| Fifty-four verses! That's how many verses in Parshat | | | | A famous Chassidic rabbi had a very learned |
| Ki Tavo dedicated to telling us all the awful things that | | | | grandson, who one night stayed up excessively late |
| will happen to us if we do not follow God's Torah. | | | | studying. So much so that he eventually passed out on |
| There is a widely accepted custom that when this | | | | his desk and slept a solid chunk later than normal. |
| section is read publicly it is read in a very soft tone. | | | | His grandfather walked into the room and found him |
| Also, it seems it's the only time during the entire year | | | | sleeping. His interpretation: My lazy grandson is just |
| where people do not want to be called up for the | | | | sleeping in and wasting away his whole morning. |
| public Torah readings. | | | | He woke his grandson and, thinking he was in the right, |
| Now, I get that people fear rebuke. And I understand | | | | tore him apart for sleeping away the precious day. |
| people don't want to be the focal point of the entire | | | | The grandson simply listened and waited for his |
| room when this fearful rebuke is announced. | | | | grandfather to finish all he had to say. He sat silently. |
| But something about these customs has always | | | | No response, not during the rebuke, nor after. |
| bothered me, and I've dedicated this article to | | | | An onlooker questioned the boy, inquiring why he didn't |
| expressing why. | | | | defend himself when it was obviously all just a big |
| I have always understood that the ability to calmly | | | | misunderstanding. |
| accept rebuke is considered an obviously fundamental, | | | | The answer was simple, and beautiful: "Are you |
| quality character trait. | | | | kidding? How could I possibly miss out on an |
| There is one point in the Torah where Moshe (Moses) | | | | opportunity to be rebuked by a man so great as my |
| Rabbeinu rips into someone, misinterpreting their | | | | grandfather!?" |
| previous statements. Instead of interrupting Moshe to | | | | How fantastic! |
| explain why his rebuke was unreasonable, or | | | | We have a personal obligation to not only learn to |
| screaming at him for his mistreatment, he waited for | | | | accept rebuke, but to learn how to perceive every |
| Moshe to finish, and then calmly explained the error. | | | | moment of the rebuke as placing a powerful, indelible |
| But they had full right to be upset? | | | | mark on one's soul that inherently makes you a |
| Why not interrupt? Why not emote? Why should you | | | | greater person. |
| let someone stomp on you with their erroneous | | | | Why then have we created a system where we |
| criticisms? | | | | show only fear and withdrawal in the face of rebuke |
| The answer to this question is very nicely illustrated by | | | | from the Almighty Himself? |
| a story I once heard: | | | | |