Judaism INsight Out #84 –

Separate/Distinct/Order vs Sameness On Purpose

Stipulations:

Holy (kodosh) in Hebrew also means separate (‘sets apart’)
The second day of creation, Hashem did not create, He separated, set apart (i.e. waters by the firmament etc.) for distinction rather than sameness
Separation is necessary for closeness (absence makes the heart grow fonder yet out of sight out of mind)
Sacrifice (Korban) in Hebrew comes from a root that means “to come near or to (closeness)… thus, as any parent – even a dogfather will state sacrifice allows and is necessary for closeness

God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water, that it may separate water from water.” God the expanse, and it separated the water which was below the expanse from the water which was above the expanse. And it was so. God called the expanse Sky. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day

Genesis 1:6-8 Jewish Publication Society

Separationoccurred rather than creation, per se, on the second day – for the order and distinction necessary for the creation

First Hashem gave conscience to man. And what did that get? Cain, who obviously had conscience, otherwise why after killing Abel would he rhetorically ask, ‘am I thy brother’s keeper?’ unless he was just channeling a future revisionist spin meister from CNN or MSNBC’s Rachel Madcow.

So conscience wasn’t enough.

Next, Hashem gave humanity the 7 Laws of Noah. And what did that get? Sodom & Gomorrah.

Lastly, Hashem chose one people to be an example. To made his point, Hashem chose neither a people who represented the height of civilization and culture at the time (Egypt) nor all the slaves of the world at the time to release from their bondage, instead he chose the lowly Israelites to have the separate – the holy – the distinct assignment to represent & be an example: to be a light onto all nations, a nation of Priests unto Me (Note: George Bernard Shaw and Lerner & Lowe owe Hashem royalties for the Henry Higgins’ transformation of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady).

Again, the chosen people were chosen – not for superiority – but for an assignment – a separate holy task – “to be a light unto all nations, a nation of priests unto Me”

The Cancel Culture Kosher Nostra

The Colloquial Definition of Kosher: derived from the Hebrew word “kasher,” which means “proper” or “pure”

Order requires distinction and separation: fish gotta swim (not fly), birds gotta fly (not swim). There is a natural separation between air, water, and land animals. Thus, one explanation of Kosher is animals that broach that broach their designated area – their distinct realm (air, water, or land) are not Kosher – appropriate for Jews. Another explanation is the separation from that which gives life (milk) from that which connotes death (the carcass). Furthermore, one can eat meat (the carcass) but the blood (the life that which carries the soul) belongs to Hashem and Kosher requires the blood to be drained. And so regardless this writer’s fondness as a child for cheeseburgers – it has been 20 years+ since a Big Mac with cheese in recognition of the order, the distinction of separating life (milk/cheese) from death (the carcass) though I am not ‘Kosher’ per se.

Separation – distinction – for order – fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly and never The Mark Twain they shall meet as Kosher.

Korach used the tactic of espousing utopian egalitarianism (supposed good reason) to mask his real motivation his own power & self enrightment usurping Moses (the real reason – resulting in the earth swallowing up him and his followers. Modern day Korachs: Napoleon in Animal Farm ‘where all are equal and some are more equal than others; Pocohauntus Warren & Fairoah Obama- ‘you didn’t build it’ (though they be takers not makers)– cumbaya or you get their (without finger prints for plausible denial) riotous cowardly scumbag shock troops aka rationalizing intolerant violence for tolerance & peace (akin to fornicating for virginity). Unkosher (Trief) Korachs – espousing utopian good reasons not real reasons while they build & reside in Martha’s Vineyards etc

The Korach cancel culture cc-pc leftists – seek sameness in the name of utopian egalitarian equality (masquerading its theft, coveting confiscation while monetizing its ‘victimhood.’) Sameness sacrifices (without creating closes) liberty resulting in equality of misery and rationalized riots. Rather than a salad where all the ingredients retain their distinction (i.e. the tomato, onion etc), the cancel culture seeks a milk shake (except in gender self-identification) where the ingredients lose their distinct and separate identity. Exempted are their Unkosher Korach leaders (akin to Orwell’s Animal Farm – “where all are equal, but some more equal than others”). And so the wheat gets the shaft

With the exception of equality of opportunity, there is nothing as unequal as equality – and the cost is liberty to manifest one’s distinct spark of Hashem developed from capacity into capability. And that extinguishing of the distinct – the spark that ain’t Kosher regardless one’s religion – but an abomi- nation by the AOC’s, Pelosi’s, Schiffs, and doddering Bidens dimming metaphorically the USA’s task to be ‘a shining city on the hill.’ (Is it a coincidence that Jerusalem – the holy city – has within its name JerUSAlem — USA – regardless the ‘hate America first crowd.’

And so, it’s the same(ness) old song (theft), but a different country when distinction & order is gone – The Cancel Culture’s Four Taps rather than Four Tops.

And yet….This Too Shall Pass

One day King Solomon decided to humble Benaiah ben Yehoyada, his most trusted minister. He said to him, “Benaiah, there is a certain ring that I want you to bring to me. I wish to wear it for the Sukkot festival, which gives you six months to find it.”

“If it exists anywhere on earth, your majesty,” replied Benaiah, “I will find it and bring it to you, but what makes the ring so special?”

“It has special powers,” answered the king. “If a happy man looks at it, he becomes sad, and if a sad man looks at it, he becomes happy.” Solomon knew that no such ring existed in the world, but he wished to give his minister some added humility.

Spring passed and then summer, and still Benaiah had no idea where he could find the ring. On the day before Sukkot, he decided to take a walk in one of the poorest quarters of Jerusalem. He passed by a merchant who had begun to set out the day’s wares on a shabby carpet. “Have you by any chance heard of a special ring that makes the happy wearer forget his joy and the broken-hearted wearer forget his sorrows?” asked Benaiah.

He watched the elderly man take a plain gold ring from his carpet and engrave something on it. When Benaiah read the words on the ring, his face broke out in a wide smile.

That night the entire city welcomed in the holiday of Sukkot with great festivity. “Well, my friend,” said King Solomon, “have you found what I sent you after?” All the ministers laughed and Solomon himself smiled.

To everyone’s surprise, Benaiah held up a small gold ring and declared, “Here it is, your majesty!” As soon as Solomon read the inscription, the smile vanished from his face. The jeweler had written three Hebrew letters on the gold band: Gimel, Zayin, Yud, which begin the words “Gam zeh ya’avor – This too shall pass.”

At that moment Solomon realized that all his wisdom and fabulous wealth and tremendous power were but fleeting things, for one day he would be nothing but dust.

One of cornerstones (middot – moral character traits) of Judaic Mussar ethical teaching is equanimity – which is to mean rise above the good AND the bad — and so ‘this too shall pass’ – Hashem has a plan – regardless the Cancel Culture.