בס''ד
Yelling
22 Adar, 5772
March 16th, 2012
It’s been a big few weeks for the
pundits and talking heads. As the presidential election draws closer, as Israel ’s concerns about Iran
What irks me, as the tensions rise,
are the kinds of people to whom we’ve chosen to listen, as they pontificate on
our nation’s and people’s woes.
The prophet’s primary definition
has been misplaced somewhere in the crevasse of modern parlance. A prophet’s
first job is to yell at his or her own people, to the group to which s/he
belongs. Prophets are the expression of our internal voice of conscience. So
why is it that all we hear are people yelling at the other guy?
The Limbaughs and the Olbermanns,
the Frankens and the Pragers – all these pundits direct their energies solely
towards the other. Towards those like them, and especially regarding their own
sacred persons, they have nothing but pristine confidence.
Our Torah does not admire
intelligence in place of wisdom, nor glibness in the stead of humility. One of
the great questions of the Talmud is, “Who in this generation is worthy of
giving criticism?” The manner and method of those to whom we give a platform is
of vital importance.
If we could change the world in
small, but substantive ways, let one change be this: that we enshrine in our
culture those whose criticism we need to hear, not only those who
criticize on our behalf.
“A wise person accepts
discipline. One who hates criticism is a fool.” Proverbs 12:1
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