What is it to be a human being — so vulnerable, so fragile, and at the same time only slightly less than gods, strong and powerful, crowned with splendor? (Psalm 8:5-6)
As we stay safer at home, we are daily reminded of the frailties of our human bodies. And at the same time, we also witness the enormous capacity of human beings for great love, selflessness, and the power to create a better world. With another week at home ahead of us, how might we honor both our vulnerabilities and our vitalities as individuals, and how might we find strength in our connections to our community and to humanity as a whole?
There is a great teaching from Rabbi Simcha Bunum, a 19th century Hasidic rabbi: you must carry two notes in our pockets at all times. In one pocket, a note that reminds us that–like Abraham said–I am just a human being, made of dust and ashes. The other note, however, should say that the world was created just for me. We each are made of only dust and ashes, and yet, an individual life is as important as the existence of an entire universe. We have a small role to play in the history of humanity, and yet, we all have the power to influence the world for the better.
— Cantor Emma Lutz