Parshat Beha’alotcha: ChatGPT and Me

I recently read a rabbi’s essay which had some lengthy historical parts. I wondered whether the author wrote it all himself or maybe cut and pasted from elsewhere or used ChatGPT for help. I have never used ChatGPT. But I keep hearing about it and figured I would give it a whirl. 

I was having a bit of a mental block writing something new, and a past essay that I liked I had used just a couple years ago and I prefer to give it at least three years before I send reruns. So I asked ChatGPT to write something on this week’s parsha in the style of Rabbi Nightingale. 

Here is part of what I received. The ChatGPT parts are in italics, the real me is not. It started off with this intro (I guess I have to inform it of my Hebrew name): 

Absolutely! To tailor this well, I’ll base the essay on this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Beha’alotcha (בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ), and write it in the style of Rabbi Harvey Nightingale — warm, insightful, a touch of modern relevance, and often weaving in personal or communal reflections, sometimes humorous, always uplifting.

Gee, thanks. Not sure about the communal reflections bit but happy to hear that I am always uplifting, among other accolades. At any rate, it gave me a few different insights, some of which were quite nice but not necessarily written in my style per se. Here is a sample of what it came up with. I have expounded it in my own words (Italics is ChatGPT – except for the song lyrics – the rest is me): 

Parshat Beha’alotcha: When the Light Flickers

There’s something subtle but powerful in the way Parshat Beha’alotcha begins. God tells Moshe to instruct Aaron: “When you kindle the lamps…” — Beha’alotcha et ha-neirot. Rashi famously points out that the word used here doesn’t mean “light” in the conventional sense. It means to raise up. Not just to flick a match, but to elevate the flame until it rises on its own.

It’s poetic. It’s practical. And it’s profoundly human. (Nice alliteration, keep going…)

Aaron, the quintessential peacemaker, the loving High Priest, is given a task that isn’t just about technical Temple maintenance. He is being asked to model leadership — not control, not command, but uplift. Help the flame rise on its own.

And maybe that’s the hardest kind of leadership: parenting, mentoring, guiding — when we stop micromanaging and start trusting. Our job isn’t to create dependence. It’s to help someone shine until they can sustain their own light.

Hmm. Nice idea. I like and totally agree. And yes, I have made this point on many occasions, especially when it comes to raising children and not being the proverbial Helicopter Parent. As I have said in the past: 

Being a helicopter parent, or not, starts very early on. I recall once going to one of these, “See-how-amazing-your-child-is-doing-in-our-school!” afternoons that consisted of some play or holiday program when she was in kindergarten. You know the type, just when you think it’s over, they spring the, “And now you will participate with your child and together you will make a creative art project!” Ungh. 

In this case it was a stick horse we were supposed to make from the wooden pole, construction paper, stuffing and glue that was provided. As the project commenced, I looked around the room and suddenly discovered that I was the only parent who was not making it for their kid. Every other parent was basically doing the whole thing while their kid stood off to the side and, at most, handed them the materials. Not me, I made Tzippy (or was it Atara?) do all the work. The only thing I did was staple the bits together because it was impossible for a five year-old to do that part. Hers may not have looked as professional as the others, but at least she could take pride in the fact that she made it. 

This is the challenge for any parent. Striking the proper balance between being there for them but at the same time respecting their independence. And part of that independence is their need to make mistakes, which sometimes means they will get hurt in the process. And as they get hurt, so do we. 

This is the how Karen and I raised our kids. We provided them with food and shelter and other basic needs of course. And we tried to teach them good values that we learned from our parents and from the Torah. We tried to set a good example by being good role models. But we didn’t micro-manage our kids and never accompanied them to settle into their new surroundings when they left home. Basically we trust them to make good decisions based on the principles and values we taught them and continue to teach them. They take it from there. 

And maybe that’s the hardest kind of … parenting – Sorry ChatGPT Rabbi Nightingale, but real Rabbi Nightingale disagrees with this line. It’s actually easier to be this kind of parent. Both in the short-term and certainly in the long term. 

But yes – Our job isn’t to create dependence. It’s to help someone shine until they can sustain their own light.

I could not have said it any better. 

They took the credit for your second symphony
Rewritten by machine on new technology
And now I understand the problems you can see

Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
In my mind and in my car
We can’t rewind, we’ve gone too far
-The Buggles