Cityscape image of Tel Aviv at sunset (Shutterstock.com)

Cityscape image of Tel Aviv at sunset (Shutterstock.com)

 

 

Holy Hermits Won’t Save America

 

October 30, 2024

By Rabbi Elie Mischel

Reprinted from Israel 365 News — The Israel Bible

 

It’s hard to believe, but American culture has somehow found a new low. Vice President Kamala Harris recently appeared on a hugely popular – and incredibly vulgar – podcast called Call Her Daddy, hosted by 30-year-old Alex Cooper. That a woman running for President of the United States would appear on such a show is yet another sign that America is spiraling to ever deeper depths of depravity.

The natural reaction of a believing Jew or Christian to a culture like ours is to withdraw. We must separate ourselves from the culture, find spiritual shelter in our synagogues and churches, and ride out the storm of impurity and disbelief. But is this really the will of God?

וַיְהִי כָּל־יְמֵי חֲנוֹךְ חָמֵשׁ וְשִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה וּשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה׃

All the days of Chanoch came to 365 years.

Genesis 5:23

וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ חֲנוֹךְ אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים וְאֵינֶנּוּ כִּי־לָקַח אֹתוֹ אֱלֹהִים׃

Chanoch walked with Hashem; then he was no more, for Hashem took him.

Genesis 5:24

To you and I, a life of 365 years sounds impossibly long. If God offered us a life of that length, we’d sign up for 365 years in a heartbeat! Yet by ancient biblical standards, Enoch’s (Chanoch) life was tragically short. His father, Jaredn (Yered), lived to the age of 962, while his son, Methuselah (Metushelach), lived to the ripe old age of 969!

The Bible makes it clear that Enoch’s early death was not due to chance, physical weakness, or wrongdoing. Quite the opposite! We are told, strangely, that “Chanoch walked with Hashem” – implying that he was a holy man, but that “he was no more, for Hashem took him.” Why would God end the life of a holy man before his time?

The sages explain that Enoch was, indeed, a uniquely righteous and holy man. Even as the men of his generation lived morally depraved lives that would ultimately force God to flood and destroy the entire world, Enoch remained a personally pure and righteous man. His unique manner and lofty character attracted many followers who turned to him for inspiration and guidance.

But as the years passed, Enoch tired of his exhausting role. He yearned to separate from society, to live by himself in the mountains and to spend his days in communion with God. Afraid of the evil influences of his culture, he made himself less accessible to his followers and withdrew from society. He would disappear for days, then weeks and finally months at a time, abandoning the thousands of people who looked to him for guidance and meaning to fend for themselves. As the years went by and Enoch was rarely seen, this “holy man of the mountains” became more of a legend, whispered about and feared, than an actual leader of men.

Chanoch walked with Hashem‘ – but he did not walk with his fellow man. He separated himself from the temptations and distractions of everyday life and became a sort of proto-nazirite, a “monk” living alone in a monastery on a mountain. By living this way, Enoch ensured that he would not fall into sin. However, this self-imposed exile also meant he could no longer influence or inspire others. His righteousness became a solitary pursuit, ensuring he would leave no lasting mark on the world he left behind.

Humanity has little need for monks who live alone in monasteries. People require role models and leaders who can show them how to live meaningful lives! By abandoning his flock, Enoch failed to fulfill the very purpose for which he was born – to educate society and help his generation return to God. And so God removed the righteous Enoch from the world – “then he was no more, for Hashem took him.”

Though this sounds strange in retrospect, Enoch possessed the potential to be the Messiah, to be the redeemer who would save the world from destruction. But in removing Enoch from the world, God made clear that the Messiah will not be a man who meditates by himself in the mountains, but rather a man of the world willing to roll up his sleeves and do whatever is necessary to lift up his fellow from the depths of impurity.

This, too, is the entire purpose of the Bible. The Bible was given to Israel in order to bind the world of the spirit together with the world of physicality – not to separate them from one another! It is a guidebook for living within society, for infusing human life with profound meaning.

Ultimately, man is judged not by his thoughts and intentions but by his actions. Enoch’s intentions were lofty, but his inability – or refusal – to enter the fray of human affairs doomed humanity to destruction in the great flood that was soon to come.

In our own time, we must resist the urge to follow Enoch’s path. While it may be tempting to withdraw into our synagogues and churches, we cannot abandon our duty to engage with and uplift society. Our mission is to roll up our sleeves and wade into the cultural fray, to influence those around us to live holier and more meaningful lives. Our challenge is to remain in the world while not being of it – to maintain our values and principles while still influencing those around us. Only by engaging with our culture, however daunting that may seem, have we any hope of elevating it.

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