If the devious and biased journalists of CNN, BBC, NYT, AP and all of the other unbalanced news agencies were around in the time of Avrohom, these may have very well been the headlines:
“Abraham Abandons Elderly Father To Seek Fortune and Fame”
“Rabbi Lied About Wife for Self-Protection; Solicits Riches”
“Rabbi Banishes Orphaned Nephew and Sends Him Off on His Own”
“Abraham Declares War on Nimrod and the Great Alliance; Demands Release of Insurgent Sodomite Rebels”
“Rabbi’s Wife Coerces Husband To Marry Princess Turned Maid, Then Banishes Her From Home”
“PETA Files Charges Against Abraham for Needless Slaughter of Three Heifers, Three Goats, Three Rams, Two Birds and Chasing Away Starving Birds”
““Rabbi Offers Son As Human Sacrifice; Wife Dies From Shock”
Everything in life is a matter of perception. This past week, we marked the yahrtzeit of Rav Ovadiah Yosef, zt”l. When he was niftar, klal Yisroel lost an absolute giant who was responsible for an incredible amount of Torah learning and for reviving the Sephardic community.
His life was dedicated to serving God and his love for his people — no matter their background —was unparalleled. His humility gave him the uncanny ability to relate to even the simplest Jews and his charisma was contagious.
The well-over 800,000 Jews of all levels of affiliation that attended his funeral — and thousands more who couldn’t even enter Yerushalayim — are the greatest testimony of his greatness. This was a man who cried about the million Jews who still don’t know “Shema Yisroel” and wanted nothing more than to spread the word of God.
Yet, the foolish secular media portrayed him as a politician with controversial views.
I would venture to think that the average American who hears or reads the headlines about Israel and the ongoing politics regarding Israel and its neighbors, simply wouldn’t believe that they are being presented with outright lies.
These false media representations which are outright lies, affect us as a nation and as a religious community. We would be wise to remember that today’s written word is more often than not unbalanced broadcasting and that “all the news that’s fit to print” is not too “fit” after all.
In the words of my rebbe, Rabbi Berel Wein, “One thing is for sure. God definitely does not read the New York Times.”
Rabbi Dani Staum, LMSW, is a popular speaker and author. He is a rebbe in Heichal HaTorah in Teaneck, NJ, and an experienced therapist, recently returning to seeing clients in private practice, as part of the Rockland CBT group. For appointments, Rabbi Staum can be reached at 914-295-0115. Looking for an inspirational and motivating speaker or scholar-in-residence? Contact Rabbi Staum for a unique speaking experience. Rabbi Staum can be reached at [email protected]. Archives of his writings can be found at www.stamtorah.info .
