Our Demanding Parsha

Skepticism is rooted in doubt and distrust. It breeds inaction and confrontation. By contrast, faith is taking a chance, knowing and trusting that there is an Ultimate Being who is ever watching (Shmidman).

We never did and never will have control of the universe’s unfolding. Days like the ones we’re currently experiencing rather strongly remind us that the only aspect of our lives that each of us can impact is the manner in which we react to the challenges and opportunities with which we contend.

What’s more, none of us is perfect in our responses to our lives’ events; we’re not designed to be flawless.

[P]erfection is unattainable, and our desire for it gets in the way of our happiness. Because it causes us to blame others for that which we cannot control…The midrash in Vayikra Rabbah concludes: “As human beings, we are often ashamed to use imperfect vessels. Not so with the Holy Blessed One. We are all broken, and we are all God’s vessels…We should just be as we are, this will surface the difficult emotions, the mistakes we made, the regrets we have…And that through this being with ourselves, in the presence of others being with themselves, we will heal, we will forgive, we will let go and move on and listen to the still small voice of compassion (Lev).

It’s good that each of us is uniquely composed, that our personal constellations of merits and shortcomings are distinct.  It’s good that our responses to goings-on vary. That is, each of us, necessarily, is one of a kind. “Average” is for rainfall, not morality.

Rabbi Norman Lamm expressed this idea in “The Normal Jew,”

[t]he Torah says to our ancestors, and through them to us: if you want to see how low, how ugly, how degrading the average can become, look about you and observe how people lead their lives in a manner that can evoke nothing but disgust in any decent human being. If you are willing to enshrine the average as the normal, then you must be prepared to characterize as normal even ha-mekulkalin she-ba-hems, even degenerates if they happen to form the majority of any society. These most revolting examples of the worst of the Egyptians and the Canaanites demonstrate the ultimate absurdity of taking refuge in the contemptible crowd.

In other words, a vital aspect of our kesher with HaKadosh Baruch Hu is our matchlessness, meaning, are our singular abilities to act in our own ways when we relate to The Boss. It’s our personal connections to Him that enables us to manifest conviction.

Sadly, we’re not, across-the-board, passionate about following Hashem’s parameters. Weigh how not only our political heads but also our associations neglect to operate per His guiding principles.

Per the world’s human managers, Raoul Wootliff penned a confession, “on behalf of the influential,” in “‘We failed you:’ A Yom Kippur confession from Israel’s leaders” [sic]. He wrote,

We come before you now in this hour of reckoning, acknowledging our sins and failures. We are committed to doing what is necessary to repair the damage, to bring back the hostages, and to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again. Grant us the strength and wisdom to rebuild our nation, to stand united, and to protect the sanctity of life for all. May our confession be the first step on this path toward healing, justice, and redemption.

That Wootliff felt that these words had to be articulated on behalf of our authorities, when he referenced specific governance flaws, indicates how poorly “the select few” operate, how lacking they are in spiritual fervor. Unfortunately, the episodes to which he alludes are merely a sampling of the ones that demonstrate our leadership’s malfunction, that expound upon its dearth of reliance on G-d’s directives.

Our institutions, too, don’t display devotion. More exactly, many of them, from “esteemed” universities” to “important” healthcare organization, have become preoccupied with impiety. For example,

[t]he American Psychological Association (APA) has become an increasingly prejudiced and anti-Semitic organization that embraces woke ideology under the rubric of social justice…Moreover, the APA is violating its own Ethical Principles by allowing [its] anti-Semitic groups and professional public statements to vilify, victim-blame, and condemn Israel and Jews who were attacked by extremists in a group deemed a terrorist organization by the United States Department of State. By failing to ban Section IX and terminate a Hamas sympathizer who is president of Division 39, the APA is, in effect, lending material support to terror (Mills).

However, even when our “leading lights” and our establishments come to nothing vis-à-vis the scruples dictated by The Almighty, we can and ought to seek fidelity to Him. We’re blessed to have cracks in our neshemot, in our souls, that allow space for His Majesty, and that, in turn, provide us with a lifeline during this demanding period.

All in all,

[t]he impossible is possible when you believe…Taking a leap of faith takes fortitude, even when our rational thinking tells us not to believe. In our own times there are many reasons to be skeptical. We must maintain our faith (Shmidman).

Accordingly, we’re well advised not to trust in princes, (“Psalm 146”) or in collectives, e.g., in chariots and horses “(Psalm 20”), but to call on Hashem for succor. Although we’re in a tough chapter, it’s our deficient communication with our Tatty in Shemayim that endears us to Him. He and only He can redeem us.

Sources:

Lamm, Rabbi Norman. “The Normal Jew.” The Lamm Archive. 28 Apr. 1962. archives.yu.edu/gsdl/collect/lammserm/index/assoc/HASH0112.dir/doc.pdf. Accessed 5 May 2024.

Lev, Rabbi Ari. “The Holiness of Imperfection.” Kol Tzedek. 12 Oct. 2016. kol-tzedek.org/imperfection.html Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

Mills, Jon. “What has Happened to the American Psychological Association?” Israel National News. 19 Jan. 2024. israelnationalnews.com/news/383847,  Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

“Psalm 20.” Sefaria.org. Jewish Publication Society. 1985. sefaria.org/Psalms.20.4?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

“Psalm 146. Sefaria.org. Jewish Publication Society. 1985. sefaria.org/Psalms.146?lang=bi. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Shmidman, Rebbetzin Adina. “The Impossible is Possible.” Torah Tidbits. 14 Apr. 2024. 58. outorah.org/p/191157. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Wootliff, Raoul. “ ‘We failed you:’ A Yom Kippur confession from Israel’s leaders” [sic]. Times of Israel. 10 Oct. 2024. blogs.timesofisrael.com/we-failed-you-the-vidui-our-leadership-will-never-make.Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.