There are times when we simply have to stand up for what we know is right, even if it’s hard. Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron, the High Priest, was a peace-loving man. But he saw that Jewish people were making a big mistake that was costing them their lives. The Midianites had convinced some Jews to go against the Torah, and the people were acting very wrongly, yet nobody was standing up to stop them. Pinchas decided that he couldn’t just look the other way. He acted bravely and decisively, and stood up for what was right. Because of him, many lives were saved. We learn from this week’s Torah portion, that there are times that a person has to take action for what is right when others feel powerless to do so.

In our story, a girl stands up for what’s right.

Taking a Stand

It started out like any other day. Rene and her friend Laurel were walking home from school, making plans for the afternoon, when the girls noticed something strange.

Down the block was a group of kids who were yelling and laughing, like they were having some kind of wild party.

“What’s going on over there?” Rene asked her friend, concerned.

“I don’t know,” answered Laurel, “but I suggest we keep out of it. It sure doesn’t look like our kind of scene.”

As they got closer, the girls saw a group of boys surrounding a smaller boy in the middle, who looked very confused and upset. The other boys were all calling him names, pushing him down and threatening to beat him up.

Rene was shocked. “Who’s that boy? Why are they doing that to him?” she asked one of the kids on the outside of the group.

“Oh, he’s just Freddy, the weird kid on the block,” laughed the boy. “The guys are having a little fun. It’s no big deal.”

Meanwhile, Freddy had started to cry, which only made the boys tease him harder.

“How can this go on?!” said Rene to her friend, starting to get angry. “Everyone’s just standing around and watching and nobody’s doing anything to help that poor boy out!”

“I know what you mean. It’s really not right, but we certainly can’t do anything about it,” answered Laurel, hesitantly.

But Rene just couldn’t hold herself back any longer. “If no one else will do something to stop this, I will.”

Without a word, she pushed herself into the middle of the circle.

Suddenly everyone was quiet, shocked at seeing a girl standing there from out of nowhere. Rene felt scared, but she knew what she had to do. She looked right at Chuck, the biggest boy of the group. She was friends with one of his sisters, and hoped he would listen to her. “How can nice guys like you act this way?!” she shouted, trying not to show how scared she felt. “This boy didn’t hurt anyone, and you’re all treating him like this. Shame on you!”

There was tense silence. Everyone turned and looked at Chuck, to take their cue from him. His head was down, and his face had turned red. Finally he spoke. “I guess she’s right,” he muttered softly. “Leave the kid alone.”

Freddy, the boy in the middle, picked himself up, brushed himself off, and ran away, flashing Rene a big smile of gratitude as he passed her. Rene breathed a sigh of relief. She felt great. The group slowly broke up and Rene and her friend went on their way.

“Wow, are you brave!” said Laurel admiringly.

“I’m not brave,” answered Rene. “I was probably more scared than you, but I just felt like I didn’t have a choice. When it comes to doing the right thing, you have to be brave whether you really are or not.”

Nesanel Yoel Safran is a writer, chef, and a teacher/student of Jewish spirituality. He blends these assorted vocations on his blog, Soul Foodie, where you can join him on mystical cooking adventures and glean practical wisdom for the kitchen – and for living. https://soulfoodiecom.wordpress.com/