Daily Life Lessons from Rabbi Heschel
Year 5 Day 11
“Even a single deed generates an endless set of effects, initiating more than the most powerful man is able to master or to predict. A single deed may place the lives of countless people in the chains of its unpredictable effects.” ( Thunder in the Soul pg. 82)
What is so infuriating to me, in this moment and in almost every moment of my life is that nothing in the words above is new. This is not some new discovery by Rabbi Heschel, not some brilliant new understanding of a piece of Torah, of the Talmud, of the prophets. Rather, it is, as Deuteronomy 30:14 teaches us: “the word is near to you, abundantly in your mouth and in your heart”. I knew this as a child and ignored it, I knew it as a teen-ager and didn’t care, I knew this as father and was too caught up in my fears, my internal disgust at myself, my false belief that my net worth=my self worth, that alcohol was the only soother, the only way I could get through the day and the night. I am not proud of this truth AND I cannot deny it.
What is it that We the People have made ourselves so small that we are unwilling to immerse ourselves in the words of Deuteronomy? What is that makes we the people forget that we are partners with God in perfecting creation, in growing freedom “throughout the land and to all its inhabitants therein”?? What is the problem we the people experience that prevents us from SEEING the divine image in ourselves and another human being(s), from HONORING the infinite worth and dignity of ourself and another human being(s), from REJOICING in the uniqueness of ourselves and another human being(s)? It is the denial of the first sentence above!
In our hubris, in our denial of truth, in our attachment and adjustment to societal norms and mental cliches, We the People have become STUPID!! Not to insult anyone, of course, the stupidity is that We the People think so much of ourselves that we believe the lies we tell ourselves, the lies of the Greeks, the Romans, et al who tell us of our power of perfection, our power of strength and might, our power of intellect so we can think and make something happen, that we have control over our destiny, and other such mental pap!
We are witness’ to the TRUTH of these sentences right here, right now and too many of WE THE PEOPLE are still keeping our mouths shut and fearful of not being liked by “DADDY DONNY”! I am speaking to the Republicans in Congress who have co-signed this WAR WITH IRAN for no truthful reason. Of course Iran is a bad actor-GUESS WHAT - SO IS THE UNITED STATES and ISRAEL RIGHT NOW!! Because Bibi doesn’t want to be put on trial and found guilty, because Donny doesn’t want the world to know about his penchant for teen-age girls like his buddy Jeffrey Epstein, We the People are suffering from “the chains of (their) unpredictable effects”! These assholes, the Republicans in Congress, the Supreme Court Justices who have ceded all power to Trump and his gang of thieves and thugs, have the gall and audacity to proclaim that Trump and Netanyahu are able to “master (and) predict” the “endless set of effects” that are occuring. Look at Gas prices, look at supply chains, look at the GREED of so many companies to USE THIS CRISIS for their BOTTOM LINE- not to help we the people, rather to fuck us once again with the blessing of Bibi and Donny. WHAT THE FUCK PEOPLE?!?!?
I said I am infuriated because We the People do know better and we are being indifferent to the truth, indifferent to our power to stand up and demand change, indifferent to the evil in our midst and to the people promoting this evil - be it ICE, Hegseth, Miller, Kushner, Vought, Trump, Netanyahu, Ben G’Vir, Smotrich and their band of thieves and thugs or the person next to you who supports these fascists, or the part of you that identifies with some part of the evil that is being purportrated and cheers it on. Hence our need for Spiritual Growth, our need for a Spiritual Awakening, our need for a Spiritual Discipline that speaks to us, motivates us, and moves us forward. This is the challenge facing We the People in this moment and in every moment. We have the path…
ACTION STEPS:
Do an inventory of the effects of your deeds today and how much control you have over them.
Write down the actions, ideas, paths, evils you have become indifferent to and what you need to do to WAKE THE FUCK UP
Make a plan to STAND UP FOR TRUTH, JUSTICE, LOVE, MERCY as Micah the prophet teaches.
Find a teacher to help you articulate the unique word of God that “is in your mouth and in your heart”.
GOD BLESS and STAY SAFE, Rabbi Mark