Deuteronomy Cycle Five Shoftim

 Shoftim

A while ago I was speaking with a prominent man in our community.  The question was if I had any suggestions as to the new rabbi search. While I was speaking with him he suddenly related to me a childhood experience:  The rabbi who he trusted, who had trained him for his bar mitzvah, who had been his family rabbi for years, was suddenly found guilty in the court system for murder. He had paid someone to kill his wife. 

 That’s not the shocking part though. What really surprised me was then what this man said: He was still a great rabbi. We still loved him.  We had to admit finally that he could still be wise and a wonderful man despite the fact of his behavior.

How could such an educated and intelligent man accept a murderer for a rabbi?  A  murderer after-the-fact? This is what I think.  The rabbi had done so much for the community that to cut-him-off after the fact would seem to be a complete negation of the blessings, ritual and advice he had offered for perhaps years. And such a negation would no doubt send the community into a state of chaos.

This therefore could not be done. 

 I think the question we need to ask though is at what point was this rabbi suffering so much that he would then make this decision to kill? At what point could the community have benefited from going to a higher spiritual place to settle disputes? At what point was the leprosy…the inner illness…affecting this rabbi’s  mind? After all, rabbis are human. They are not immune to mental illness, nervous disorders, conditions,  tragedies.

It says in Torah  in this week’s parsha that we, the community, are to do something very specific when  an issue of blood, judgment or leprosy can’t be determined. We are to go to a place of God’s choosing..of the higher authorities…and listen to the people in that position at that time.  

But what if the people in an even higher  position..or the angels, spirits, inner knowledge,  ancestors, sages…..disagree with the leader of the community (the rabbi) at the time?  What if  we see and know that we are not only being led down a destructive and  twisted path but there are growing dangers for others?  After all, the Pied Piper  certainly attracted plenty of children to dance after him….but  they all die at the end of that fable.

Well, we can watch our rabbi to protect him/her from future actions. But even that sounds ominous.   Do we place a committee in charge of checking-in on his/her mental well being whoever he may be? Do we ask him (the rabbi) to place his trust in specific people who may remain unknown? What if the rabbi doesn’t realize his own illness until it’s too late? What if the extent of the illness is not realized until it’s already caused considerable damage?  Would a committee be a good idea to ring that bell, hit that gong? Or are we moving into an Orwellian nightmare? Remember, we would be saving the rabbi from himself as well as from the rest of the community.

One thing we must realize from the words at that time.  It’s the fact that the authority at that time is the true authority and his word is better than no word…usually.  There comes a time though when we need to realize that the authority in the community is vetoed by a soul-authority beyond physical manifestation, beyond our wildest dreams. It’s the authority of solid inner knowledge and energetic realizations that rise beyond even the beloved rabbi. 

 Because anything we do here on earth is trumped by God and if our chosen leader walks in a way that hurts God…and we all know it…we as a group…if  the words and actions are so painful and so against Torah that it is obvious…then there needs to be a re-consideration of the status quo. We need to move ourselves one level-up. We need to rise beyond. 

Fear and doubt never help this process. And unfortunately when this is happening (the metaphysical loss of a leader) these are the feelings that set-in. No, the only proper way to deal with this is with compassion. Compassionately, we  question. Compassionately, we dismiss. Compassionately,  we review decisions going back as far back as necessary. Compassionately we deal with our leader afterwards.  There was a time, no doubt, when he brought great healing and wisdom.  This cannot be  turned  simply because of pain…of yes our own human failings. 

One thing I know.  When I become a rabbi I will ask my children and closest friends to  pull me (politely and quietly) from my position  (even temporarily) if because of life-circumstance or illness I seem unfit to hold that position.  I’d rather be pulled before taking part in acts like murder or sexual abuse/manipulation/attempts/lies  then to be a rabbi and to completely befuddle, shame and  harm my constituency (either directly or indirectly).  

Today I’m climbing a mountain.  It’s the highest in the San Juan islands.  From there I can reach higher authorities, those long since dead or soon to live, those in my heart and in the heart of Torah, those in the light transmission I receive from Hashem, those who in the history of Judaism have proven themselves to be our holy teachers. Tonight I’ll read more from our sages.

These, to me, these teachers in both the black and white fire, in both the words and the space,  are the only real authorities.  The objective is in embodying the words and the people, embodying the tradition, embodying the written truths…embodying the very path…. so that I can rise to that cross section on the mountain where true authority lives…now and all the time.  After all, the more I embody the tradition the greater a rabbi I will become and the higher I will be able to rise.  And one day, no matter my height, if my foundation weakens …if my behavior shows that I am no longer 

embodying the path…then I now ask my friends to pull me back or let me move on alone. 

My advice is this: If you do not embody the path to the top do not pretend that you do,  either before the fact or after.  In other words…do not pretend to be so heightened if you haven’t done the work, both in print and in meditation/prayer. And do not pretend to be so heightened as a rabbi if your foundation is or has been broken.

Enjoy where you are at but know where it is.  Do not judge.  Listen.  Just listen. Climb a mountain and choose a proven path. They don’t all lead to the top. Then, if it is the Jewish path and you want to rise…  know  it so well…the trees, every bump, every turn…. you can move through it blindfolded, upside down backwards forwards and in one moment.  Don’t think about it. Just know it.  Know there is more to know.  Climb the path and know it is in your bones. Then, let go at the top and read your reflection in the sky.It has been written by God.