Snobs

I once spoke to a group of people on the subject of hatred, back stabbing and all of those other subjects which occupy the minds of the snobs I was speaking to. As the speech was very well prepared and I was speaking out of concern for the groups future, it must have been quite difficult to ignore me, especially for those who sat in the first row. One especially wealthy man was having such a hard time accepting the fact that his snob like behavior was in fact against the Torah that he was literally rolled up like a stone trying not to listen.

Our Haftara discusses these kinds of People. It is from the First Chapter of Yishayahu:

The Skies should listen and the land should pay attention because G-d is speaking, I have raised children and made them great and they have rebelled against me. An ox knows his owner and a donkey his owner’s pen, Israel does not know, my people do not consider.

Donkey’s are not noted for their enthusiasm to assist those who take care of them. According to Yishayahu’s rebuke to the snob’s and leader’s of the day they were harder to speak to then a rock. They were even more thankless than a rebellious donkey.

According to the Torah Economic and National security are a function of the righteousness of a society. When we ignore G-d and then decide that it is OK to perform all forms of oppression security will heavily suffer. So most of the Haftara discusses the certain destruction of that society.

The Prophet later says:

Listen to the words of G-d you rulers of Sedom, pay attention to the teaching of the Lord you people of Amorah…

Yishayahu was daring enough to call the Politicians of his day “Leaders of Sedom.” According to the traditions which the prophet refers to Sedom and Amorah were Sin City. All of the sins favored by leaders in Banana Republics were popular in Sedom and then some. (Refer to http://www.milknhoney.co.il/torah/vayera2.html and http://www.milknhoney.co.il/torah/sedome.html

) Today, those who seriously open their mouths to discuss the relationship between slimy politicians and the “Democratic Way” which breeds them are labeled as fascists or communists (or whichever is popular at the time) and sometimes are even Jailed. If the speaker happens to be an Orthodox Jew he is also called primitive.

Yishayahu had the strength to examine society and try to fix it before it crumbled. The people who act like stones do not understand his criticism.