to remain there.For instance, Reuven ina dvertently kills someone, andbased on the level of his negligence and other extenuatingconditions, he should be in the ir miklat for 20 years. Now,if ten years before the killing, two candidates were beingconsidered for Kohen Gadol, one of whom is destined tolive another 15 years and one of whom is destined to livefor 30, Hashem will arrange for the Kohen destined to livefor 30 years to be anointed, to ensure that Reuven servesout his sentence.If Shimon also killed someone, but based on his motivesand actions he should only have to take refuge for 10 days,Hashem will make sure that the Kohen Gadol serving inShimon's days is one who is meant to die ten days afterShimon walks into the ir miklat.This is why the pasuk states, "asher mashach oso," says theMeshech Chochmah. Since Hashem chooses the KohenGadol based on the terms of penance needed by the variouskillers in the arei miklat, it is as if the killers anoint theKohen Gadol of their generat ion!Considering the number of people in the arei miklat at anygiven time, the combinations and permutations necessary todetermine who should be the Kohen Gadol are obviouslybeyond the scope of human calculation. Hashem, however,is a Keil emunah ve'ein avel — a God of faith withoutiniquity (Devarim 32:4). Hashem will not allow a personwho is only supposed to serve a ten-day sentence to remainin the ir miklat for eleven days, and he will not allow aperson who requires 20 years of penance to leave one dayearlier.This insight leads us to a startling conclusion.We view the world through human logic, and explaineverything we see based on our understanding of thecircumstances.
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If we heard that an 83-year-old Kohen Gadol died, we wouldunderstand his death. No one lives forever, right? Human logicdictates that old people die.If a 40-year-old Kohen Gadol dies suddenly, however, wewould wonder why he died. And if we heard that he had aheart attack, we might think, "Was there any family history of heart disease? Did he smoke?"The Meshech Chochmah teaches us something amazing. Whatwe view as causation is not the actual causation. The KohenGadol's death is not based on old age, heart disease, or anyother illness. The Kohen Gadol's death is determined by theneed of the killers in the arei miklat to go free.The same concept applies to all other events in life. What weconsider to be the reasons for our health, wealth, success, orlack thereof, are usually not the real reasons. Causation is veryconfusing. Only Hashem, the God of faith without iniquity,knows the true reasons for the events in our lives.
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Dale Polakoff, RabbiShalom Axelrod, Assistant RabbiDr. Ephraim Wolf ,z”l, Rabbi EmeritusZeev Kron, CantorEleazer Schulman, z”l, Cantor EmeritusMark Twersky, Executive DirectorHoward Silberstein, PresidentHarold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board
GREEN TIP OF THE WEEK
* Pull the shades - Closing your blinds on your house can make aworld of difference during the day. Furthermore, having insulatedwindows and blinds helps keep the cold air out in the winter, but italso helps keep out the heat in the summer.* Air it out - Open those windows at night when it cools down out-side. It will help vent the air that has been in the house all day. Acool evening breeze will help you cool things down without the AC.However, if it is too humid out, it is recommended that you use theAC.Too much humidity can cause mold to grow inside your house.* Seal it up - Have your windows and doors properly sealed to cutdown on air leakage. It's also a good idea to insulate the duct work inyour home. If it's in the attic, heavily insulate it. If possible, run ductwork through cooler parts of the house, such as the basement.* Fan it out - Turn on the ceiling fans or a free-standing fan. Fans aregreat for moving the air and can generally make a house feel coolerby producing a breeze.* Lighten it up - Switch out those standard incandescent bulbs forcompact florescent bulbs (CFL). Not only will this save you energy,but CFL's burn cooler, helping you keep the temperature in the housedown. Another great way to reduce heat in the house is to turn off your computers.* Add some shade - Another great way to cut down on the heat is toadd some shade. Plant some trees on the side of your house thatreceives the most sun. It may take some time, but when these treesgrow up, theywill provide shade for your house during the summertime, which willcut down on energy costs.* Go digital - If you can, put in a digital thermostat. It's abetter way to manage your household temperature. You can set thehouse for a higher temperature when you are not home and a lowertemperature when you arrive home from work. Don't set your ther-mostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your airconditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result inexcessive cooling and unnecessary expense.
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