Daily Life Lessons from Rabbi Heschel
Year 5 Day 38
“Deeds set upon ideal goals, deeds performed not with careless ease and routine but in exertion and submission to their ends are stronger than the surprise and attack of caprice. Serving sacred goals may change mean motives.” (Thunder in the Soul pg. 93)
We the People have come to misunderstand what “sacred deeds” are, I believe. When the word “sacred” is used, the dictionary and society automatically identify “sacred” as religious, having to do with God, etc. While a “sacred deed” is given to us by God, it is not a “religious” action as society defines “religious actions”. The use of “sacred” by Rabbi Heschel is, I believe, having to do with any and all actions that fall within the purview of the 248 “thou shall” and the 365 “don’t do” sayings, commandments, directives by God in the Bible. “Love the stranger” is a “sacred deed/goal”, as is “don’t make false idols”, “don’t go back to the narrow straits of Egypt”, “do justly”, “love mercy”, etc. I hear Rabbi Heschel calling out to us to let go of our adjustments to societal norms and continue to be maladjusted so we can “see”, “hear”, “understand” the freshness and newness of each and every action we take, not be bystanders in our lives. Rather, I hear the call of God to live life on and with purpose and not by accident!
The highest of “ideal goals” is, of course, serve God, serve humanity, live the unique gift we have in the world and in the open for the purpose of serving not for self-serving. Hence, we the people who are living with careless ease and routine, with ‘what’s in it for me’, ‘how do I keep the power I have’, etc live in capriciousness. They live in and revel in “being guided by sudden, impulsive, or unpredictable changes in mood, behavior, or decisions, rather than reason or consistency”. Sound like anyone in power today?!? This way of being is not confined to Trump alone, Bibi does it, Vlad is guilty of doing this, as are many other leaders. This way of being is anathema to freedom, it is the opposite of the “deeds” in the Bible, the preachings of Christ, the actions of Christ, the ways of the prophets. Yet, we keep hearing from so-called ‘religious’ leaders that these are “good men”, who are ‘saving the Jews’, ‘loving Israel’, ‘keeping America first’, and other such bullshit! WTF PEOPLE???
The choice facing all of We the People is simple: accept the “yoke of heaven”, the call to engage in “sacred goals” and have a daily routine of “deeds” that re-enforces these goals or not. Yet, even in this simple choice, there are nuances. When we are engaged in a routine, it is imperative to NEVER DO IT ROUTINELY! As is stated above, we have to exert ourselves and submit ourselves to the ends that we are attempting to serve. Just as there is no ‘one and done’ in the spiritual life of service, there is no ‘easy way’ to perform the mitzvot, to fulfill a “sacred deed”, to serve a “sacred goal”. We the People are being called to be fully present and immersed in the experience we are in, to focus our attention, our actions in service of the “sacred deed” that presents itself in this moment. It AIN’T EASY! Hence, the need for “exertion and submission”. Every time we submit to the will of God, to the call to perform a “sacred deed”, we are strengthening our ability to surrender to a higher call, we are strengthening our staying power when many of we the people would quit.
Being engaged in “sacred deeds” is the pathway out of the morass we the people find ourselves in. Believing a liar, thief, racist, rapist, felon who has never told the truth in his life and making him President? Supporting the myriad of men who, like Swallwell and Gonzales, use their positions of power to sexually assault women without any awareness of their incongruency because they also ‘believe the victims of Epstein, et al’! Living an either/or life when it comes to Israel and Bibi-being ostracized if one believes that Oct. 7th was horrific, Hamas is dangerous and what happened in Gaza has changed Hamas’ stranglehold nor is what the settlers/government doing in the West Bank kosher. Living into “sacred goals” is what my recovery is based on, what most peoples’ recovery is based on and what is desperately needed today!
ACTION STEPS:
Write down your routine of spiritual growing and practice-formalizing your pathway to growing into your authenticity
Make a gratitude list and a list of “sacred actions” you are going to take this day.
Mid-day take your spiritual and emotional temperature, are you present in your living, are you aware of the “sacred deeds” that are calling for your actions?
Each evening go over your routine and make note of the ones you did routinely and the ones you were present for.
Each evening write down how your “sacred actions” of today changed you.
GOD BLESS and STAY SAFE, Rabbi Mark