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Monday, 22 July 2019
Question of the Day: What happened when the foundation for the rebuilding of the Temple was completed? Answer: Ezra 3:11 "With praise and thanksgiving they (the priests or Kohanim) sang to Adonai, For He is good; For His mercy upon Israel endures forever. Then all the people gave a great shout of praise to Adonai because the foundation of the House of Adonai had been laid." But wait, not everyone was shouting praise. There were also those who mourned ... Ezra 3:12 "But many of the kohanim, Levites and patriarchal leaders, older men who had seen the former House, wept loudly at the sight of the founding of this House, while many shouted for joy." Isn't it interesting how everyone could see the same thing but arrive at different conclusions. What is right; shout for joy or mourn in tears? This is not just a decision made long ago. Each of us are faced with similar choices. Do we cheer what we have accomplished or mourn what we have not accomplished (or perhaps what we once accomplished). I'm not here to pass judgement, but I am going to come down on one side of the question. Let's give God the glory for our accomplishments. It is always tempting to mourn what has been lost, but God wants His people to celebrate His goodness. Repent and move on. When I was in Israel recently, we went to the Golan Hieghts and visited a bombed out Syrian military headquarters building. The walls were covered by graffiti, but not the usual mindless or worse, vulgar graffiti you would expect. Spray painted on the wall were these words (I took a picture), "Don't look back, you're not going that way." It's a great message for all of us. Not the formality of Scripture, but God can get His message to us in many and various ways.
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Posted By
Rabbi Michael Weiner,
10:00am
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