I learned yesterday of the passing of a co-warrior in the battle to turn the world that is into the world that can be. Nancy was only 57 – compared to me, I could refer to her as being ‘just a child’. But she was not.
In thinking of her, I recalled that some time ago around Passover, at the onset of some war or another (there have been too many to remember which one), we had discussed a statement by Margaret Mead.
Margaret Mead had said, “The ongoing wars raging just about everywhere disturb us. The scientific breakthroughs amaze us. The political discussions intrigue us or disgust us — depending on the lack of civility.
Against the backdrop of these, we live our lives.
When we learn about our people’s liberation from Egypt, we encounter Divine plagues, the splitting of some body of water, Mt. Sinai, rebellions, miracles — these are the focus of the story. But I would suggest that it was the everyday choices of individuals and groups of Israelites that mattered the most.
Where should we pitch our tents? How do we share what wealth we have fairly? How do we nurture our children? Where do we graze our cattle? All of these decisions, which ultimately shaped the People of Israel, the Community of Israel, were made away from the headlines.
Likewise, the choices we ourselves make, the causes we embrace, how we invest our most precious resources — especially our time — should be made not in the glaring light of headlines, but in the real world of our lives.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead.
B’Shalom,
Rabbi Stanley Halpern