Daily Life Lessons from Rabbi Heschel
Day 20
“It is an act of de jure or even de facto recognition of other human beings as equals, as a result of which he becomes concerned with their concern; what is of importance to them becomes vital to him.” (Man is Not Alone pg. 138).
In this continuation of yesterday’s writing and of Rabbi Heschel’s teachings on “the transitive concern”, we find our being both caressed by Rabbi Heschel’s words and brilliance as well as having cold water thrown in our faces to wake us up to the reality that is being human! De jure, de facto represent two sides of a coin. The first being what is legally recognized whether practiced or not while the latter describes what is happening in reality.
In today’s quote, Rabbi Heschel is telling us that both legally and in reality, we have to recognize the equal worth of every human being in order for us to be human! This is such a radical thought for when Rabbi Heschel wrote it and for us today. We are in a situation where people are denying the equality of another human being because they are not ‘like them’ ‘not part of their crowd/group’, etc. just as Rabbi Heschel saw happening in the late 1940’s, early 1950’s here in America and he experienced in Germany and Poland in the 30’s. “The more things change, the more they stay the same” is a French quote and, in Wiktionary it says: “Turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo and a change of heart must accompany experience before lasting change occurs.”
We have made hatred, power-grab, putting someone else down to make myself good/higher/more important into the status quo! We have made racism, anti-semitism, Islamaphobia, discrimination based on gender, control of women’s bodies, only white people can rule because the rest of you are not capable, etc, such a part of the fabric of our country and the world, these are the de facto principles many people live by, no matter what the laws say. We are incapable of concern for another when we fail to see them as equals, when we continue to see ourselves as saviors, as rulers, as “right” and/or “righteous”, fighting the fight for the ____,(fill in the blank), putting on the mantle of self-righteousness, etc. All of these are noble endeavors and to be truly noble actions we hav etc change our vision, we have to change our way of seeing another human being.
In my understanding of Rabbi Heschel’s words above, there is no “other person” only another person! When we use the word ‘another’ we are saying we are equal with one another. In the Talmud we are taught that every soul is worth an entire world, meaning we all have infinite worth and dignity as Rabbi Yitz Greenberg taught our Rabbinic School class one summer. This is one of those principles that is de jure and has not become de facto, even to many of the Talmud teachers and students who learn this principle. We have to see one another as equally worthy and dignified, we have to see each other as siblings and, yes we will have sibling rivalry, and no more fratricide. Living a life where the concerns of another are of no importance to us leads to hatred, fratricide, war, disdain, etc and Hillul HaShem, desecration of God’s Name.
We all are created in the Image of God, we all have something important and unique to add to the world, not as slaves/servants rather as human beings who are of service to and for one another and God. This is a guiding principle of being In Recovery! We are constantly seeing to restore the dignity we stole from another person when we have harmed them, we are rebuilding the dignity we gave away from ourselves when we were not in recovery. We are listening attentively to the words, the spirit of another person in recovery and their concerns become vital to us and we engage with one another to solve, heal and fulfill these vital concerns.
From the first time I read these words to today, they jumpstart my heart, bring tears to my eyes and fill my soul with joy, light and power. I have made the concerns of another(s) my concerns and I have made “what is of importance to them” vital to me. Not always and not perfectly, and mostly and as well as I could in the moment. I have fought for the dignity of many along this journey I have been on for the past 34+ years, since my spiritual awakening in a jail cell in Van Nuys, Ca. In December of 1986. It was this awakening that led me to study Rabbi Heschel with Rabbi Mel Silverman, z”l, and begin this amazing journey of living life and being human. While many people believe and spout the words of Rabbi Heschel de jure, I have found that living them, de facto, is much rarer. While my grandparents were not learned people, they lived these words de facto and taught this way of being to their children their nieces, nephews, siblings, etc. and to us and we to the next generation. It is time for all of us to live these words in all of our affairs. I have been an observer of people forever and I observe myself. No matter how much someone has hurt me, my wife, my daughter, siblings, those closest to me; when they call out with concerns, when they call out for help, I respond. I have to see them as equal in their humanity, I have to see another person as equal in God’s ‘eyes’ in order to be human myself. I am tired of hearing so many people think their ‘sh$%&t doesn’t smell and mine does, yet even towards those people, I have to see them as equal to me. It is a tall order and we can all fulfill it. God Bless and Stay safe, Rabbi Mark