Daily Life Lessons from Rabbi Heschel
Year 4 Day 126
“The spirit is a still small voice, and the masters of vulgarity use loudspeakers. The voice has been stifled, and many of us have lost faith in the possibility of a new perceptiveness.”(Insecurity of Freedom pg. 23)
“And after the earthquake a fire and not in the fire was Adonai, and after the fire, a still small voice” (1Kings 19:12). This is the description of how Elijah heard the voice of God in his despair over being hunted and not heard by the Israelite people. His warnings and his call to return to God had gone pretty much unheeded and, in his running for his life, he was overwhelmed by “the still small voice”. Rabbi Heschel’s words above bring this experience to mind for many of us. Herein, of course, is the problem. How do we mature and nurture our spiritual life in such a manner to be able to hear “a still small voice” within us when the PAGANS are blowing out the speakers and amplifiers to spread their false gospels? This is the challenge for a person of faith, be it in themselves, their higher consciousness, in a power greater than themselves, whatever one has faith in; it is difficult to hear what one’s inner voice is saying when Trump is blaring his bullshit, when Cain-White is spreading her lies, when people in the Pews complain about the ‘liberal sermons’ of Priests and Ministers who are just quoting the Gospels and repeating Jesus’ words, when some Jews misread the Bible or take sentences, phrases out of context to prove their ‘righteousness’ though they transgress!
This is the challenge that has been before us since humankind came into existence! Hearing “a still small voice” that is either within us or within another human being is the first step and only the first step. It takes, as I said, a spiritual maturity and a willingness to learn the difference between what one’s soul/intuition/gut instinct is saying and the loving desire to engage in self-deception. “The masters of vulgarity” have PhD’s in self-deception and the deception of another(s) and perpetrate their lies and ‘slight of hand tricks’ onto all they meet. When they are in power, they keep people enthralled with their lies and are so good, they convince people to go against what they know to be true so the people can follow the PAGAN to hell and to ruination. History gives us the testimony of the witnesses to this truth from the Assyrians to Pharaoh, from the two Kingdoms of Judea and Israel to the fall of Greece and Rome, from Germany to America today, the PAGAN liars seem to convene enough of a plurality to gain power and then seize control of everything that could stop them like the courts, the press, the freedom to assemble, the freedom of speech to disagree, with the freedom to worship being next with ‘christian nationalistic’ prayers coming to the school near you, etc. It takes a minute to collect oneself and to be able to discern what is truth and what is bullshit, what is real and what is deception, what does our soul know and what rationalizations are we buying into so we are not ostracized and persecuted? All of these discernments are dependent upon our ability to hear the “still small voice” within us and within another human being. They are dependent upon our commitment to grow our spiritual life so we are able to Shema; to listen, hear and understand what “the still small voice” is saying.
The next step for We the People who desire to grow our spirits, who are compelled to hear the “still small voice” within each of us, is to then follow the call of “the still small voice” and not ignore it, not dismiss it, not seek the expedient rather than the demand of “the still small voice”. We are witnessing the “masters of vulgarity” scream and yell, scam and con, grift and steal what is the most precious ‘gift’ that humankind can obtain: Freedom! While a plurality of people elected Trump, gave permission to implement Project 2025, and a smaller plurality still support this bullshit, We the People need to hear, listen and understand that “the still small voice” within us, that is in the universe is calling out to us. These PAGANS who are claiming to represent ‘Jesus’ are promoting the worst idolatry possible, these PAGANS who are claiming to be ‘living a torah life’ are acting out the greatest sin; Avodah Zarah, IDOL WORSHIP. All of this talk about Bibi and Trump, about Trump’s Jewish Grandchildren, about Trump being ‘good for the Jews’, being a ‘great christian’ is just utter and complete POPPYCOCK. And this is what is blaring from the loudspeakers and assaulting our ears, confusing our minds and trying to silence “the still small voice” within us.
This is the greatest challenge facing We the People; growing our spiritual life through a regimen of spiritual practices-whatever works for you, the individual, and then have these principles infuse your daily living, no matter what vulgarities are blasting through the loudspeakers, or as we say in AA, ,no matter what KFUCK Radio is blaring in your head. We all need to have a discipline because the lies, the deceptions by another(s), our own self-deceptions and unhealthy desires are loud, proud and strong. We have seen many a person, many a community, many a country brought down because of their hubris and belief they didn’t need to engage in a spiritual practice. In the world of recovery, we say we are sober one day at a time based on our spiritual condition. We the People are free one day at a time based on our spiritual condition. Remember the descendants of Jacob willingly went into slavery though they were “more mighty and numerous than we” according to the Bible. Just as addiction is a “cunning, baffling, disease”, so too is self-deception and the power of “the masters of vulgarity”, speaking through “loudspeakers”. Yet, though “sin couches at your door… you can master it” we learn in Genesis 4:7. The question we all need to face is will we “master it” by using the spiritual strength of “the still small voice” within us.
I know this voice well, it constantly harangues me when I am screwing up and/or thinking of screwing up. This has been true since my youth and I fought against it from so many years, I am saddened to say. I realize that in my ‘previous life’ I was one of the “masters of vulgarity” and I am deeply remorseful for my actions. In my recovery, looking backwards through this lens, I see where I allowed some “masters of vulgarity” who were disguised as compatriots in hearing and acting on “the still small voice” to infiltrate my thinking and this led to not good results. Hindsight is 20/20 and my T’Shuvah for these errors is to continue to grow my spiritual life, to hear clearer, to discern better and to root out my deception receptors that keep me buying the bullshit and lies of another. Each day, through this writing, through practicing the principles of decency, justice, kindness, love, compassion, and truth I grow one grain of sand more in hearing and following the “still small voice” within. God Bless and stay safe, Rabbi Mark