Daily Life Lessons from Rabbi Heschel
Year 4 Day 350
“Thus, the purpose seems to be to ennoble the common, to endow worldly things with hieratic beauty; to attune the comparative to the absolute, to associate the detail with the whole, to adapt our own being with its plurality, conflicts, and contradictions to the all-transcending unity, to the holy.” (Thunder in the Soul pg. 78)
I have spent three days on this sentence because it cuts to the core of the “Jewish pattern of life”, as Rabbi Heschel says earlier in this chapter. “Plurality” comes from the Latin meaning “more than one”. “Conflicts” from the Latin meaning “to strike together”, and “contradictions” meaning “things in opposition to one another”. “Transcend” comes from the Latin meaning “climb across” and “unity” meaning One. I hear Rabbi Heschel this morning reminding us that “our own being” is not just one thing, there are a “plurality” of parts to the human being; physicality, emotionality, spirituality; rational mind, intuitive mind, etc and these disparate parts are meant to “strike together”. What a concept!
Our “plurality” does not have to be in a fighting war with one another, just as We the People do not have to continue to compare ourselves with another(s) negatively, nor do we have to be rendered impotent by our inner “things in opposition with one another”. I believe Rabbi Heschel is calling out to us to end our inner war with ourselves! I believe the message of this first part of the phrase in bold above is to “adapt” (make it fit) our disparate parts so they can “strike together” and raise up our corner of the world, find more ways to work together within our self to grow along spiritual, emotional, and physical lines. We the People go to therapy to ‘make peace’ with our parts, which is not a bad thing necessarily, and I am suggesting from the way I am engaged with the words above that seeking spiritual wisdom, spiritual maturity, spiritual counseling leads us to utilize our disparate parts in ways they “strike together”, their “conflict” is no longer the source of anxiety, depression, etc it is the beginning of finding our ways to integration of our parts, seeing the usefulness of each individual part and the awesomeness of when our disparate parts are “striking together” to face the world, the day, the moment! In this way, “conflicts” are not ‘bad’ things, they are avenues and opportunities for growth.
Living this idea with another is described in the 2nd chapter of Genesis: “I will make him an “Ezer K’Negdo”. Human beings are in need of a “helpmeet”, as Rashi interprets this phrase. The words actually mean, “help and against” so our partner (this is the description of Eve before she was separated from Adam in the story), is the person we should be in “conflict” with. Our children, our work associates, our friends are all opportunities for “conflict” learning-hence the need for Jews to continually “argue” over what a verse from Scripture means, be in “conflict” over what to obey and what to disobey, what to reinterpret, what translations are commentaries that are, in fact, bastardizations, etc. Using our “conflicting” parts to “strike together” is a gift we receive for living into the “Jewish pattern of life” as I hear Rabbi Heschel this morning!
Seeing the “contradictions”, “pluralities”, “conflicts” as the stepping stones to “the all-transcending unity, to the holy” is not a far stretch when we understand the root meaning of the words and what living a life of service, a life of spiritual growth, a discipline that gifts us with such opportunities does. Living into one’s spiritual discipline-be it Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Eastern Philosophy, 12-Steps, etc is the pathway to “climb above” the limitations, the jealousies, the resentments, the ‘where’s mine’ attitude and doings of the rational mind. They allow us to “Just kicking down the cobblestones, Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy” as the Paul Simon song says. “Climbing above” the limitations of the rational mind, the prejudices, the ‘rightness’, the narcissism of the rational mind takes us to the Oneness of the world, the Oneness with “nature and each other” as the people of Island of Moorea described themselves to me on a trip there. When we “climb above” our inner war, our war with another human being, we find ourselves in the light of the Holy Oneness, living a little more connected to people and the universe , a little more elevated towards our highest consciousness, and a little more separated from the negativity, the resentment, the ‘poor me’, the ‘look at me’ of the rational mind. It is not a one and done journey, it is not a panacea, a utopia that we stay in, it is a way of being that takes work, takes nourishing, takes watering, maintenance, and staying power. So I ask: We the People: What are WE WAITING FOR?
Action Steps:
Make a list of 2 ways you will “adapt”, ie make you “fit” into the soul, divine need you are created to be each day
Engage with at least 1 of your disparate parts each day and bring them into the fold
When your inner contradictions arise, do not dismiss them, wrestle with them, ask yourself: how is this contradiction giving me the message I need right now
Find at least 2 ways you can bring your self to utilize your disparate parts, your contradictions, to “strike together” to grow spiritually, emotionally, and to make your corner of the world a little better
Engage with your “ezer K’Negdo” rather than be “conflict” avoidant, find the ways your closest friends, family, help your grow through “conflict” rather than be afraid of being left out because of it.
GOD BLESS and STAY SAFE, Rabbi Mark