Daily Life Lessons from Rabbi Heschel
Year 5 Day 35
Question from Carl Stern: “Prospective jurors, one after another, were questioned…said they thought it was wrong for clergymen to be involved in politics, that their job is to administer to spiritual needs.” Response from Rabbi Heschel: “It is such a good statement that if the prophets were alive, they would already be sent to jail by these jurors. Because the prophets mixed into social-political issues. And, frankly, I would say that God seems to be a non-religious person, because, if you read the words of God in the Bible, He always mixes in politics and social issues.”
Sitting here at my computer, reading the news, was drawn to these words and this interview once again. The entire interview is powerful, uplifting, deeply disturbing, and motivating with the passage above speaking directly to our moment in time. Reading the words of Trump about Pope Leo is infuriating, enraging, head-shaking, and tragic. That this despicable human being-he is, after all, a human being without any humanity, without any empathy, compassion, truthfulness, love, spiritual maturity- can take credit for the assension of Pope Leo is IDIOTIC, LUNACY! Yet, he does. Calling Pope Leo “WEAK on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” is such an affront to the spiritual, moral teachings and lessons the Pope is trying to pass on to Catholics, Christians, as well as Jews and Muslims. All of us owe our allegiance to God, Allah, Adonai, the ineffable One. And where are the Catholics in Congress, in the Republican Party, where are the Jews in Congress, in the Republican Party? SILENT as usual!! That this IDOLATOR, this FORNICATOR, can post a picture of himself as “having saint-like powers akin to those of Jesus Christ. Wearing a bilbical-style robe, Trump is seen laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers.”(Apple News 4/13) is an ABOMINATION! Where are the Jews, the Christians, the Catholics who support this ASSHOLE? SILENT! Maybe it is time for We the People to heed Rabbi Heschel’s words above, maybe it is time to go back to the Bible and READ, STUDY, HEAR, UNDERSTAND the words and actions of the prophets, of Jesus, of Adonai!! YA THINK?
In Israel, a land I have great kinship with, an idea that stems from the Biblical accounts of what should be, what could be if and when We the People become a “light unto the nations” (Isaiah 49:6), watching the destruction of the Declaration of Independence, the destruction of the rule of law, the destruction of humanity, the destruction of the ideals and morals the ‘rabbis’ are supposed to be teaching is beyond sad, it is tragic. The verse in Isaiah says that God is “Giving you to be a Light to the nations”, we are the gift, not the destroyer, we are the examples of humanity, of freedom, of liberation from slavery-NOT THE PHARAOH!! When there is condemnation of the policies of Bibi and friends, We the People who are following in the footsteps of the prophets, are labled as traitors by Rabbis who KNOW BETTER? When We the People are living in the both/and of the cruelty of Hamas, the constant pressure from the Arab countries around us to destroy us AND the cruelty of what has happened in Gaza, the ‘collateral damage’ of the strikes in Lebanon, in Iran(an unprovoked war by the way) and labeled as Anti-Semitic, Anti-Zionist by the very CROOKS WHO VIOLATE THE DEMANDS OF THE PROPHETS AND GOD?! This is the moment when We the People must rise up and live the deeds and words of the prophets, when We the People must “give ourselves to be a light to the peoples of the world through protest, through action!
I know I have gone on, I know my views are not always popular, I know that my soul is unable to keep silent, to be ‘political’, and I know that my colleagues are divided. What I don’t know is how anyone can be divided: holding two opposing thoughts, two opposing truths in one moment, in every moment is what it means to BE HUMAN! The Rabbis fear of the prophets is because the prophets would not be nice to them, anymore than they were nice to the Kings, to the priests, to the wealthy, to the people Israel, to the Judean people. FUCK NICE, FUCK going along to get along, FUCK whitewashing evil because it is being done by ‘our side’. FUCK Bibi, FUCK Donny, FUCK EVIL!
ACTION STEPS:
Do a self-examination of the incongruence between what you say are your principles, morals and the actions, the silence you practice
Take a self-examination of when your principles, morals are congruent with the actions you take
Study the Prophets, finding the words and actions that resonate most within you and find ways to incorporate them into your daily living
Find places and people with whom you can engage with to effect change in the cruelty, to effect bringing the “law” of Jesus, of Moses, of Adonai more into the town square!
GOD BLESS and STAY SAFE, Rabbi Mark