Where Have Ye Gone? An End to Evil (Part 1)

Rumination on the last few weeks

As I recover from a nasty cold, a few thoughts about recent events. Now that Passover has passed over, I'm back on a regular writing schedule, including extra articles for subscribers. 

Whether you're on the political right or left, regular news consumption can be a very depressing endeavor nowadays. Everything is geared towards telling you that the world is falling apart. Iran and the nuclear bomb, the war between Ukraine and Russia, the failing economy, clashes in Israel, [political crisis] involving [politician you like], and, worst of all, [lack of political crisis] involving [politician you didn't like]. 

And that's without falling into the conspiracy rabbit hole, too. 

It's been proven that the overconsumption of news is hurting the population at large's mental health, which can even, in some cases, trigger psychosis for those in a now vulnerable state. No wonder we keep seeing more and more videos of people utterly losing it during everyday interactions. The population keeps doom-scrolling from depressing headlines to depressing headlines without ever researching the veracity of the news. As I mentioned in my article about the current political protests in Israel, they are seldom accurate. 

Of course, media companies are fully aware of this and curate their news to be as doom and gloom as possible in order to attain viewership. By tapping into our negativity bias, they ensure you stay glued to the screen, so they can sell as many ads tailored to your fears as possible. One only needs to look at behind-the-scenes comments from anti-Trump media outlets to see how much of a boon he was to their companies, the way Obama was for Fox. 

This media climate leads not only to despair and depression but to a complete distortion of reality for many as well. Instead of being more informed and having an informed worldview, news consumers tend to become less knowledgeable about current affairs and suffer from a grossly distorted view of reality. 

If you've ever visited Israel, you know that the reality on the ground is nothing like what is being portrayed by the media. The country is safe and thriving; people of all different backgrounds, religions, and ethnicities live together in peace side by side. 

I've addressed the Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect before: 

"Briefly stated, the Gell-Mann Amnesia effect is as follows. You open the newspaper to an article on some subject you know well. In Murray's case, physics. In mine, show business. You read the article and see the journalist has absolutely no understanding of either the facts or the issues. Often, the article is so wrong it actually presents the story backward—reversing cause and effect. I call these the "wet streets cause rain" stories. Paper's full of them.

In any case, you read with exasperation or amusement the multiple errors in a story, and then turn the page to national or international affairs, and read as if the rest of the newspaper was somehow more accurate about Palestine than the baloney you just read. You turn the page, and forget what you know." 

but now it's time to address the solution. How do we stop the news from polluting our lives? By disconnecting from it. 

Cut the cord… or wifi, or 5g, or whatever.

"But," I hear you say, "there are so many things that I need to be aware of! I wouldn't be able to live my life properly if I didn't know about them. How can I cut the cord and stop listening to the modern prophets of doom? I need to know when the sky's falling!" 

This is not a hypothetical conversation. Just last Motsaei Shabbat, I had a lively discussion with a friend of mine & his wife about the news and current events. Their position was: 'It's imperative to be aware of what's going on with politics and current events and machinations of the elites' and whatnot, even or especially from a religious perspective. Mine was that it's not (not at all, in fact) necessary, even from a secular perspective. 

They gave many arguments why, but could never answer a very simple question I had: 

"How does knowing about those things improve my life/my avodat Hashem?"

The truth is that there is no use knowing information about things that will not directly impact my life and that I cannot directly impact either. 

Ridding yourself of the negativity bias 

As the Lubavitcher Rebbe masterfully wrote in this letter to a person who was complaining about their life's circumstances: 

Dispose of the Negative Attitude

In reply to your letter of 12/13 in which you describe the various circumstances that you and your husband sheyichye have experienced: You reach the conclusion that things were always not well and now things are also not fine, etc. — from which we can easily discern your view regarding what the future holds in store for you:

I am astonished by your conclusions, when you yourself write that from the entire family you were among the few survivors; you also write about the various maladies and ailments that you survived; you also write about your husband that one could never imagine ... and he nevertheless occupied himself [and succeeded] in matters; that you both find yourselves in a house, etc.

Recognizing all the above, being cognizant of all that transpired not only externally but in the house as well, how is it possible to conclude in the manner that you write?!

Of course one should ask G‑d that things become better and better, for G‑d is the "Essence of Goodness" and "It is the nature of He who is good to do good." However, one should not ignore the many kindnesses of G‑d that one has already experienced — particularly as you write that you perceived openly revealed kindnesses and miracles.

I wish to reiterate: My intent is not to minimize the importance of being aware of one's needs, and I also don't mean to imply that you are not lacking necessities. I merely wish to accentuate the goodness — indeed the very large amount of goodness — which you and your husband perceived with your physical eyes.

Another point (and this is of equal importance):

Our holy Torah explains that the measure of G‑d's blessings depends to a considerable extent on the [appreciative] manner in which the person receives these blessings, and that his conduct is in consonance with and in recognition of these kindnesses. This form of behavior enlarges the receptacles and vessels that allow one to receive His kindnesses in the immediate future, as well as in the future in general….

(Igros Kodesh, Vol. XVIII, p. 137)

Seeing the positivity in life is extremely important, and what I will concentrate in this piece’s follow-up. Before we do, we must first rid ourselves of that inner voice that says, 'Sure, I can concentrate on the positive in life, but that doesn't change that there are evil people/actors/factors/governments out there."

A look at history shows us a very clear pattern. Evil always loses. Always. It’s not always easy, it’s not always quick, it’s not always bloodless, but ultimately good always prevails over evil.

With this said, here are three verses to keep in mind: 

Tehillim 34:22

Evil will kill the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be accounted guilty.

Bamidbar 24:20

When he saw Amalek, he took up his parable and said, "Amalek was the first of the nations, and his fate shall be everlasting destruction."

Iyov 28:3

He made an end to darkness, and every end He fathoms-a stone of darkness and the shadow of death.

Here’s a concrete, recent example of this principle:

The Quick Demise of Ye24

Remember the long lost days of [checks calendar] five months ago when all everyone talked about was Kanye, his antisemitism, his campaign, and the rise of Nick Fuentes? As I wrote then, it was a flash in the pan that would not lead to anything. The best use we could make of the whole situation was to use the momentum to open a more extensive discussion about the antisemitism and supersessionism that exists in a particular segment of the African-American community and how to mend the breaches. Sadly, but not surprising in any way, not even an attempt was made by our communal institutions to even raise the issues, much less discuss them.

Let's take a step back from the entire situation, however, and ask ourselves a simple question: 

If you had never heard of Kanye's failed campaign, his sidekicks Milo and Nick Fuentes, and their hanger-on Ali Alexander, would your life have been in any way different these last five months?

The answer is a clear and resounding no. There was no reason to know about it. There was no impact on your life. At best, it was a darkly humorous repeat of a historical phenomenon that's been part of American political life for decades. At worst, an immense source of (baseless) stress. And we can absolutely live without either the sensible chuckles or depression from such information.

Where is the quartet now? Kanye is reportedly seeking a mental health facility in order to undergo behavioral therapy to help him "become a better person," he has completely abandoned politics, and according to Milo, Ye24 is truly over. As far as Milo, he has been once again exiled from political life and the spotlight and now seems to be dedicating his free time to tearing down Nick Funtes's America First movement, as well as exposing his right-hand Ali Alexander's illegal proclivities. Fuentes is himself embroiled in this whole affair, with its own hashtag, #NickKnew. Far from being the exception, it is surprisingly common for high-level white supremacists to dabble into the kind of perversities they publicly denounce. Ersatz Nick and Milo ally Marjorie Taylor-Greene even called for the FBI to investigate Funtes's coverup of Alexander's alleged abuses. 

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Even this information is not necessary for your life and well-being. All you need to know is that those people are, for all intent and purposes, gone from the public scene; if they were ever to rear their ugly heads in hydra fashion again, they would be vanquished again. Most likely hoisted by their own perverted petard. 

Evil in it’s truest form.

An End to Evil 

Don't mistake my optimism for pacifism or inactivity. I do not suggest we stay inactive or silent in the face of evil. What I am advocating is for us not to be distracted by it, and especially for us not to fall into despair. It is entirely accurate to say that there is nothing to fear but fear itself. When the enemy attacks, you do not cower, scream and flail. Unless you want to lose, that is. You fight, even against all odds, and give it everything you can. Whether we're discussing a physical, moral, or spiritual battlefield doesn't matter. No victory has ever been won through despondency. 

Fear, despair, depression, and doom-scrolling on your phone are all tools of the evil inclination. They are attempts at paralyzing you and preventing you from fulfilling your purpose in this world. They are useless emotions, and so is any news or information that leads to these emotions. 

Amid much more perilous times than ours, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn became the sixth Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch dynasty. He succeeded his father, the Rebbe Sholom DovBer, in Rostov in 1920. This was in the midst of the Russian civil war that would see the ushering of the evil Soviet Regime, and only a few years after the end of the First World War. There was much reason to despair, yet the new Rebbe did not lose any time and announced in his first Chassidic discourse that despite all of the darkness around them, it was not time to despair, and it was essential to know that evil would not win, would be vanquished, and good (meaning G-d) would ultimately prevail:

"So, too, the kelipah* of Amalek, whose whole being is insolence, is essentially a non-entity. Amalek thus resem­bles the waves of the sea that are lifted by the wind. While water by nature descends, it is [capable of being] lifted by the wind and [momentarily] standing upright like a wall; however, as soon as the wind abates, the water collapses. So, too, kelipos in general and Amalek in par­ticular derive their sustenance only from the encompassing level of Divine life-force, and will thus "appear and disappear with the wind." This, then, is what is meant by the phrase, "[G‑d] has set a limit to darkness": the darkness of the kelipos has an appointed end, after which they will be cut off and utterly destroyed, leaving no trace."

In order to help usher this era, it’s time to disconnect from the news, ignore the impotent evils that abound in the world, and concentrate on making this world a better place than we found it, until it is perfected and all nations stand in brotherly love, all worshipping one G-d in peace and harmony.

*kelipah can be translated as 'shells'; they represent forces that obscure G-dliness, prevent them from shining through openly, and allow evil to seemingly exist. More here.