02.26.10
Piyut Purim
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A Revolution of Value
A long time ago in a world in which we did not merit to become a part of a curious thing happened. There was a revolution of value.
It was totally unexpected and at first bitterly opposed. In this world the civilization had become extremely technological harnessing numerous innovations that had tremendous value in terms of making widespread communication commonplace throughout the world. Money was being made at an unprecedented rate while poverty proceeded at an equally unprecedented rate. In those times what people valued were things.
Shiny things, new things, old things, my things, your things, extending this concept as far as it could possibly go until even the very health of a person became a thing along with their well being and sadly it became all too clear that freedom was just one more commodity.
Things (pun intended) moved along like this at a rapid demoralizing pace. Governments began to be run by those whose main focus was to increase their own ability to purchase things for themselves and their progeny. They sided with the large corporations that made those things happen and produced or provided these things in abundance yes but for an ever increasing cost.
One day the inevitable happened. The people who had been mesmerized into buying things and services were little by little priced out of the market. Massive unemployment and malaise set upon the entire population of this world. It happened so fast that those who marketed the things and services were faced with a quandary. How do you get people to buy something when you already have all their money up front?
It was a simple solution, time honored, a little in bad taste but overall seemed to be the only way. The people would no longer participate in the buying of things because those who had everything decided that they now wanted to make the people become one of their things. Slavery it wasn’t called but you get the drift. People found themselves faced with the prospect of losing forever their freedom just so they could have handouts of more things that their owners were willing to give them along with feeding them and housing them.
The people at that time did an amazing thing. They put their trust in Hashem and said no. In a very short space of time they decided that what was more valuable than anything was their own freedom and their caring for each other doing everything that Hashem wanted them to. And so…they stopped buying, paying, charging, and finally most of all wanting. At that time a leader appeared who claimed to know what they wanted. The people said no thanks, Hashem was enough. It seemed they were tired of leaders too. They followed Hashem themselves and everything just worked out.
Martial law was declared to enforce the consumption of goods, however when millions simply don’t care and would rather live in the woods for example than participate in this system of accumulation run wild then it was clear that short of killing everyone the people could not be coerced.
Those who were in charge were mad. Laws were made compelling slavery and consumption but somehow the people worked it out amongst themselves.
Their basic needs were taken care of as several of those who had accumulated everything became embarrassed and opened up the grocery stores so the people could eat.
The funny thing is that with their new system of values everyone only took what they needed. They knew exactly the right thing to do. There was talk of a system of barter but for the most part people just took real pleasure in doing things for each other. This whole ‘kindness’ thing took off. Everyone had the sense that Hashem was with them too.
It took off to such an extent that whereas before people were willing to hurt one another in order to get ahead and get more stuff they turned one hundred and eighty degrees around and were willing to help each other make a good life for themselves.
It really is too bad the records from that world never came through because it really was remarkable what one simple act of love can accomplish that act being love for Hashem unconditionally. Multiply that by a whole population and you have something so wonderful that it can hardly be imagined.
The folks who were in charge held out for a long time playing their game of credits, balancing the books, taking advantage of each other, buying all the stuff that was still there or trying to purchase someone the stuff someone else still had. Still when they looked around at all the fun the rest of the world was having they began to think that maybe, just maybe they had missed the boat. The moment they had that thought Hashem entered their lives.
Then one by one they divested themselves of their interests by giving away all their stuff.
You might think this would have been easy but now that people really did not care about stuff it took a lot of begging and pleading to get someone to take a brand new car, or yacht, or a chalet or villa in France.
Happily all of that was worked out and of course you can guess what the side effects were. In a world where competition for stuff is absent wars became meaningless. Live and let live or let’s work things out became the bywords of each day along with Hashem is amazing.
You might think that people had a lot to lose by giving up their stuff but a curious dynamic came into play. There was more stuff than ever without striving for it simply because the people weren’t attached to their stuff; they were attached to each other by their love of Hashem.
Go figure!
02.24.10
Tetzaveh – urim and thummim choose well…
Tetzaveh – urim and thummim choose well…
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Tetzaveh – the partzuf of unification
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Terumah – dimensions unified within and without
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