Daily Prophets
Day 199
“Woe to those who devise wickedness and design evil on their beds. When morning dawns, they perform it, because it is in the power of their hand. They covet fields and seize them, houses and take them away. They oppress a man and his house, a man and his inheritance. Stop preaching! They preach, that’s no way to preach, shame will not overtake us…To be sure, my words are friendly to those who walk a straight path.”(Micah 2:1-2,6,7)
Micah’s words make me tremble with fear and awe. I understand the sadness, rage, feelings of futility of the prophets and the strength, awe, power, belief, dissent, hope, and love of the prophets as well. Micah is calling everyone out who takes advantage of people, just because they can. He is reminding us that dreaming of the evil, the wickedness we want to/are going to do to another has become natural to some because this is how they act when they are awake, probably what they talk about when they are sitting around with their friends, etc. Micah is reminding us that just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we should. He is telling us about people in power for their own sake and not in power for the sake of God, for the sake of another, for the sake of the people, not realizing the trust and holiness of leadership and power that has been placed in them. They rather use their power for their own sakes, for their own gain, for their own ‘peace of mind’. It is the same today as it was 2700 years ago, sadly.
Enough people in leadership/power roles forget the sacred oaths they take and make to the people they are supposed to serve to make many of us distrust all leaders and become power hungry so we can “get ours”. There are leaders who want to use their power to “get even” with their perceived enemies. There are leaders who still refuse to stop their wickedness and continue to design evil on their beds so people will die from disease, poverty, homelessness, etc. We have people in power who develop false vaccines so they can make a buck, false cures so they can keep selling the snake oil as in days of yore. The prophet uses the word covet in the second verse above as a reminder, I believe, of how much evil stems from our coveting of someone else’s life, belongings, family, job, etc. What the prophet is not saying and I am hearing is:”Why is your portion not enough for you? Why are you violating the 10th Commandment which leads us to violate the other 9? What is wrong with you that you are insatiable?” I am hearing these questions because they are the questions we all need to ask as soon as we actually want what another person has and not metaphorically! It is oppression to steal another person’s house and their inheritance. It is disgusting to take away the hope, security, history and humanity of another person for one’s own gain and Micah is calling the people out for doing this. He still is calling us out- are we listening any better, any more seriously than our ancestors? We are so polarized with each side wrapping themselves in righteousness and God/flag no one can hear another, no one can see one another and both want to take theirs for their own gain.
Rabbi Heschel says: “The prophet directs his rebuke particularly against the “heads of the house of Jacob and the rulers of the house of Israel who abhor justice and pervert all equity.” “Here amidst a people who walk haughtily, stands a prophet who relentlessly predicts disaster and disgrace for the leaders and the nation”(The Prophets pg 98-9). Rather than listen, rather than look at themselves, they tell Micah “do not preach…shame will not overtake us,” Imagine that shame and guilt cannot overtake the haughtiness of a people, of leadership! That could never happen today where we have our leaders denying truth, perverting equity and fairness in elections, who have decided that only they know the just way and they take the bribes from the rich to put judges into power who will make us a fine “christian nation again”, as Mike Pompeo and Mike Pence want to see happen. We have to stand up, as Rabbi Heschel did throughout his life to these haughty people and say ‘all people are redeemable and it is our responsibility to practice “radical kinship”!
In recovery, we learn true humility and walk with pride in ourselves and what we do well. We are happy with our portion and we have stopped coveting what another(s) has. In fact, in recovery, we are joyous for the victories and success’ of another person! We learn that humility is not self-effacing, it is facing oneself and appreciating the good and repairing the evil designs we used to make. It is restoring to another their dignity and value as a Holy Soul and a Divine reminder.
I had a lot of evil designs and coveting in my addiction and my life before recovery. I have been blessed to appreciate the success of another, cheer on another in their honest pursuits and rejoice in my own portion as it says in Ethics of our Ancestors. This past Friday I was afforded the opportunity to lead my last Shabbat at Beit T’Shuvah. So many people showed up, said such kind/truthful words and reconnected with me and each other in recovery, humility, truth and love. It was an experience of closure and of connection, of acknowledging my errors and not apologizing for being who I am. This, to me, was my community’s response to my preaching over all these years: We love you, we hear you and we are grateful for you. I love them, hear them and am grateful for all who have crossed my path over the years at BTS. Stay safe and God Bless, Rabbi Mark