I live in Lakewood, NJ where the local Oak Street Elementary School and Lakewood Middle School suit my taste. As I drove past the last boundary of Lakewood near Howell Township's Walmart on Highway #9,
I knew that I was running late for my appointment 45 minutes away I tried to speed up. Wouldn't you know it, as I neared the intersection, the light turned yellow! Fearful of the hour and undaunted, I hurried through passing the light just as it turned red, oblivious to any possible risk or liability. Glancing nervously at the traffic light, I noticed the worst... a camera atop the pole filming my 'crime' - an undeniable testimony to the breakage of the law!
If only I would have known, I thought to myself. I certainly would have been careful not to drive through the red light. If only I would have known about the 'eye' that sees (and records). I could have escaped paying for my actions later with the fine and summons to the Howell Municipal Court as well as an increase in my NJ auto insurance premium that was only compounded by a recent Lakewood auto collision at the corner of Forest Avenue and Seventh Street that I had caused.
There is a story told about the saintly Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan whose home was located in the town of Radin, Poland prior to World War II. In those days, many did not have access to modern-day vehicles. The backroads where Radin was located seldom saw a classic car, motorcycle, RV, ATV, van or truck and many traveled via a horse-drawn wagon. On one occasion when Rabbi Kagen was traveling together with his wagon driver an incident occurred.
As the travelers made their way, the driver suddenly stopped by a piece of property - a business owned apple orchard. Turning to the saint, he said, "I'm just going to get some of these delicious apples. You'll act as my coverage and be my guard. If you see anyone watching, warn me!"
As soon as the wagon driver got close to the nearest tree, ready to steal some of the fruit, the rabbi yelled, "Someone is watching!"
Fleeing as fast as his legs would carry him, the wagon driver jumped into the wagon minus any apples and whipped his horses to hurry them on. As he made his grand escape, the wagon driver looked this way and that. He saw no one!
"Wh-why did you tell me someone was watching?" he asked incredulously. "There's no one here but you and I!"
"Someone is watching!" answered the Rabbi Kagan. "The Almighty One in Heaven is always watching everything we do!"
The story underscores the concept brought down by one of the most venerable books of Jewish life and moral codes, Ethics of the Fathers. "An eye sees and an ear hears and all your deeds are transcribed within a book." At the end of the day, say the sages, we are accountable for what we do and what we say for there is a record of every action and a quote for every word - nothing goes unnoticed.
What was true in Radin, Poland is true in Lakewood, in Howell or any in other township of NJ. Always behave as if someone is watching. In actuality, the Almighty always is.
At PRIME Insurance, we're passionate about the insurance and service we provide. Experts in the field with many awards to show for it, PRIME is the source for tailored coverage at the most competitive quotes. But there's more as well. We impart the knowledge you need to understand what risks and liabilities you face, the type of protection you require and what type of policy you should get. And that's something not too many agencies do.
0 comments:
Post a Comment