Daily Life Lessons from Rabbi Heschel
Day 249
“In the words of Thomas Jefferson, “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just”. “However, an honest estimation of the moral state of our society will disclose: some are guilty, but all are responsible.”(The Insecurity of Freedom pg. 89,93).
In honor of the 4th of July, I have chosen these two quotes from the paper Rabbi Heschel delivered on Religion and Race in January of 1963. The entire paper is so rich in spirit, in truth, in a path forward. In likening the plight of Black people to the Israelites in Egypt, Rabbi Heschel brought together the basis for everyone to be inflamed with the need for justice for all no matter the color of their skin, their gender, their sexual orientation, their political bias, their faith, etc. Yet, here we are today, some 59 years later, in as bad a morass, if not worse, then when these words were both written and spoken.
Jefferson’s quote above is what a “fearless and searching inventory” or a “Chesbon HaNefesh, accounting of the soul” produces. The author of the Declaration of Independence, knowing his owning of slaves, knowing his not considering Black People as fully human was wrong, was an affront to God and was unjust. Today, we are still not appreciating the words of Jefferson nor are some people even capable of trembling for our country because they are too busy ‘being right’, speaking of ‘righteousness’, bastardizing God’s teachings by wrapping themselves in some Bible that is not original to either Judaism, Christianity nor Islam. We are facing a moment in our history that is as bleak if not bleaker than the moments Jefferson was facing and some of the leaders are not trembling “for my country when I reflect that God is just”. The reason they are not trembling is because they think they control God, their god is an idol of their making and they are using the words and sentiments of religious thought to enhance their idolatry.
Mitt Romney where are you? How can you as a devout Mormon go along with the idolatry of Moscow Mitch? How can you as a believer in God go along with the people who want to enslave, make less than human any one who is not like them/anyone who isn’t them? How do you vote with Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley who openly and proudly supported an insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021? How do you support Moscow Mitch who wants to make corporations more equal that human beings? How do you go to Church on Sunday, how do you swear your allegiance to God and go along with these inhumane actions? I call you to account with Rabbi Heschel’s quote above: “some are guilty, but all are responsible.” You and your cronies, you and your fellow Republicans have done more to tear down this Republic, smash the democratic norms and rules that make this country “a shining city upon a hill”, as Ronald Reagan said! Yet, you go along with Moscow Mitch’s ways of grabbing power, exercising power to put down anyone who doesn’t agree with the inhumane ways of treating one another, crush anyone who isn’t willing to enslave people and to imprison children “yearning to breathe free”. What is up with all you good church-going charlatans, what is up with the idolators who put on the National Prayer Breakfasts? What is up with the rest of us who don’t stop this travesty of justice, this travesty of Godliness, this immorality we have come to accept and/or be indifferent to?
We are all responsible and those of us who feel powerless to change these immoral actions of our government and courts, GET OVER IT! We all have the power to speak out, we all have the power to write letters, we all have the power to vote, we all have the power to make phone calls to Congress people, we all have the power of Holiness and Godliness in us. We have to make the decision to change our impotence into to potency by changing the ways we speak to one another, not the language necessarily, just the tone. We can argue for the sake of being right and/or we can argue for the sake of God. Jefferson is reminding us that the later is more important and more rewarding than the former. We can stop being indifferent by indulging in our powerlessness on a global level and make the changes we can on a personal level, in our families, our communities, our workplaces, our cities, etc. We can be the pebble in the water that creates ripple effects. We can take seriously Rabbi Heschel’s words and no longer hide behind the powerlessness of changing the macro and work on changing the micro, our inner life, our family life, etc.
In recovery, we are constantly taking inventory, we are constantly reflecting on how to live our higher consciousness/divine image. We know we are responsible for all that happens and we take personal responsibility for the errors and victories we cause.
I have trembled at my own unjust ways. I have worked hard to change them. I have felt the powerlessness to make a difference and experienced what a friend called “soul sickness”. Yet, I continue to do what I can, where I can, and when I can to make changes in my inner life, changes in my family’s life, changes in my community’s life. The success and/or failure of such efforts is immaterial as I am reading today’s quotes, what is important is my engagement in them. God is just and God is merciful, hence our command to “love mercy, do justly and walk in the ways of God”. Let's all do it a little more and be the responsible Divine needs we are created to be. God Bless, stay safe and Happy 4th of July, Rabbi Mark