Daily Life Lessons from Rabbi Heschel
Year 3 Day 345
“The error or idolatry is to idolize needs, to convert needs into ends. As I have said elsewhere, the goal is to convert ends into needs. To develop a need for that which we may not feel the need of, to desire what is commanded. (Insecurity of Freedom pg. 63)
I am repeating the last line from yesterday’s quote so the next sentence is understood in proper context. In 1962, Rabbi Heschel gave us great advice and insight to the issues that have faced human beings since the beginning: Are we created, evolved to just satisfy our personal needs, are we created, evolved to hear and respond to a higher calling, is it both?
I believe, as some of Judaism teaches, that there are two Adams and Eves inside of us. Adam1/Eve1, found in the 1st chapter of Genesis, who is techno-man/woman-who wants to have rule and dominion over their environment, who work together for utilitarian purposes, who are much more self-contained, see personal needs as the highest achievement, and live a transactional life. This part of us will commit “the error or idolatry to idolize needs, to convert needs into ends.”
There is also Eve2/Adam2 within each of us. These are the people who find one another in Chapter 2 of Genesis, people for whom connection, covenant, ‘devekut’, union is of the utmost importance. Learning how to serve the needs of one another, leaving their parents home to begin a new way of being that is free, connected and elevated is the end they are serving. This part of us will, unlike the other part of us, commit “to convert ends into needs”.
The inner war that so many of us experience, that so many of us have surrendered to, involves these two parts of us. This always reminds me of the parable of Two Wolves from Native American culture. In searching for the exact words I came across a version of it I have never read. Rather than ending with “the one you feed”, this version, found on the Cherokee Copper Website, goes on to say: “But if you feed them right, they both win and so do you. You see both have good qualities. The black wolf has many qualities that we need, tenacity, courage, strong willed and great strategic thinking. These are the things the white wolf lacks.” WOW, the synchronicity of these last sentences with the Jewish wisdom that says “the good inclination is good and the ‘evil’ inclination is very good” is, to me, proof that wisdom is not the purview of one people, one person, rather we all have the ability and opportunity to rise above our personal needs to connect to our higher consciousness, to a higher power, to God. Every spiritual tradition has this type of story/parable in it so we know that we do not have to surrender to only one wolf, one inclination and that doing so-even if it is the white wolf, even if it is the good inclination-will result in more discontent and feelings of failure. As I write this, I realize that trying to live without the black wolf or the white wolf is another way “to idolize needs”.
Throughout history people have tried to show only one side of themselves in public, we call it our public persona, our ‘company manners’, our way of doing business, etc. We are so sick and tired of these facades both in another and ourselves that when someone comes along and tells you all the negative things you have been thinking and gives one ‘permission’ to not only have these thoughts but acting on them is ‘good for the soul’, people flock to the liar, the charlatan, the idolator, the autocrat, the cult leader, etc. This is a flaw in our educational system, beginning at home, continuing in both religious and secular schools. We are not learning/teaching how to feed both inclinations, how to help them work together “to convert ends into needs”. As a result of the failures of our educational system, we find ourselves in a world where ethics are situational, there can be alternative facts, liars and sexual harassers, sexual assaulters are considered ‘authentic’ people!
The solution “says simple and does hard” as the saying goes. We have to re-orient ourselves, re-educate ourselves and our children so they can educate their children correctly. We have to immerse ourselves in our spiritual paths, the teachings of which will lead us to find our own unique way to “develop a need for that which we may not feel the need for, to desire what is commanded.” We have to once again ask ourselves the how to questions rather than the why questions such as :
How do we rise above our selfish needs, how do we end our fascination with idolatry? We do this by dealing with our outsized Yetzer Hara, our overfed Black Wolf, so they no longer need to be dominant, they instead learn how to have “devekut”, union, with the Yetzer HaTov, the White wolf. We do this by also feeding the other parts of us, the good inclination, the white wolf the proper ‘vitamins’ so they can grow and meet the arguments of the Black wolf, the ‘evil’ inclination. Feeding them the proper diet of spirituality, of gratitude, of the joy of being commanded will strengthen them and help the ‘negative’ parts of us join with the ‘positive’ parts of us to form “a more perfect union” a more whole human being that is of service to more than just themselves. It is a hard job, it entails seeing the nuances of the demands upon us like “do justly” because we are also told that all justice has to be righteous, there has to be mercy within our decisions or they are not just and there has to be justice within our mercy or they are not merciful. We have to continually strive to find the “proper measure” of many traits and demands in order to fulfill one demand. It will take a lot of trial and error, being unafraid to admit our errors, clean them up, learn from them, and move forward. It ain’t easy and it is so gratifying and soothing to engage in this ‘war’.
I have been progressing in my service of ends rather than the needs my idolizing self comes up with. I hear the demands in my ears, in my heart, in my soul each day and I respond to the best of my ability. I have always fed both wolves, it is only in my dedication to a spiritual, religious practice that I have been able to feed them both according to their needs rather than according to my desires. I have stopped needing my desires to be met and respond to the demand of my higher self, my better angel instead-not always as successful as I would like and one grain of sand better each day. The how to questions fill my days and I am grateful each evening for the demands them! God Bless and stay safe, Rabbi Mark