mini-reflection

Psalm 65

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“The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys are enveloped with grain.” (65:14)

This verse is the picture of a sustainable community, describing a symbiotic relationship between that which grows on the land and the animals which eat that which the land produces. The flocks consume the growth and leave donations of fertilizing waste. The shepherds shear the flocks to spin the wool, select animals for food, use the skins for parchment, perhaps to write a Sefer Torah, and the farmers plant wheat and barley for bread. The farmer cares for the land, the shepherd moves around the flocks, and all depend on God for proper rain in its season.

Psalm 64

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“Their tongue shall be their downfall.” (64:9)

Sir Walter Scott wrote, “O what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” One lie builds on the next and on the next. Eventually, the whole ungainly pile falls down under its own weight.

Sometime in the first half of the 19th century, a Reverend Mr. Stuart advised three questions to be put to ourselves before speaking evil of any person: “Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?” Whether it is the tongue or the fingers we are exercising, we would be wise to heed Mr. Stuart’s advice.

Psalm 63

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“The mouth of liars will be stopped up.” (63:12)

We might tell a lie to avoid making ourselves look bad. A successful lie is an ego boost, causing the spotlight of adoration to swing our way. Lying becomes habitual when we feed our ego a series of little lies. The now overfed ego can no longer survive on a normal humble diet, but demands constant stroking and feeding. At this point, bending the truth is a way of life and we no longer notice whether people believe us or not; we thrive on the volume of their attention. The solution — close up the mouth, turn off the lies, and starve the ego into submission.

Psalm 62

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“Like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?” (62:4)

Placing a fence around the Torah protects and honors the Torah by not getting too close to a violation of its restrictions. An example — light Shabbat candles 18 minutes before sunset, so even if you are a few minutes late, you have not kindled fire on the Sabbath.

A poorly maintained fence or one which is routinely breached does not honor the property which it surrounds. The solution is not to build a wider fence or higher wall, but rather to repair the current boundary marker and make sure people understand why it is there.

Psalm 61

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“Add days to the days of the king; may his years be from generation to generation.” (61:7)

The argument for term limits is that after a certain period of time, elected officials become difficult to remove because the thoughtless inertia of voters keeps them in office. Such officials no longer feel beholden to their constituents and the only way to remove them is to limit the number of terms of office they are allowed to hold.

The counter-argument is that learning how to be an effective leader takes time and experience, and thus we are best represented by long-term elected officials. Better the experienced leader we know than the unseasoned novice we don’t.