Why Do We Feel Embarrassed? 5 Points to Consider

The Knee "Escapes"

Adults have about 206 bones in their bodies. I wondered, what holds them together? Is there a special glue that keeps them side by side? For example, what connects the knee joint - the joint between the thigh bone and the shin bone?

Notice the miracle: in our knee, two bones stand one on top of the other. Yet the bones do not "escape" left and right. They don't move. How is it that the shin does not "escape" forward relative to the thigh? And when we jump - how do these bones not move left or right?

Meet the "cruciate ligament" - a ligament connecting the bones (thigh and shin) inside the knee joint. This ligament maintains knee stability and the balance of the entire body. The name originates from the intersection of the "anterior cruciate ligament" with the "posterior cruciate ligament," creating the letter "X".

Four main ligaments stabilize the knee joint: two cruciate ligaments in the center of the knee (anterior and posterior) and two external ligaments. The role of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is to prevent the shin from moving forward. The role of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is to prevent the shin from moving backward. The lateral ligaments prevent the shin from moving inward and outward.

When the anterior cruciate ligament is damaged, we might feel as if the knee is "escaping," which can be accompanied by pain, swelling, and instability. Without an anterior cruciate ligament, the knee is not stable in weight-bearing, changing direction, descending stairs, and more.

The cruciate ligament is one of the important stabilizers of the knee joint, but who created such a flexible ligament tissue? Who connected and wrapped them between the bones precisely, allowing for coordinated and smooth movement of the shin bone against the thigh bone, even during sharp direction changes, like when making a sudden stop, landing from a jump, and so on?

And we haven't even mentioned the miracle present in other joints (connecting bones), such as the shoulder joint, ankle joint, and more...

What Good is it that We Feel Embarrassed?

Some people do not understand why the Creator of the World instilled in humans the feeling of embarrassment. Why should the crown of creation feel embarrassed? Isn't it an unpleasant sensation? Could it be that the Creator of the World wants us to be embarrassed?

Let's consider what would happen if the Creator of the World did not embed in us the trait of embarrassment.

Without embarrassment from other humans, we would not keep promises, fulfill requests of us, do acts of kindness, or refrain from committing offenses and crimes. Without embarrassment, most people would not even respect their parents, let alone other people. We would not return deposits or loans, for anyone who does such disgraceful acts does so only after shedding the mask of embarrassment. So, the importance of embarrassment is great, and the benefit and help it brings to the world is immense.

One should also greatly wonder, why did the Creator of the World give humans the nature to be embarrassed by other humans (due to the benefits mentioned it has from embarrassment), and not give it the nature to be embarrassed by...its Creator, who always watches?! I think it would ease and greatly assist us in serving Hashem.

However, the Creator, in His wonderful wisdom, wanted that a person should not serve Him under the pressure of embarrassment, thereby diminishing the obligation to pay him a reward for his service - since he is not serving the Creator of the World out of his own free will. The desired state is to reach the level of embarrassment from the Creator specifically through contemplating His exaltation and greatness, and by knowing that the Creator of the World watches our revealed and hidden actions...

The immense embarrassment from one's state and awareness of one's lowly place compared to the greatness of the Creator (fear of exaltation) can serve as a huge and sublime ladder in serving Hashem, which is the essence of repentance, where a person does not refrain from sin out of fear of punishment but refrains from transgressing the Creator's will because he recognizes His greatness and admires Him...

"Grease Remover"

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located on the lower right side of the liver. Its main function is to store bile fluid secreted by the liver and to secrete it into the small intestine when the breakdown of fatty foods is needed to aid digestion.

After a meal, the body secretes a hormone called cholecystokinin (cholecystokinin), whose function is to contract the gallbladder - which causes the bile juices to be secreted into the intestines and participate in digesting the food, breaking it down, and absorbing the fatty food.

The most common reason for gallbladder removal is stones formed in the gallbladder. Gallstones are solid clumps of material that form in the gallbladder, when the substances that make up bile, primarily cholesterol, settle and solidify. The size of these stones in the gallbladder is not fixed (ranging from fine sand to large stones).

Amazingly, the removal of the gallbladder from the body does not affect the digestion process. The human body is a wonderful machine that can beautifully manage even without a gallbladder, as long as the liver functions properly, it will continue to secrete bile fluid directly from the liver to the intestines (digestive system) without interruption.

Who is the "chemist" who brilliantly produced that greenish fluid, called "bile,"that helps to break down and absorb fats? Who is responsible for producing the hormone that "announces" around meals the entry of food, causing the gallbladder to contract, leading to bile entering the intestines and participating in the digestion and absorption of food?

(Photo: shutterstock)

The Righteous and It Seems Bad... Is It Possible?

At times, from a human perspective, it seems, apparently, that there is no justice in the world. The common complaint is, why strive to fulfill commandments, when we clearly see how people who fear heaven fulfill commandments yet suffer in their lives? Where is the justice? Our Rabbi Bachaye, in his book "Duties of the Heart" (Gate of Trust), provides several explanations for this troubling question, which may at least somewhat ease understanding the matter:

1.The righteous is punished for a transgression committed in the past: One reason why the righteous person suffers (such as financial hardship), may be due to a transgression done in the past (such as slight gossip, prayer without intention, forgot a final blessing, guarding one's eyes) for which he is punished. For "there is no righteous person on earth who does good and does not sin" (Ecclesiastes 7:20).

2.To increase the reward of the righteous in the next world: The Creator of the World afflicts the righteous in this world to increase their reward in the next world.

3.So that people learn from the righteous to serve Hashem: Sometimes the Creator afflicts the righteous to show others that he serves the Creator with joy even when he suffers from poverty and afflictions. Thus, people will learn from him that it is possible and necessary to serve Hashem because he believes in the Creator and trusts Him even when he is in pain and suffering.

4.To highlight the righteousness of the righteous, so that the wicked will know in the future why Hashem gives him a reward and them punishment: The Creator of the World tries the righteous with poverty, lack, and illness because of the wickedness of his generation, to show his piousness, that he serves the Creator even when he is oppressed with suffering, and to highlight the difference between him and them. Thus, the wicked will justify the Creator's judgment in the end of days when they see the righteous receive a reward and they receive punishment, and they will have no mouth to say "but they lived in our generation and were like one of us, so why do they deserve a reward and us punishment?"

5.To punish the righteous for not being zealous for Hashem to rebuke sinners: Because the righteous person does not rebuke his generation for their sins (of course, in a place where there is a chance they will listen to his words of reproof). Each one of Israel has a responsibility towards his fellow, it is not possible to say "as long as I am not sinning, it is not my business if others will sin, it is their affair with the Creator and their judgment with the Creator..."

Friends, the greatness of a person is when he understands that he does not understand the guidance of Hashem. Therefore, we receive a reward because even though it seems apparently unjust, we believe that Hashem leads the world with personal providence and for our benefit, and we have no way of knowing why this happens...

The Wicked and It Seems Good... Is It Possible?

There is a common claim, why strive to fulfill commandments when we clearly see many sinners living in peace and living well and pleasantly? It seems as if, God forbid, there is no justice or judge... How can this be? Our Rabbi Bachaye also provides several explanations for this troubling question, which may at least somewhat ease understanding the matter:

1.To reward the wicked for a commandment done in the past: Sometimes, the good that the Creator does for the wicked is because the wicked person did a commandment in the past (such as circumcision, honoring parents, gave charity), and the Creator rewards him for the commandment in this world.

2. So that the good will be inherited by his son, who will be righteous: Sometimes the Creator gives the wicked person good, such as a lot of money, as a deposit, because the Creator will grant him a righteous son who will be worthy of this good. Meaning, the money is with the wicked person as a deposit until his righteous son arrives and inherits it all.

3. So that the good will cause his death and his downfall: The good that the Creator gives the wicked is the main reason for his death and downfall. Sometimes, wealth can harm its owner. For example, the wicked may have more money, but it could be a curse, as he may be addicted to money, making it the main value in his life while neglecting family values, children's education, etc.

4. Because the wicked is expected to repent, and will be worthy of this good: Sometimes the Creator gives the wicked good and is patient, refraining from anger, and treating him with patience, because He knows that he will eventually repent, and be truly worthy of it.

5. Ancestral merit - to reward his father who was righteous: Sometimes the Creator does good to the wicked because his father / grandfather (and even generations back) did a certain kindness in the past, and it was fitting that good would be done to his son for his sake.

6. To test people, if they stop working for Hashem when they see the success of the wicked, or if they continue working for Hashem despite the difficulties involved: In other words, to test people who seem righteous, to see who among them is truly righteous, and who is only outwardly righteous. Those who, upon seeing the success of the wicked, quickly turn away from serving the Creator and rush to find favor in their eyes and learn from their deeds - it turns out that they are not righteous, but deceivers. And those who continue to serve the Creator despite the success of the wicked - it turns out that they are the true righteous - their heart is whole with the Creator and they are truly faithful to the service of Hashem, and will receive from the Creator a reward for this.

Friends, the greatness of a person is when he understands that he does not understand the leadership of Hashem. Therefore, we receive a reward because even though it seems apparently unjust, we believe that Hashem leads the world with personal providence and for our benefit, and we have no way of knowing why this happens...