A WALK IN THE PARK February 2, 2024
I never get writers’ block, but this week I came close.
I start thinking about the next post six or seven days ahead of the Friday on which it appears. Sometimes, I develop more than one idea. Last Tuesday, I was still drawing a blank.
One of the best techniques I know for freeing the mind is walking. So I headed into the Presidio National Park near my house. San Francisco having a Mediterranean climate and this being rainy season, most trees, shrubs and grasses are green. Of course, during dry season, grasses without irrigation go brown. That creates golden hillsides. And yes, fire danger.
What brilliant idea did I come up with? Not to have a brilliant idea. Instead, I decided just to mention a few things on my mind.
Let’s start with Congressional legislation regarding our southern border. Like the majority of Americans, I believe in controlled immigration. The Senate has worked to come up with bipartisan legislation that makes sense. But then, as always, there’s the House.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R.-La.) says any legislation will be dead on arrival. Why? It won’t be perfect, and Johnson is quite willing to let the perfect get in the way of the good. Really why? Donald Trump doesn’t want any solution to our border challenges unless he’s the one to sign it into law. Trump will ignore America’s wellbeing to keep this highly political issue alive and help him get elected president.
Next, a painful thought about the Israel-Hamas war. A six-week ceasefire is being negotiated. Still. If there’s agreement, it will include the release of Israeli hostages and, doubtless, Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Fighting will be stopped and lives saved. Gazans will receive much-needed food and medicine. Hopefully, no more rockets will fly over Israel.
But Hamas still vows Israel’s destruction (not gonna happen), and Israeli prime minister Bibi Netanyahu still vows to totally destroy Hamas (a worthy goal but unlikely). What’s missing? Focus on a long-term solution—two states, to which neither Hamas nor Bibi will agree.
Finally, this week’s Torah portion, Yitro (Jethro), presents the Ten Commandments— more accurately, Ten Words, Things or Matters. Number 10 addresses coveting. It’s puzzling. The first nine commandments concern actions. But coveting is in the mind, and the mind is hard to turn off.
What might solve these three problems: Americans can vote for anyone but Trump in the primaries and, if he’s the nominee, in the general election. Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Sunni Arab world can join with the West to promote a Palestinian state alongside Israel and isolate Iran and its proxies, including Hamas. People with the basics of life can leave off keeping up with the Joneses, shunning Madison Avenue, by following the wisdom of the Mishnah (Pirke Avot 4:1): “Who is rich? One who is contented with life’s portion.”
I’m humble enough to admit that I don’t know how to make this happen.
It’s going to take many more walks in the park for me to figure out why human nature so often guides us to make foolish and harmful choices. But as I walk, I’ll silently pray that we occasionally learn from our mistakes.
Oh, and on Wednesday, I came up with an idea for next week’s post. Today, I dismissed it.
Please pass on this post.
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Watch out foe holes in your soles.
I try to move lightly over the land, David. But yes, there are no easy ways to get from here to there.
The way I like to look at the Ten Commandments is that the first five have to do with improving our relationship with God, and the second five have to do with creating a functional society. So where does not coveting come in? It’s not about ordinary envy — wishing you could have a car or vacation like your friend’s. It’s about the kind of toxic envy or jealousy that corrodes relationships, the envy that eats you up inside and degrades the way you relate to other people. Seen in that way — particularly in the context of what was a close-knit tribal community — “don’t covet” is just as much about creating a functional society as “don’t bear false witness” or “don’t steal.” It’s all about community.
Well put, David.