On Camera

June 7, 2013

“Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox
have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I
oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have
done any of these things, I will make it right.”—1 Samuel 12:3

The Torah portion for this week is Korach, from Numbers 16:1–18:32, and the Haftorah from 1 Samuel 11:14–12:22.

“Smile! You’re on Candid Camera!” Remember that show? It involved hidden cameras
filming ordinary people being confronted with unusual situations and capturing their
reactions. Once the practical joke was completed, the victim would be let in on the secret
when a participant would yell, “Smile! You’re on Candid Camera!” Though entertaining, this
show left many victims feeling cheated. Had they known they were being filmed, they would
have acted very differently!

We read about the anointing of Saul as Israel’s first king and what seems like the end of
Samuel the prophet. Certainly, Samuel felt that his end was near. This prompted him to ask
the people if he had ever done anything wrong as their leader: “… Whom have I cheated?
Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe … If I have done any
of these things, I will make it right.” Samuel wanted to right any wrongs. He wanted to pass
in peace and with a clear conscience.

The people responded that Samuel had never done anything wrong to them. He was a
leader par excellence – he took no bribes or had any personal gain because of his position.
He was a servant of the people through and through.

In spite of Korah’s allegations against Moses, Moses demonstrated that he always had the
people’s interest at heart. He never took a single thing that didn’t belong to him, and he was
not motivated by personal gain. He, too, had a clear conscience.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have the same kind of peace of mind that Moses and Samuel had?
They knew that when their time came, they would be judged, and they made it their
business to keep themselves free of sin. The Sages teach, “Reflect on three things and you
will never come to sin: Know what is above you – a seeing eye, a hearing ear, and all your
deeds are recorded in a book.” If we want to keep ourselves free of sin, it helps to realize
that everything we say and do is being recorded.

Smile! Because you are on camera! God is watching and paying attention. While this can be
intimidating, it can also be empowering. It keeps us in check, on the right path, and can
protect us from making grave mistakes.
Try this exercise: For one day, imagine that your life is being broadcast on national
television. What difference would that make in what you say, what you do, and how you
conduct your day-to-day activities?