By Simon Jacobson By Simon Jacobson
Do you have a vision for the future? A sense of where your life is going? You may have retirement plans, financial goals, places you’d like to visit, experiences you look forward to – but do you have a bigger vision?
In generations past, when tyrants ruled and oppressed, life’s difficulties helped crystallize our beliefs. Our adversaries forced us to hold on to a dream for a better future, or else our spirit would be annihilated. In truth, this was not a real vision for the future, but one that helped people get through the hardships. They didn’t have the luxury to spend time defining their future. When you’re running for dear life you can’t wax eloquent with visionary aspirations.
But today, with our success and opportunities, the biggest question lingers: Where are we headed?
Embedded in the Jewish psyche is a profound paranoia. Centuries of persecution defined the driving engine of this people. The enemy defined our identity. But what is our identity when we have no enemy?
Modern Zionism offered a powerful cause: After years of persecution, after the Holocaust, come join us as we rebuild our homeland. Let us plant vineyards, let us plow the land – let us turn the desert into a metropolis, and Jewish home. This calling elicited the pioneering spirit of the early settlers.
All revolutions –American, French, Russian – were driven by a common enemy, by a common challenge, which when mobilized turned into a force for powerful change. The definition of revolution is a radical change to an existing system, the overthrow of a previous regime or paradigm. But is revolution possible without a defined adversary?
We know what to do in times of crisis. We have the “Anti Defamation League” and other “anti” entities; but what do we stand for when we have no enemy or crisis?
After years of putting out fires, we have become masters of defense. Prosperity has contributed to a reverie of complacency, which paralyzes us when we are rudely awakened.
Our current condition has resulted in three types:
1) Religious Jews driven by observance. If you ask them about the secular world, many would answer: we don’t care. Our job is to build religious families and communities. They have a vision, but in most cases their vision is localized and provincial.
2) Jews driven by cultural, humanitarian causes, civil rights, social activism and other noble ventures.
3) The majority are driven by neither, and have no idea what it means to be Jewish, except as defined by anti-Semitism or in times of crisis when Jews are under attack.
In a recent interview, financier Michael Steinhardt stated his disappointment. He feels that the $40 million he has given for Jewish survival has not accomplished its goals. Makor, Birthright and other programs achieved good things – but have not seriously impacted secular young Jews as he intended.
Jewish philanthropists are terrified by the “religious” solution – either because of its narrow agenda, fed by the limited attitudes of some orthodox Jews, or basic distrust of religion (for good reasons), or their own ambivalence regarding G-d and faith.
Instead they opt for a secular solution, which suffers from an equally compelling problem. It may have good intentions and even produce positive results, but its universal scope seems to depend on diluting spiritual passion and absolute drive toward a clearly defined destination.
So we have two options: Either narrow religiosity, which may have passion and commitment, but lacks universal appeal and objectives. Or we have a universal, non-denominational, non-sectarian approach that lacks a passionate and driven focus.
I humbly submit a third option–the essence of Torah as given to us at Sinai 3316 years ago on Shavuoth.
Torah and Judaism are not “religious” in the conventional sense. It is not just for certain Jews and it is not merely a technical system of do’s and don’ts. It offers the entire universe a vision of how life should be lived to its fullest.
At Sinai G-d gave the universe a Torah, which is not just a book for religious Jews. The Torah is an owner’s manual for all aspects of life. Indeed, the Midrash calls Torah an architect’s blueprint, which the Cosmic Architect used to create the universe.
The Torah tells all people: Your quintessential personality is Divine. You were created in the Divine Image and your mission is to allow your soul to express itself through your body, and spiritualize your material corner of the universe.
Each of us is charged with “mitzvot,” obligations and connections that allow us to refine and spiritualize our lives and our surroundings.
We are charged with a Divine mission to use our skills and our opportunities to utilize the material world for higher, spiritual ends.
Authors hail the great contribution of the Jewish people to the world. The Torah teaches us a vision that life has purpose and progresses toward a destination. History has a beginning and is guided by Divine Providence for a purpose. Everything in creation is suffused with reason. This vision, as they write, would later inspire the Declaration of Independence and our hopeful belief in progress and the sense that tomorrow can be better than today.
In the words of John Adams: "The Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation.... They are the most glorious Nation that ever inhabited the earth… They have given religion to three-quarters of the Globe and have influenced the affairs of Mankind more, and more happily than any other Nation, ancient or modern… [even if I were an atheist] I should believe that chance had ordered the Jews to preserve and propagate to all mankind the doctrine of a supreme, intelligent, wise, almighty sovereign of the universe, which I believe to be the great essential principle of all morality, and consequently of all civilization."
Freedom and prosperity create a stage where the Divine vision of life can finally be realized. The Torah tells us that the vision of the future is a world that will be filled with Divine knowledge as the waters cover the sea. A world where material activities will be a means to spiritual gains. Today we invest our time, energy and resources to primarily achieve personal gain and profit. Days are coming when that same investment will be driven by spiritual goals that unite the planet and all its inhabitants.
In generations past the Torah vision created civilization. Yet, due to oppression the vision was not fully implemented. Today, as freedom reigns, we can finally bring revolution to the world. The vision for today is that because the world is a freer place we can now search out the true vision for life.
Days are coming when every person on this earth will recognize that he or she is unique and indispensable in the Divine plan. Each of us is a necessary musical note in the large cosmic composition. We need each other to play the music together. Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, every one of us, regardless of background, has this mission, and we must live up to it and help each other reach that place.
Days are coming when we see our present prosperity and accelerating technology as a Divine gift to change the world.
If you need it, we DO have a common enemy today as well. The enemy’s name is complacency. It is not an adversary from without, but one from within.
Years of oppression, followed by modern affluence have allowed us to wander from our greatest need aspiration of all – a life in pursuit of purpose and vision.
3316 years ago the Jewish people had just left 210 years of Egyptian oppression, but no longer defined themselves by their oppressors. They received a vision that is self-standing and independent, originating and connected to a higher place – not defined by conditions around us.
People who held onto the Sinai vision were not affected by the difficult challenges. No adversary, no enemy, no persecution could shake someone who had a vision for the future – a vision of a time when there would be no more war and hatred, a time of peace and unity, a time when we could access the deepest recesses of our soul.
Yet, one could argue that their oppression fed their faith. Today, our challenge is to access the vision without an enemy from without.
Life today often appears aimless, and many of us don’t seem perturbed by that fact. We have ways to keep ourselves busy and distracted.
3316 years ago G-d gave us a vision. Are we ready to embrace it? Can we afford not to?