Arise Is Here. 👈
Arise It's Time. Seek Justice.
Arise (Lyric Video) - Josh Warshawsky
Would it have been better if humanity had never been created?
Dear Friends,
This week we begin reading the Torah anew. After a full year's cycle brought to completion, we dive right back into the beginning of our story. We read of the creation of the world and of the creation of humanity.
In the Talmud, our compendium of Jewish law and debate, a story is told about Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel, two mega institutions of Jewish learning and scholarship, who once debated for two and a half years about whether or not humanity should have been created. This is the story:
תְּנוּ רַבָּנָן שְׁתִי שָׁנִים וּמֶחֱצָה נֶחְלְקוּ בֵּית שַׁמַּאי וּבֵית הִלֵּל הַלָּלוּ אוֹמְרִים נוֹחַ לוֹ לָאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא נִבְרָא יוֹתֵר מִשֶּׁנִּבְרָא וְהַלָּלוּ אוֹמְרִים נוֹחַ לוֹ לָאָדָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא יוֹתֵר מִשֶּׁלֹּא נִבְרָא נִמְנוּ וְגָמְרוּ נוֹחַ לוֹ לָאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא נִבְרָא יוֹתֵר מִשֶּׁנִּבְרָא עַכְשָׁו שֶׁנִּבְרָא יְפַשְׁפֵּשׁ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו וְאַמְּרִי לָהּ יְמַשְׁמֵשׁ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו (עירובין יג:)
Our Sages taught: For two and a half years, Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel disagreed. Beit Shammai said: It would have been preferable had humanity not been created than to have been created. And Beit Hillel said: It is preferable for humanity to have been created than had they not been created.
Ultimately they concluded: It would have been preferable had humanity not been created than to have been created. However, now that they have been created, they should examine their actions and seek to correct them. And some say: They should scrutinize their planned actions. (Eiruvin 13b)
For thousands of years humanity has been having versions of this debate. Would it have been better for human beings not to have been created? The rabbis seem to conclude that the answer is yes! But now that we are here, the key is to be driven by good. The key is to live intentional lives. This is what Judaism teaches us.
"Arise" came out of the wake of the Las Vegas shooting in October 2017. In the aftermath, I was searching for inspiration and guidance in the texts of our tradition. But sometimes, Jewish texts are not a comfort. Sometimes they must be a rallying call. A guidepost. A spark. This song is based on a collection of verses that were ringing in my ears that week, and as the one year anniversary of the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue shooting is this weekend, they unfortunately still continue to ring just as true today.
This song is different from any other music that I've created. I hope it moves you in a different way. I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please take a minute to let me know if/what it awakens in you, and please share on social media if it inspires you.
As we enter this new year and begin reading the Torah anew this Shabbat, let us "not be wise in our own eyes...Let the truth defeat the lies and come to light."
Shabbat Shalom,
Josh