Parshat Behaalotcha is fond to my heart...because it is the parshat that I fucked up on.

Parshat Behaalotcha is fond to my heart...because it is the parshat that I fucked up on.

See, there was a writing contest for socially conscious Jewish writers. I had to write a d'var about this section as it related to a global justice issue...and I failed, miserably.

It's hard to write on demand. What's great about PunkTorah is that I can write whatever I want. Even if it has to be about a specific parshat, I still get whatever I want.

And the funny thing is, by failing at this Parshat...I actually ended up proving it's valuable lesson: quit your bitching and be happy with what you have.

See, the Hebrews are wandering around the desert (big shock!) and start to get a little tired of eating mannah. They want all the things they had when they were slaves, which apparently is this weird salad bar of melon and garlic. Yuk.

At any rate, a group of them complain and G_d decides to throw them a bone by making all these doves suddenly appear. The Hebrews get some serious BBQ action on and eat the little bastards to the point that there is still meat between their teeth while they are gulping down dove after dove. It's like a never-ending all-you-can-eat buffet at Golden Corral.

G_d gets angry (as G_d tends to) and strikes these gluttons down, naming their place Kivroth Hata'avah or the Grave of Lust.

G_d was angry because the people did not appreciate what they had. And G_d punished them for their serious lack of thanks for being freed from slavery.

Modern life is all about moving forward: constantly pushing to get the next big thing. To make life better, all the time, through material gain.

When writing my d'var, I got so tied up with "making it perfect" that I forgot why I was writing it in the first place. And ultimately, I ended up missing the deadline. Sad but true--I was driving in my car and realized that I was a day late in submitting my application.

Even now, I am struggling with this constant craving. I am booking a tour for my band, and the shows just keep falling apart. I can't seem to be grateful for the shows that I do have booked!

Hopefully G_d won't send me to my grave...because I have learned to chill out a little and enjoy what I have.

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