Images

There are many cliches that describe the power of what we see: "Seeing is believing." (Or the contrary, "don't believe everything you see," indicating by the negative how powerful an influence sight has on belief.) "A picture is worth a thousand words." "What you see is what you get." "I saw it with my own eyes." Etc.

Jewish Sages attest to the power of the eye to lead astray: "the eye sees, the heart desires, the person sins." One can harm by just a glance, such is the power of the "evil eye" - one can attract the attention, the gaze, of evil. Or turn such a gaze on another.

Of course, there is also the "good eye," generating an aura of benevolence by one's look. How we see things defines our attitude and creates an atmosphere: "Look on others with a "good eye."

We are hard-wired for sight. We can debate which sense, sight or hearing, is currently dominant in human beings, but we clearly operate in a visual world. One reason infants sleep so much is they need to form neurons to process information. They need to sort things out in the brain, as they work through the sensory overload they receive from their five senses. And a major part of that work is making sense of what they see. (Consider how much time an infant spends staring at his or her hand, moving it back and forth, perfecting the eye-hand coordination.)

All this raises a question: Why do we recall some images more than others? Why do some images - sights - come to mind constantly and others not at all?

We "see in our mind's eye" not just those we see more physically. We see trees constantly, for instance, but that rarely is an image that comes to mind, unbidden or otherwise.

Things out of context, things associated with trauma, things associated with triumph - the brain-sight recalls these strongly. These may be things that attract or things that repel.

I see two lessons from all this: One, our vision is limited to a very narrow part of the light spectrum. For all we see, even in such detail, there is so much more that we don't see. This should give us pause. If we can see so little, should we not strive to see as much value as we can? We should ask ourselves, is there spiritual significance in what I'm looking at? Does what I'm seeing inspire me to acts of goodness and kindness, does it enhance my understanding or appreciation of G-dliness?

We cannot always answer yes, but we should at least be truthful about the answer.

The second lesson emphasizes the importance of the commandment, Do Not Worship Idols - the first of the seven universal commands that apply to all humanity. Idolatry begins not with belief, but with sight. It is not just seeing things that should not be seen. Most of us turn away from, don't look at, filth. Unless mesmerized, we don't gaze upon the corrupt. Idolatry involves "misunderstanding what we see" - and that misunderstanding is often a conscious self-deception.

There is G-dliness within creation, a perceptible G-dliness. That should be the indelible image in our eyes, the image we see in our eyes.

Consolation

Trying to explain the death of a loved one is generally not a good idea. Grief is personal, emotional, while explanations are general - often generic - and attempt to be rational. (I say attempt because so often explanations fail the logic test.)

Still, we do have a rational component and at some level we want the universe to make sense - especially when it seems most senseless. Sometimes, then, death, while heart-rendering, doesn't disorient our minds or overly challenge our beliefs. For example, when an elderly parent passes away in his or her sleep, with the grief may be a sense of balance, almost gratitude - since death is inevitable, this at least was a life well lived, and we feel assured that it was only a passage, deserved and earned, to a better world. On the other hand, when an evil person dies, there is some satisfaction that, at least to some degree, there is a measure of justice even in this world.

There are other deaths that seem void of reason or shake our belief. And if they don't challenge us, require us to think deeply about faith - its reality and transformative nature - perhaps the belief itself is superficial. It's not just that one should "stand firm" - a solid wall can still be undermined, battered or demolished. The strongest faith demands questions, even doubts. When faced with the unanswerable, the response is two-fold: to nevertheless continue to examine, search, expect, even demand an answer and at the same time to strengthen one's faith - to experience more powerfully the presence of G-dliness. 

(By analogy, when a person G-d forbid has a life-threatening illness, yet the doctor assures the person that such-and-such a treatment will cure the disease, at the initial stage questions will be many but scattered, and acceptance of the doctor's expertise complete but with a drop of anxiety. As the process becomes more intense - the disease seems to be worsening (it's darkest before the dawn) and the treatment more difficult, the questions become more learned and sophisticated and the demands become more urgent. At the same time, the reliance on, trust in, the medical professionals becomes deeper, more intimate. Such is the nature of a life-altering experience.)

On the level of the soul, there are many explanations, but which one applies in the case that shocks or grieves us, is beyond the apprehension of all but a prophet. When a natural disaster strikes, taking this young life but sparing that, or G-d forbid a person, especially a young person, dies tragically, prematurely, who can know the Divine mission of that person's soul? It may be the soul descended from the heights of Heaven to perform a small, to us insignificant, act. The tying of a shoelace may reverberate in the Heavenly spheres, calling forth or revealing a level of G-dliness otherwise hidden or inaccessible. Who knows what a gesture, the presence, or mere existence of one person has done for the soul of another?

Governance or Power?

One of the Seven Universal Laws is to set up a court system. It's the only one phrased in the positive. The others - don't worship idols, don't blaspheme, don't murder, don't steal, don't be sexually immoral, don't take the limb of a living animal (don't be cruel to animals) - are phrased as negatives, things we shouldn't do. Setting up a court system is the only active commandment that applies to all humanity.

(The Seven Universal Laws are the basis of civilization. According to the Torah, when the six hundred thirteen commandments were given to the Jewish people at Sinai, these seven, also known as the Noachide laws because everyone is descended from Noah, were given to the world. Thus every human being is obligated, by Divine Imperative, to create a world of goodness and kindness.)

The uniqueness of the commandment to set up a court system requires examination. Courts are the arbiters not just of justice, but of government. It used to be that the king was the court of last resort. Ecclesiastical (religious) power expressed itself in a special legal and court system. Legislation is valid subject to judicial review. Etc.

Thus, while government is more than the sum of its courts, a society thrives - or not - on the success, that is, the justness, of its courts.

That said, the Talmud makes two apparently contradictory statements concerning government and its function. One statement declares, "Be wary of those in power, for they befriend a person only for their own benefit; they seem to be friends when it is to their advantage, but they do not stand by a person in his hour of need."

The other states, "Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear of it, people would swallow each other alive."

So which is it? Both!

The first warns against those with power - not just government. When power accumulates to individuals or groups outside the "court system" and its structure - beware. The second speaks not of individuals or groups - those with authority, control or might - but of government, institutions set up to regulate society and its affairs. In other words, we have a vested interest - should pray for - a stable government; to be stable, a government must have, at its core, a court system that ensures and enforces justice, fairness and equity - to all citizens. 

Travel Protection

The month before school is a busy travel month. It's the last chance to take a vacation or to visit family. And the couple weeks before school starts, there's a lot of movement to and from colleges. It's a good time for families to relocate if someone's got a new job. 

But busy travel times can be found throughout the year, not just beginning of football/baseball playoff time. Thanksgiving is a busy time, and summer in general people go traveling. And those in business are constantly on the go. 

With travel comes inconvenience. Packing, tickets, transportation to and from the transportation, hotel or other acccomodations, schedules, maps, food, itineraries and someone or something getting lost. 

Then there's security. Or insecurity. Passports, picture id's, screeners, (mis)handlers - as if traveling wasn't risky enough. Somehow it seems more dangerous to be on the road - or in the air - than scooting around town.

Whether we like to travel or find it a nuisance, we try to take proper precautions and we hope that whoever's driving (or flying) is driving safe. Travel's not by horse and wagon (though sometimes it may feel that way), but there's still plenty to worry about. 

With all the precautions taken on a physical level, though, we often don't concern ourselves with precautions on a spiritual level - other than perhaps a heartfelt yet fearful prayer on takeoff and a heartfelt and relief prayer of thanks on landing.

One reason for this neglect is that we think we're traveling for our purposes - whether business or pleasure. If a person is traveling pursuing his or her own affairs, then, in a sense, what does G-d care? But if we're not just traveling for ourselves, we're traveling (at least also traveling) to fulfill one of G-d's commandments, then our going and coming just might (no guarantees) merit extra spiritual protection.

One of the  universal commandments - a Divine decree applicable to all humanity - is charity - tzedekah in Hebrew. Thus there is a Jewish custom - but it's a custom that everyone can adapt - of designating a dollar or some coins as "charity travel money." This money - it doesn't have to be a lot - is given to a charity once the destination is reached. 

So even if you're going on vacation for yourself, you're also going to deliver charity, which G-d wants and needs you to do, to your destination city. G-d goes with you, so to speak.

It's even better if a third party participates, so that you're actually a messenger. So if a friend or family member is going on a vacation or a business trip, why not give them a dime or a dollar, and ask them to deliver to some charity upon their arrival? 

Humility

There's a paradox: being humble requires an ego. Let me explain. We're all familiar with the phrase, "The 'meek' shall inherit the earth" (Psalms 37:11). But 'meek' is a bad translation. Meek means submissive, easily imposed on. The Hebrew word is 'anav' - humble. How are we to understand this word? For it is used to describe Moses - the redeemer, the law-giver, the greatest of prophets. Moses is described as the most humble - 'anav' - of all.

Yet when we consider how Moses stood before Pharaoh, how he led the people and railed at their complaints and cowardice, how he destroyed the tablets, etc., we would hardly describe him as 'meek.' And another point: Moses had to know who he was. He couldn't lie to himself and say he wasn't a prophet, that he didn't speak to G-d directly, etc. So how does all this work?

The Talmud offers an insight: to be an 'anav,' to be humble, you first have to be honest. Honest with yourself. You have to assess your strengths and weaknesses, acknowledge your accomplishments as well as your failures. In other words, you have to have an ego - a sense of self. You have to know who you are. 

But then must come a recognition: if someone else had been given the opportunities and talent that I have, would they not have accomplished more, failed less?

This is not a false humility, an ego-game play. It can be, of course. But if the self-examination is honest, then so is the recognition: each of us has a Divine mission, a unique task. We each have a segment of the world to transform, through acts of goodness and kindness. 

When we make a difference, when we transform someone else's life for the better, even a little, spiritually or materially, we naturally feel good about ourselves. And that's when we need to become humble, become an anav. For really, we've only done our job, we've only completed a small part of the task entrusted to us. And there's so much more we could have done, and so much more we still need to do.

And if you're going to transform your part of the world, you can't be meek about performing acts of goodness and kindness. But humility - that's part of the job description.

Faith, Doubt & Questions

"I have faith!" or "I believe!"

Those two phrases, often used interchangeably, though they shouldn't be, are also used to end all discussion. And yet, they should be the starting point for the deepest discussions - if by discussion we mean a reasoned analysis or an argument in the classic sense of testing a thesis.

Let's use a simple example: A person gets sick, G-d Forbid, and goes to the doctor. The doctor examines the patient, diagnoses the condition, and prescribes medication. Do we have faith in the doctor? Of course. Otherwise, why submit to an exam and rely on the doctor's judgment? Do we believe the medicine will work? Of course. Why else would we take it. Do we have doubts? Of course. Until the medicine works. Then we have "complete faith" or "pure belief." This is so even if in fact the medicine did not cure the disease, but some other factor did.

But we've left out the questions! The questions begin the moment the status quo changes. We find out we're sick, and the questions start - Why me? What is it? What do I do? What does it mean? How does it work? They're endless. When we're with the doctor, more questions. When we take the medicine, more questions. When the medicine works, G-d Willing, more questions.

Now what? When we're cured, do the questions go away? No, they just become deeper. We believe in the doctor, we have faith in the medicine (or vice versa), but we have more questions, of a more profound nature.

There's what we believe before we know and what we believe after we know. Pre-knowledge belief is really a kind of semi-educated hope.  What we know, we don't need to believe. But knowledge is intellectual. The belief - or faith - that comes from experience transcends knowledge. That belief is truly rooted in the heart.

Wisdom

Wisdom

We all understand the value of wisdom. It pays to be smart. We also realize that while an education and knowledge may be pre-requisites for wisdom, being educated isn’t the same as being smart, and memorizing facts don’t make us wise.

Some people doubt the value of wisdom, of thinking deeply, of analyzing. Sometimes we all shoot from the lip - make judgments before we have fully and critically examined the issue or statement or idea before us.

But there’s another question about wisdom or intellect or understanding or knowledge - or the combination thereof - that almost never gets asked. What’s its purpose? Not what’s it good for, but why do we have it? G‑d instilled in us the power of discernment, evaluation, and thought for a reason. And while some of us may be smarter than others, the reason we have a mind remains the same for each of us. As much as we have, as much as G‑d has given us, we must use all of it to fulfill the purpose for which it was given.

We are given the power of wisdom and understanding in order to distinguish between good and evil. But even more, we are instilled with intellectual faculties in order to clarify the difference and to correct what we can. In other words, first we separate the good and proper from the evil and mistaken, and then we repair the negative. 

The second requires us to delve into the world. Those in business, for example, uses their heads to make a living. Involvement in the give-and-take of earning a living is similar to the sifting process of the intellect: we have to discern a good deal, and we have to examine our character. A “good deal” is only good if it results in more than a material gain; it must result in a moral transformation, of ourselves and our environment. This smelting of our emotions can only be done if we analyze our actions, our impact on those around us, and think deeply about who we really are.

Leadership

We talk about the need for leaders and the people who present themselves as leaders. We praise “leadership qualities” without quite knowing what they are. There are external traits - a leader is assertive, even aggressive; charming, even charismatic; well-spoken, even persuasive. A leader is principled, forceful, commands respect, organized, disciplined. A leader inspires confidence. A leader gets things done.

Yet none of these traits explain the relationship of a leader to the group. They don’t identify the responsibilities of a leader. And if we don’t know what relationship a leader is supposed to have with us, what job he’s supposed to do, how can we tell if a leader is really leading?

The nature of a leader is two-fold: first, a leader is a representative, or emissary, of the group. The leader acts on behalf of the group; his or her acts are their acts. Second, a leader is the guide and director, the decision maker for the group. He is both representative for and supervisor of.

These two responsibilities, or roles, manifest themselves in two different responsibilities: As representative, the leader must worry about the needs of the group as a whole. As the supervisor, the leader must be concerned with the individual, each according to his or her needs. 

This, then, is a simple way to test the effectiveness, and value, of a leader: When speaking for the group, is awareness of and concern for a particular individual evident? When solving the problems of an individual, does the leader recognize and address the larger issues that create such problems?