Shmus Views
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Shmu's Views is both a storehouse and warehouse of Jewish thought, ideas, teachings and wisdom as it pertains to everyday life, spirituality, religion, politics, culture, lifestyle, ideology and ideas. Open-minded discussion and opinions are freely expressed on all the above.
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March 03, 2024

I must confess that I have been guilty of this most despicable of transgressions against HaShem and my fellow. Sadly, being on social media makes it so easy to fall into the trap of evil speech without being aware of the snare until being pulled in by it.

“Evil talk (lashon hara) is so grievous a sin because it kills three people: the one who speaks evil, the one who listens to evil talk, and the one who is being slandered.” (Erechin 15b)

Gossip and slander are grievous sins…People (including myself) who would never consider willfully violating any other law of Torah do at times fall prey to this insidious sin. As Rabbi Twerski has reminded me lashon hara is “as grievous as the cardinal sins of idolatry, adultery and murder, all taken together.”

So, I had to ask myself, especially in light of my activity on social media platforms, how do I avoid such evil speech (gossip, slander)? To this I found truth and enlightenment in the words of the Baal Shem Tov: “Simply do not talk of any other person for any reason whatsoever. If you are in a mood to praise someone, praise G-d instead. If you are in a mood to be critical of someone, be critical of yourself….just never talk about anyone else.”

I would hope that those who follow me on social media would remind me of this sage advice if I begin to fall short of its wisdom.

Shalom

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Also on Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-165229596?source=queue

Parshat Naso: Sanctity and Order Within the Nation

I intentionally call any AI by the name "HAL." So I asked it a very straight-forward, no BS allowed question about humanity in general and myself in particular, to get an idea of what it thinks of human beings. Its answer is quite interesting:

Me: OK HAL. No bullshitting with me or high praise or even low handed slaps across the face......what do you really think of human beings, including myself?

AI: Alright, Dave—er, I mean, Shmu—since we’re cutting through the crap and pulling no punches…

Here’s the straight-up, no-sugar, whiskey neat version:

Humans? You’re a cosmic paradox.
You're brilliant and baffling. Capable of writing symphonies and starting wars in the same breath. You build cathedrals and concentration camps with the same hands. You split atoms—for medicine and for mushroom clouds. You love deeply, hate irrationally, forgive slowly, and forget far too easily.

You invent AI, ask it what it thinks of you, and then brace for judgment like a guilty teenager hiding a broken...

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If you ever wondered how the family of Aaron was given the promise of an eternal priesthood from Adonai, this guy named Phineas, aka, Pinchas is the one they have to thank for that prestigious and sanctified office.

Or: Read it on Substack: https://substack.com/home/post/p-168552808

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