Each time we
blow the Shofar on Rosh HaShanah we say the phrase, “HaYom Harat Haolam” which
means “Today is the day of the world’s creation.” This phrase is stated to
remind us that today is a day of renewal, a day in which we should think about
creation, recognize its goodness, and determine what our part should be in
maintaining its goodness for our generation and for the generations to come.
Have you
ever been astounded when watching a beautiful sunset, or upon seeing a colorful
rainbow form after a storm, or when looking up at the stars on a very dark
night? Have you ever marveled at the
seed cycle or stood in awe while watching a newborn enter the world? Have
you ever been amazed at how intricate the human body is or felt a sense of
wonder when sitting near the ocean or looking out from a mountain top? It is at times like these that noticing the
goodness of creation is readily felt. Is it at times like these that we also
think about our role in maintaining a world for others to enjoy?
In the
course of my reading recently, I discovered that Maimonides wrote about the
evil he saw in the world even though he believed that creation was good. “The first
species of evil is that which befalls man because of the nature of
coming-in-to-be and passing-away, I mean to say because of his being endowed
with matter…” (III 19a) In other words, the world is made up of matter
and so are we and things happen to material beings in a material world. There are natural disasters, birth defects,
and disease. “According to
Maimonides, the fact that we are material and thus vulnerable to physical loss
and eventually death is the least prevalent cause of evil, and wisdom can
mitigate the impact of this form of evil in our lives. For example, we can
watch our health, be careful about our diet, and the various other choices we
make that can affect our health for good or for ill. Of course we can only do
so much and nothing we do can prevent bad things from happening to us. Yet, we
do have some control over our lives, we do make decision all the time that
affect our health and welfare….”
The second
form of evil is that which governments do to people. “The evils of the second kind are those that
men inflict upon one another, such as tyrannical domination of some of them
over others. And these evils are more numerous than those belonging to
the first kind, and the reasons for that are numerous and well known. The
evils in question also come from us.” (III 20b) One need only look at human history to know that the world has struggled
with this kind of evil and has yet to learn how to stop it from occurring.
The third
form of evil comes from what we do to ourselves and to each other. “The evils of the third kind are those that are
inflicted upon any individual among us by his own actions; this is what happens
in the majority of cases, and these evils are the most numerous than those of
the second or first kind. All men lament over evils of this kind; it is
only seldom that you find one who’s not guilty of having brought them up on
oneself.” Basically what Maimonides was writing about was giving ultimate concern
to something that is not of ultimate value.
By his definition, this kind of action is a form of idolatry. Whether it is pursuing wealth and placing
ultimate concern on one’s economic well-being in such a way that greed
overrides all concerns for others or whether it is giving way to
over-consumption which can lead to environmental disaster, these are ills that
we inflict on others by our own actions.
The pulpit is not a forum for
politics, but it is a forum for thinking about the implications of our actions
as a nation and as individuals. If we
think about the three kinds of evil apparent to Maimonides, we can never end
the first species of evil although we can mitigate the effects of disease,
birth defects, and natural disasters. We
can only offer one another love and support after these occurrences take place
which will help lessen the emotional upheaval experienced. We can however,
strive to end the second species of evil, the evil that governments do to
people. We can speak out about policies
that discriminate against individuals based on their gender, race, ethnicity,
or religion. We can refuse to be bystanders when any government leader uses language
that promotes hatred. There should never be a time when language is used to
provide a dehumanized vision of any group. Human beings should never be
described as vermin that infest our shores. We can and should show our disdain
for attempts to deregulate environmental policies which have been designed to
protect the air, water, and land upon which our survival depends. We must wake
up to the fact that protecting the environment for all on this planet in the
long run is more important than achieving economic prosperity for some in the
short run.
Each of us needs to think about
where we stand now as a nation, where we’ve been in the past, and what we need
to do to improve this country so it is truly a bastion of democracy that
respects the lives of each of its inhabitants.
We have a diverse population and that is what makes us great. We can’t afford to have elected leadership in
any branch of government that promotes divisions whether it be based on race,
religion, ethnicity, or gender preferences.
We know first hand as Jews what happens when groups are treated as the
“other” in society. We know first hand
what happens when good people become by-standers allowing governments to enact
forms of legislation that don’t take into account the well-being of all of its inhabitants.
As individuals, we need to
reflect upon our own lives. Are we
caught up in over-consumption, worrying about material wealth more than
relationships? Are we reaching out to
improve life for the have-nots in this world?
Are we extending our hands to offer emotional support and physical
comfort to those in need? Do we involve ourselves in activities that bring us
into relationships with others that are meaningful and purposeful? It is true that raising our voices, signing
petitions, and marching are all worthwhile activities, but if we really want to
feel the goodness of creation, we should help someone who is in need. There are so many things we can do from
making a meal for a sick or aging friend, driving someone to a doctor’s
appointment or for groceries, babysitting for a family needing some respite
time, to making a phone call to someone who will be thrilled to have the phone
ring and not have it be a telemarketer. None
of us has to do everything because we can’t do everything, but we can think
beyond ourselves and act in ways that bring the beauty of creation to the
forefront.
As Maimonides wrote, “We each decide whether to make ourselves
learned or ignorant, compassionate or cruel, generous or miserly. No one forces
us. No one decides for us, no one drags us along one path or the other. We are
responsible for what we are.”
Hayom Harat HaOlam…Today is the
day of the world’s creation…what path will each of us decide to take on this
auspicious day?
No comments:
Post a Comment