Last night I had the strangest dream
I ever dreamed before
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war
I dreamed I saw a mighty room
The room was filled with men
And the paper they were signing said
They'd never fight again
And when the papers all were signed
And a million copies made
They all joined hands and bowed their heads
And grateful prayers were prayed
And the people in the streets below
Were dancing round and round
And guns and swords and uniforms
Were scattered on the ground
Last night I had the strangest dream
I ever dreamed before
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war (Folk song sung by Joan Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary)
Visions of peace…are not to be taken lightly. We talk about them all the time. They are part and parcel of our prayers on a daily basis. Peace isn’t just the absence of war, however. It is the state of being complete, whole, unified. When Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson spoke about unity, he emphasized that it should not be confused with sameness. Perfect harmony in the world would not be a result of having everyone think and act the same. “Unity is a process.” Perhaps the process is that of cooperation born out of a sense of moral responsibility.
During the High Holydays we actually take the time to stop and think about our relationship to G-d and every creature on this wonderful planet. We attempt to renew our goals for the coming year and rediscover our relationship to all of life. You’ll notice we don’t sit alone with our thoughts. Instead we sit together with others in this congregation, thinking about common goals as well as individual goals.
Judaism has its view of a goal for humankind as well. That goal is an era of peace and brotherhood known as the Messianic Era. It is a time when the world will be rid of the ills that plague it. The view of the future is a positive one, requiring us to work hard to overcome hatred and prejudice and to discover the spark of G-d that we believe is embodied in each human being. Judaism talks about history being linear. We are working towards bringing the world’s inhabitants into an harmonious existence. Our view of this time is not that it will be a time of reckoning. It does not require the destruction of the world and its inhabitants, it requires positive human actions. We believe that all people in all corners of the Earth should be involved in cooperative actions to improve life. Our vision for the future is built upon the belief that the fabric of society can change for the better.
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach wrote, “A messianic world is one where all the people of the earth, while retaining their intrinsic identities, come together to create a better world.” He equates this concept to the concept of marriage, where two individuals unite although different and through their love for each other create a child together. “When they have a child together, their unity is demonstrated in the form of a single, indivisible entity, which makes for an incredible equation: 1+1= 1. This equation sums up the messianic era: many different ‘ones’, in the form of nations, people, and ideas, integrating together to serve and reunify the ultimate “One”- G-d almighty, whose infinite power and essence are reflected in creation, all of which emanates from Him.”
So, that’s nice, you might say. We have a vision for the future, but what does that have to do with me? I don’t believe I’ll be around to see a messianic era. After all, nations are still at war…religious fanatics are still trying to destroy those who don’t accept their version of the truth. What possible difference can I make in the big scheme of things?
If Rabbi Akiva were here to answer these doubts, he would tell us to “start by loving our neighbors.” Rav Kook wrote that Akiva would also tell us that if we are to fulfill this commandment we must “first love ourselves and genuinely believe that we are created in G-d’s image. After we love ourselves, the next stage is to truly love all those around us- our families, friends, and neighbors. From this very strong beginning, we will successfully conquer the whole world with our message of devotion, divinity, and sanctity.”
Maimonides wrote about the commandment to love each other as we love ourselves in Sefer HaMitzvot. He explained that “my compassion and love for my brother should be my compassion and love for myself regarding his property, his person, whatever is in his possession, or whatever he desires. And that whatever I wish for myself, I should wish for him likewise. And whatever I would hate (to be done) to myself or to anyone close to me, I will likewise, hate to be done to him.”
Maimonides also related that “There is a Rabbinic prescription to visit the sick, comfort the mourners, remove the dead (for burial), greet the bride, escort guests, be involved in all the burial needs…bring joy to the bride and groom...” These acts of loving kindness can be done without limit. They are Rabbinic prescriptions that all fall into the category of “love your neighbor as yourself.”
When we begin to think like Akiva or Maimonides, we start to notice that it is easier to have an effect on the immediate realms of our world than we had previously thought. We recognize that we can impact our families, our neighborhoods, our communities. The key is to not get caught up in a world view that emphasizes the love of self only or the love of one’s own family to the neglect of others.
The world up to this point in time has always faced divisions based on its diversity. Groups have not yet learned to stop gratifying their instant needs and start finding spiritual relevance in their everyday activities. Of course if we believe in diversity, we also believe that each group will find its own path to spiritual relevance. Regardless of the path, the goal can be the same, to express the oneness of G-d by acknowledging that all of humanity stems from the same source. When human beings no longer strive to be “king of all the Earth” and will acknowledge G-d as the King of all the earth, we will have arrived at our goal of an era of everlasting wholeness, peace. May we continue to work toward that goal in our own small ways and in ways that will influence all who have contact with us.
Amen.
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