Priorities

Rabbi Twerski pointed out that a great deal can be learned from the complaints of the Jews in the desert. They were focused on the monotony of the same food, the Manna, that they ate every day. They remembered the watermelon of Egypt, and they were sick of this לחם הקלוקל, spoiled bread.

This is an indication of how people can allow themselves to get side tracked and obsessed over petty matters. Parents get upset because their children have their toys strewn all over the house. They focus on the mess rather than appreciating that they were blessed with children. Instead of being upset over food that may not be tasty, be grateful that there is food, and family members are not going to bed hungry.

Rav Meir Kahane once told me that the blessing he gave his children every Friday night was, “May you always remember what is important and what is not.”

This was the problem of the Jews in the desert. They were out of focus. They allowed themselves to get upset over foolish, unimportant things, while losing sight of the bigger picture. This is such an important lesson for all of us.