בס''ד
10 Heshvan, 5773
October 26, 2012
When I was a freshman
in college, Rabbi Eli Schochet asked a question that stuck with
me: “Scott,” he said, “how are you surviving the East Coast
intellectual culture?”
He meant: was I surviving in a society where intellect is the medium of competition for status? Where I’m
from, there are plenty of status indicators, but who sounds smarter isn’t
generally one of them.
Though many ridicule Los Angeles
culture, I want to point out that the smart competition isn’t a boon to
humankind. Rabbi Schochet (who is very, very smart) derided the intellect
games. He felt that they were wind without a sail – pointless and without
gain.
I thought about his
question during the debates, not just because I learned nothing, not
just because strategy devoured thoughtful content, not only because I had to
turn to a political comic and a loudmouth pundit for thoughtful
consideration, but because, as the debate was live-tweeted, I saw us all
(myself included) seize rather than listen.
We do not listen to words anymore,
we only seize upon them. Anything said in the public, political sphere becomes
a chip in the game, points on the board, fodder for our truth management
(an unfortunate D.C.ism) and a facebook meme. We look to our leaders to enforce our
opinions, not to ask meaningfully of us. Their words exist to avoid
obstacles and outstrip the opposition. We aren’t running candidates; we’re
running horses.
I wish that I
had some grasp on how to change our reality; I find myself caught up in the cycle
I’ve described. All that I have to offer is Talmud: “Rava says, first a person
learns Torah, then s/he picks it apart.” (Talmud Brakhot 63b) Perhaps a moment
of understanding before salvos would make a difference.