Daily Life Lessons from Rabbi Heschel
Year 5 Day 30
“God is One, and His glory is One. And oneness means wholeness, indivisibility. His glory is not partly here and partly there; it is all here and all there But here and now, in this world, the glory is concealed. It becomes revealed in a sacred deed, in a sacred moment, in a sacrificial deed.” ( Thunder in the Soul pg. 91)
Continuing from yesterday, given this is the 5th day of Passover, the slaves leaving Egypt are at the edge of the Red Sea, according to some, or just about there as tomorrow night, the crossing of the Red Sea begins. This is the first “sacred deed” the people who left Egypt partake in. While many were afraid, while many complained, while Moses promised God would do for them and all they had to do is watch, the “sacred deed” in this “sacred moment” was “go forward” as God told Moses and the people. There is a midrash/parable that speaks of Nachshon Ben Amidav, who jumped into the Red Sea(or the Sea of Reeds depending on who is telling the story) and kept going until it covered his nose and then the Sea split so the former slaves could pass on dry land. This is an example of a “sacrificial deed” and, God knows, we the people need to create more of these. We the People have to notice and engage in the “sacred deed” which is always present and available much more often. We the People are being called upon to “lift up our eyes” and see this moment as “a sacred moment”, accepting the truth that each and every moment presents We the People for opportunities to “declare God’s glory” through our “deeds”!
Yet, we the people continually miss the moment, pass on the opportunity, are more interested in serving our selfish desires that we have lied to ourselves about, telling ourselves and everyone else that these narcissistic desires are actually NEEDS, authentic needs, which then we foolishly believe, absolve us of any responsibility to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors. It is especially present for those of We the People who are commemorating the Exodus from Egypt, acknowledging the resurrection of Jesus, to take off our blinders, to uncover our eyes, to open our ears, to smell the Red Sea and know the crossing of it is a “sacred moment” and it is a gift that we have to cherish and We the People are obliged to honor this “sacred moment” with a “sacrificial deed”. In Hebrew the word for “sacrificial” has the same root as “to draw near”, ergo: “a sacrificial deed” is a gift that allows We the People to “draw near” to our authentic self, to the neighbor next door, to the enemy across town. In the “drawing near”, in this and every “sacred moment”, We the People GET the opportunity to engage with our higher consciousness, with our souls and wrestle with our inclinations so that the Good Inclination transforms the energy of the “evil” one to do more “sacred deeds”, reveal more “sacred moments” and rejoice in our “sacrificial deeds”.
This is the goal, this is the message I am hearing this morning from Rabbi Heschel, and it is the goal, message and marching orders from God for this moment of chaos, of potential slavery, the killing of innocent people who’s only crime is they live in a certain area, they are part of an ethnic group which is being targeted, just like we Jews have been for centuries. When Hegseth prays to Jesus for victory, when Hegseth declares the Iran war is a “holy war” that Christ will deliver our enemies to us, We the People have to stand the fuck up and join with Pope Leo and say NO to this charlatan, NO to this liar. We the People are being called upon to say NO to Trump and his lies, his need for dominance, his desire to be King/Pharaoh. We the People are being given a “sacred moment” to “draw near” to God, to one another by rejecting the lies, the subterfuge, the hatred, the cruelty that is running rampant in both Israel and the United States! Whereas Trump had dinner with Kanye West, the Prime Minister of England has rejected a concert’s desire to feature him for 3 days and Pepsi, the major sponsor of the event has pulled out. This is a prime example of “a sacred deed”. While politics right now is in the forefront, We the People cannot forget about the personal, the local. I have been engaging in “sacred moments” with intention since 1987, I have been engaging in “sacrificial deeds” since then as well-not perfectly and “declare God’s glory” in this moment, in this deed; making them both sacred is my goal and hitting this mark is pure JOY
ACTION STEPS:
Ask yourself if you have left this year’s slavery behind or are still carrying it
What are you willing to do to cross the Red Sea and get “cleansed” of the shit that is sticking to you from your being a slave, spiritually, mentally
“Lift up your eyes and SEE” this moment as an opportunity to perform a “sacred deed”
Accept that each moment is precious and different, an opportunity to “draw near” to your self, another human being, the Ineffable One through “sacrificial deeds”.
GOD BLESS and STAY SAFE, Rabbi Mark