MEET A WELL-KNOWN CELEBRITY

"And whenever the cloud was lifted from upon the Tent,
afterwards the Children of Israel would journey..."  (9:17)

Early in the morning, our household is frequently the scene of a major war.

There are no mortars in the bedrooms.  No sappers are seen defusing booby-trapped dollies.  There are no tanks riding over the bunk beds, but a major war is ensuing never the less.

"Keep your head down!  Don't you know it's dangerous to get up and daven!  You're much better safe here in bed."

The war I'm talking about is with a well-known celebrity. He appears all the time on the media.  He's a master of disguise.   He's an incredibly talented impersonator.  He can appear as almost anyone:  A knight in shining armor; a deeply sympathetic friend; or as a blood-thirsty murderer and a heartless serial killer.  We all know his name.  Give him a big welcome please!  Heeeeeeeere's Mr. Yetzer Hara!

The Chafetz Chaim awoke one morning at his customarily early hour.  He was already advanced in years.  As he was about to summon up the strength to arise, our celebrity Mr. Y. Hara, the evil inclination, whispered in his ear, "Reb Yisrael Meir, you are a holy Jew!  All your life, you have risen with alacrity to praise your Maker.  You're old now, why don't you just take another five minutes in bed?  Five minutes isn't going to kill anyone.  Stay in bed.  It's still early."  Replied the Chafetz Chaim, "If you're up already, it can't be so early."

When the Jewish People camped in the desert, a cloud covered the Tabernacle by day.  At night, it had a fiery appearance.   When the cloud lifted above the tent, it first moved to the camp of Yehuda and hovered there in a beam-like formation.   The trumpets would then sound in the camp.  Moshe would say "Arise, Hashem, and let Your foes be scattered, let those who hate You flee from before You!"  (9:22)  

The Jewish People would then start to journey. Sometimes they stayed a long time at a place they found inhospitable.  Sometimes, having journeyed for weeks, wearily, they would leave after camping for only a couple of days.  Sometimes, they stayed for only one night.  Or, they would march all night, and after twenty four hour's rest they would see the cloud settle on the Tabernacle; assuming that they were staying for a while, they would start to unpack.  Then, without warning, the cloud would suddenly lift and they would have to re-pack everything.  At other times they would be summoned to travel at night, which was even more difficult seeing as flashlights were extremely difficult to come by in the Sinai desert 3000 years ago.

But whatever happened, and whatever demands were made of the Jewish People, they marched and rested without complaint, according to G-d's word.

I don't know about you, but on the day that I take delivery of a new car, I have no problem springing out of bed.  On a regular day, somehow it's much more difficult.

Maybe if we keep in mind that every day when we get up to do what G-d wants, we're going to get something a lot nicer than a new car, it will be much easier to turn off the voice of our frequent guest celebrity - Mr. Y. Hara.

* Source: Ramban Written and compiled by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair