Elul 16: Rabbi Jonathan Sacks writes, "Guilt is out of fashion these days, like sports jackets, courtesy, humility and handkerchiefs...For us, when things go wrong, it was someone else’s fault: the boss, the colleague, the system, the government, the media, our parents, the way we were brought up, society, bad luck or our genes. Feeling guilty, they say, is bad for us. It lowers self esteem..."
Judaism offers an opposing perspective all about responsibility and honesty where forgiveness as Sacks writes "melts into the flames of God's forgiveness" - So do you take responsibility for your mistakes? Missteps, dare I say it sins? And equally important are you ready to offer your forgiveness to those who have wronged you...
2 comments:
There is a great drawing in R.Crumb's Genesis of the "Where are you" moment after Adam and Eve ate from the tree. God stands before Adam who is grinning and sweating and pointing to Eve who is grinning and sweating and pointing to the serpent. Scientists have said the two great modifiers of human behavior are guilt and laughter.
I am currently writing a story of retention of vision - the phenomenon that allows up to see movies and for actors to on and off the stage in a blackout - I also think there is another kind of retention of vision - emotional and spiritual where images of past mistakes and hurts fly through our consciousness to influence our future - add it up and you get a legacy - a spiritual footprint of the space you've taken up in your time here. Guilt is a vital tool to building the legacy
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