Musings from the Meadow: Thoughts on Life Today (with Inspiration from Yesterday)

In Pirke Avot 4:1 we read: “Ben Zoma says: Who is the wise one? He who learns from all men, as it says, "I have acquired understanding from all my teachers" (Psalms 119:99). Who is the mighty one? He who conquers his impulse, as it says, "slowness to anger is better than a mighty person and the ruler of his spirit than the conqueror of a city." (Proverbs 16:32). Who is the rich one? He who is happy with his lot, as it says, "When you eat [from] the work of your hands, you will be happy, and it will be well with you" (Psalms 128:2). "You will be happy" in this world, and "it will be well with you" in the world to come. Who is honored? He who honors the created beings, as it says, "For those who honor Me, I will honor; and those who despise Me will be held in little esteem" (I Samuel 2:30).” Earlier this week I was studying this passage with a Mussar group I am leading at Hevreh of Southern Berkshire in Great Barrington...

I find it hard to read the news these days. Even more, as I do follow the news, I find myself viewing the myriad goings-on of our time through the lens of the middot /soul traits of the Mussar tradition , in which I spend so much of my time studying and teaching these days. This morning a rush of thoughts pulses through me in response to the events of just the past 24 hours. I will never be able to easily turn aside from the news of shootings. This week we have seen three such horrors in our country, two within hours of each other just yesterday. While it will yet take some time for the details of each of these horrors to be sorted out, it seems pretty clear from the early reports that the shooting in El Paso, Texas was the work of a young man consumed by the tidal wave of anti-immigrant, white supremacist rhetoric sweeping through our nation in recent years. It is a wave which seems to be gathering steam with each passing week as we head towards our next national election in Novem...