Maimonides tells us that what separates man from animal is that man talks/adam medaber. It means that man is rational. He can think out his thoughts in a rational fashion, filter out what needn’t be said, and use tact for what is said.
In last night’s debate between presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton, Trump dismissed his derogatory statement about his sexual harassment acts towards women as mere Locker room talk. But talk is in the psyche, it seeps into action, it reveals fantasy that leads to abuse of power in the work place and other places and a violation of other people’s space and rights. It reveals that Trump, to show off to his pals, has to brag about his prowess, his acts with unwilling partners. That his bragging about these acts finds approval in the locker room, is what causes such acts to spill out of the locker room into the real world. It denigrates women by elevating derogatory acts towards them.
A debate in and of itself is a revelation of the power of words. The ability to persuasively and eloquently state what’s in the candidates’ mind, what his/her position is. The people care so much about debates because the words and positions are so very revealing, they bare truth in thought and intellect and intelligence, the ability to stand on one’s feet in tough situations and withstand the parry and repost of words.
We are in the ten days of awe. Yom Kippur is at hand. We will be saying a lot of words in the coming days, to each other and to G-d. They will reveal what is inside our minds and hearts. Asking forgiveness of others, granting forgiveness to others, reveals what is inside of us, our humility and understanding before each other and G-d. We will spend over a day begging G-d for forgiveness and for a good year. You and I know the problem. The words in the siddur are not ours, they were created for us, and many times we do not understand what we are saying. The fact that we did not create the words should be of no moment, for the words were thought out hundreds of years ago for us, who may not be so eloquent, yet who, as a nation, ask G-d for forgiveness and mercy. See G-d, we are united. We ask for forgiveness as one, and we ask that you redeem us as a nation. Read the English, it will enlighten you and bring you warmth.
The fact that Trump let us know oh so many times that this world is a disaster, its people are a disaster, he is not wrong. G-d has designed the world so, for if it was perfect, we would not have the burning desire for it to change and would not beseech G-d to bring the Messiah. G-d does not want us to get too comfortable in this world. It is a world where we were meant to grow, willingly or unwillingly.
So on this, the eve of Yom Kippur, I ask you, all of my friends, to forgive me if I wrote or did something that hurt you, I will try to do better in the future. If I have hurt you please let me know. Email me at:thefivetowns@aol.com.
Gmar chatimah Tovah.
Yours,
Suri