(Continued) A Mehudar Esrog, A Mehudar Pair Of Teffilen: How About A Mehudar Bank Account? By S. Friedman

(Continued) It is NEWS, perhaps even front-page news. The incarcerated individual will not be referred to as “Joe Shmo from Brooklyn,” but rather as “Beryl Shmeryl, the Religious Jew from such and such Orthodox neighborhood.” Whether we like it or not our actions are reflective of the klal’s, and as such we must be extra vigilant to stay away from any questionable actions. As we have seen, the damage is too detrimental to be indifferent to the potential outcomes of our actions, no matter how remote we may think them to be. How many of the people reading this article are makpid on cholov yisroel? Would you buy a “kosher” piece of meat without recognizing the hashgocha? I do not profess to be a competent poisek, therefore I challenge you, the reader, to ask a Rov (and yourselves) about the following scenarios: • Your wife does babysitting at home, or maybe she’s a sheitel macher, how much, and do you have to report? • You just got into an accident (and B”H everyone is okay!), maybe you should call a Rov first before celebrating your “windfall?” • Thanks to the help of your shver, you’re now eligible to get on HUD. Should you think about the other people still on the list who need to be on HUD? • Maybe “everyone does it” isn’t a good enough reason to pay mezumin to save a little money at a store? Etc… Obviously what I am proposing may be extremely difficult for people to do, and at the same time, perhaps not even necessary (that’s why you should ask a Rov). Change is not supposed to be easy, especially when it entails such a drastic change to our lives. However, I think the events that happened last week were significant enough of a wake up call to obligate an equally profound transformation in response. Proper emunah dictates that if halachicly we are required to spend more money than we are used to, Hash-m will “cover the difference,” and perhaps we will even merit seeing additional brocho. Having just sat on the floor reflecting about the painful galus, it should behoove us to look for more ways to bring about the geula shelaima, and not chas v’shalom, prevent it. Click here to comment on front page.