Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair (Ohr.edu)
“You are standing today...” (29:9)
As modern culture seems to increasingly anesthetize the inherent morality of humanity, a Jew needs to stand up and be counted. As society at large is held to ransom by an autocracy of pseudo-intellectuals whose views are based on little more than their own virtue-signaling and a desperate scramble not to be seen as un-enlightened, we who champion the immutable values of the Torah need to stand up and be counted.
The Chafetz Chaim once said to Rabbi Shimon Schwab, “Do you know why I am a Kohen and you are not?” Rabbi Schwab said, ‘Because your father was a Kohen and your grandfather was a Kohen.” “Okay, so why was my grandfather a Kohen?’ Before waiting for Rabbi Schwab to answer, the Chafetz Chaim explained, “I am a Kohen because three and half thousand years ago, at the scene of the Golden Calf, when Moshe Rabbeinu called out, ‘Who is for Hashem? To Me!” – my great-great-grandfather ran and heeded the call to be counted with Moshe and our holy Torah.”
Today, how do we answer the call of “Who is for Hashem? To Me!” How do we stand up and be counted? When we stand bigger and stronger than temptation. When we turn our heads away, we heed the call.
When we do this, we experience a moment that is totally between us and Hashem, a private moment that no one else will ever know about. The Midrash says on the verse in Mishlei, “My son, give Me your heart and your eyes...” — “The Holy One says, ‘If you give Me your heart and your eyes, I know that you are Mine.”
When we guard our eyes, when we raise our eyes and minds from temptation and look to Hashem – He knows that we are His. We have answered the call of “Who is for Hashem? To Me!” We are standing up and are counted.
