Deuteronomy Cycle 7 Devarim

Devarim

One Thing then the Next

a fast write, stream of consciousness

Devarim is about sequence. In this day and age of terrorist organizations, war in the Gaza, anti-Semitic riots throughout the world, an attack on the Jewish people (whether in exile or not) unparalleled in European countries and in the United States since WWII, unparalleled in my lifetime at least, I wonder this:

What has happened to the Jewish people?   How come there isn’t a solidarity that one might expect of any people under physical, virtual and literal attack?  How come so many aren’t thinking: Wow, we’re all human and so perhaps we should all rav lechem…get on with it…and stick together? How come so many aren’t reaching to some of our greater thinkers? Thinkers like Rashi? 

  Ah, Rashi is so specific about sequence. He points out that love of God and humanity must come first…and then we can focus on what (comparatively) is superficial. We can then focus on our shame if it be shame or our intellect if we think we're intellectual.

 The question here therefore ( I believe) revolves around a misunderstanding of the absolute importance of sequence. It seems like such a small thing, so inconsequential. I mean who cares which brook we cross first? Who cares on which land we tread that is not ours…and what land that is?  Who cares about Og of Bashon and how wildly huge he is? About which battle comes first or last and how we manage to get to Mt Sinai?

Well, Rashi cares. He’s quite specific in his commentary on Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 88a that it is our obligation to experience a switch in point of view. We must start looking at the world through a soul-point of view rather than a body point-of-view.  This means we wait for the necessary editing of our present reality. We behave with God no matter the moral rape that might be obsessing or entertaining our society in our present situation.  We have active faith…We act on faith (Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel). This we do even if we disagree with the powers-that-be or have the yearning and arrogance to post on Facebook our Jewish-shame for every bigot to like…whether it  means waiting to attack our God and our very heritage, or  even attack our soldiers  in an indirect manner. Yes, we wait.

In my opinion, how dare we have the egocentricity to claim prophetic  brilliance and deep knowledge of  questions not even our rabbis could figure out?  How dare we pretend to know so much, to place ourselves above great thinkers like Rabbi Johannon ben Zakkai, Rabbi Akiva,  even Rabbi Schneur Zalman and Rabbi Avraham Isaac Kook?  Are we really that experienced, visionary, brilliant?

If we aren’t experienced, visionary and brilliant, it might be wise to wait until a more expedient time to express ones arrogance, one that doesn’t feed a fire not only in our hearts but the knife blades of journalists and bigots throughout the world. 

Sequence is the message here. Sequence for the sake of both our spiritual and physical survival.  In terms of our present horror in the mid-east; First we obliterate Hamas. Then we infuse healing into the Palestinians who are tragic victims of their very leadership.   But we can’t do both concurrently.

As Rashi says: First one thing, then the next. And if we, because of our own idiocy and lack of solidarity, destroy ourselves meanwhile, well, this would lead to quite tragic repercussions of outrageous proportions. Worldwide. 

Of course this won't happen though. And not because of our solidarity. It will happen because of friends watching our glaring weakness. It's horrifying. My prayer is for the Palestinians who are victims of this mess. And my prayer is for those Jews who just don't get it. Yes, they are also victims of this mess, the sequence of their heart-beat disturbed, their intellect attempting to offer some new cozy beyond-educated explosively brilliant  community when it's the very Jewish community they have hurt (and yes rejected).  

First one thing. Then the next. Then let's begin a new revised Torah of Civil Rights if we like. But let's cycle through this war and come out in One piece...and help everyone come out in One Peace. First.