Posted on 09/21/2003 10:37:45 AM PDT by yonif
When I was in my first year of college, I fell into a deep depression. I didn't have a happy home life, and I didn't want to return home for the break between semesters. As the fall semester drew on, I became darker and darker in my mood. One of my roommates, upset by my sudden change in personality, convinced me to see the college counselor and, in order to get my roommate off my back, I complied.
The counselor was a woman in her 50s. She was short and stout, greying at the temples, and very tweedy. I mistrusted her.
"What is the problem?" she asked me at the first meeting.
"I can't get angry," I said.
"Really? Well, what do you do if your roommate makes a mess and refuses to clean it up?"
"I don't say anything, and in order to save an argument, I clean it up when she isn't there."
"What do you do when someone walks by and pushes you out of the way?" she asked.
"I just assume that I was in their way, and I don't say anything."
She asked me question after question after question. I admitted that I just didn't get angry. Her questioning and my answering lasted through three weekly half-hour sessions.
Finally, in the fourth week she said, "I know what is wrong with you."
"Really?" I said, incredulous.
"You are the most arrogant, self-centered, selfish person I have ever met!" she said.
I was speechless. I felt like I had been slapped, hard. "But I am always considerate of others! I am always arranging my life around others! I am always careful not to offend!!" I said defensively.
"Yes!" she said. "That is exactly why I said what I said. You are so arrogant that you think that if you were to get angry for a moment that the whole world would come to an end. You think you are so important and so powerful and so great that you deserve to take responsibility for the entire world. You are incredibly arrogant."
I shut my mouth and glared at her.
"Did I make you angry?" she said, tauntingly.
Over the next week, I thought a lot about what she said and I came to the conclusion that she was absolutely right. I was arrogant. I was selfish. I had taken responsibility for the bad actions of others. The following week, I told her that I had come to realize that she was absolutely correct.
She explained that there are two kinds of evil people in the world – those who take power without wanting to take responsibility, and those who take responsibility without taking power. Although most of us recognize evil in those who want power with no responsibility, few of us realize the evil in taking responsibility without taking power.
Over the last 20 years, I have remembered that counselor over and over and over again, and I have remembered her words when I found myself taking responsibility for things that were definitely out of my hands. I especially remembered her words when I studied the concept of modesty. A modest person, I have come to know, is not one who hides from the limelight or who diminishes their accomplishments around others. A modest person is one who balances responsibility with power.
A modest person takes responsibility for those things he or she has power to change, and refuses to take responsibility for those things that he or she has nothing to do with. Only one who is full of arrogance and hubris could feel that they are responsible for the bad actions of others, or for those events truly beyond the scope of human achievement.
Moses, the most modest man who ever lived, was not one to shy away from the limelight when he needed to be there, and he was not one who kept quiet when things were not right. He didn't diminish his accomplishments, but he refused to take credit for things that others did – even evil things. This is what made him modest. If he diminished his accomplishments, he diminished the importance of the gifts that he had been given to him by G-d and the hard work that he had accomplished in following G-d's Holy Torah. To diminish himself was to diminish G-d.
We learn this lesson of modesty again when we read the book of Job. Job's comforters are punished by G-d because they want Job to take responsibility for the terrible things that are happening to him. They want him to accept responsibility for something that is out of his hands. Job's test is not only whether he will remain true to G-d, his test is also a test of modesty. Job passes this test because he refuses to deny G-d's place in his life, and he refuses to take credit for things that are out of his control – even bad things.
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish puts this concept plainly before us when he writes, "He who becomes merciful unto the cruel is destined to be cruel unto the merciful." We must be aware at all times that we cannot take credit for the evil that others do. We must not be merciful to those who are cruel, because it is as if we are taking responsibility away from the perpetrator of that evil and taking that responsibility upon ourselves. To be merciful to the cruel is an act of selfishness and arrogance.
This is why it is imperative that Israel stop showing mercy to those who are cruel to her people. She must stop trying to find a way to make peace with those who perpetrate chaos and death and war. Israel must refuse to take responsibility for those things that are perpetrated by others, and show modesty in her understanding of her role. Israel must stop being kind to the cruel. She must be willing to be like Moses, and condemn those who are responsible. She must be like Job and refuse to accept responsibility for something not of her own making.
The terror and strife in Israel is not by Israel's hand, but by the cruel hands of others. She must stop apologizing and diminishing her accomplishments, and she must stand straight and tall. When Israel diminishes herself on the world stage, Israel diminishes G-d. When Israel apologizes for her success by bowing to those who take from us, she is refusing to acknowledge that her success and her fortune is by G-d and is in the merit of those who follow G-d's Holy Torah. Israel is immodest when she refuses to give credit to G-d when credit is due.
In these short days before Rosh Hashana, Israel must do teshuvah by forcing terrorists and terrorist organizations to take responsibility for their actions. Israel must do teshuva by refusing to diminish herself any longer before the world. Israel must do teshuvah by standing up for what is right, what is fair, and for what is her responsibility. Israel must do teshuvah by accepting credit only for what is her responsibility. Israel must do teshuvah by showing complete modesty through her righteous actions against those who would harm her people, her land and her unique and beautiful heritage.
It is alright to get angry, Israel. Righteous anger shows that we are holding others accountable, and that we refuse, finally, to be merciful to the cruel. We refuse, finally, to be cruel to the merciful. We refuse, finally, to take credit for the actions of others, even when those actions are evil.
Standing straight and tall requires a backbone; Israel has none.
Heart and mind, yes, spine and will - no.
Either Israel is a sovereign State or it is the 51st state.
Go shove your prejudice where your head is already, and where your heart has always been.
In these short days before Rosh Hashana, Israel must do teshuvah by forcing terrorists and terrorist organizations to take responsibility for their actions. Israel must do teshuva by refusing to diminish herself any longer before the world. Israel must do teshuvah by standing up for what is right, what is fair, and for what is her responsibility. Israel must do teshuvah by accepting credit only for what is her responsibility. Israel must do teshuvah by showing complete modesty through her righteous actions against those who would harm her people, her land and her unique and beautiful heritage.
If only Israel would listen!
Your kidding right?
Just the sheer amount of restraint they have shown thus far tells me they have more backbone than most.
A quirky lot Israel,such a small place,such a large concern.
Fighting back and killing your mortal enemies shows backbone.
Refusing to act shows cowardice and lack of will, something the arabs take advantage of every time.
I understand what you mean however they are not exactly "refusing to act" and surely you would agree that they under a lot of pressure to show restraint?
The article is sobering from the point of view that sooner or later Israel will throw off all restraint and that will be very messy on a global scale...can't say as I would blame them though...their enemies seem to be begging for it.
I agree that mortal enemies need to be dealt with accordingly and it seems obvious that the Palestinians don't actually want peace,at least not with Israel.
I just wouldn't go so far as to label Israel spineless.
God bless
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