We're No Angels
Accepting contradictions to live as a balanced whole
As Israel's conflict with Hamas unfolds, the twisted response of social elites has proved all too predictable. Perhaps their fury at Israel's self-defence would ring more authentic if they protested Hamas's decimation of over a thousand Jewish innocents. Make no mistake: their venom stems not from concern for Palestinian lives but from ancient, creeping anti-Semitism resurrected through a Frankensteinian fusion with social justice. Academic circles only need a few drops of Jewish blood to make mass murder chic. Peace protests are now fertile ground for revelling in death.
But as well as anti-semitism, a more subtle mode of thought is at play. What I will describe is a growingly prevalent attitude, which speaks volumes about society's shortcomings and how we as individuals must strive to correct ourselves. Modernity is notable for an explosion of specialisation. Once upon a time, Leonardo da Vinci-style mavericks could master multiple fields of mathematics, art, philosophy, and science. But in these days of ever-expanding knowledge, no single person can be proficient in all wisdom's branches. The most that a genius can hope for is to excel at a very niche subset within their chosen subject matter.
This rise of hyper-specialisation has enabled unparalleled progress in sectors such as medicine and technology. Yet something valuable has also been lost. Consumed by the intense study of a single subject, specialists are susceptible to developing an inherently skewed perspective. For those immersed solely in a narrow pursuit, even one as life-affirming as healthcare or science, it is possible to lose sight of larger truths. With focus comes myopia, and experts risk judging broad issues based on their speciality rather than the matter's full complexity.
To illustrate, it has become something of a fad for neuroscientists to boldly proclaim that "consciousness does not truly exist and is merely an illusion." These claims are incoherent. Conscious awareness is the only thing that can't be an illusion. Given that it's the medium for all other illusions, it's difficult to imagine how subjective experience could be taken as some psychological trick. The point is that these highly qualified scientists are blinded by their expertise. Since all they know is synapses and neurons, neuroscientists feel compelled to explain everything within this framework.
I want to explore the difference between angels and men. In doing so, we will gain a sharper awareness of the issue at hand. We know that mankind can supersede angels. As such, our sages metaphorically describe the image of man carved into God's throne, while angels merely encircle it. At first, this seems strange. Angels are spiritual entities whose intellect and capabilities far outstrip ours. On what grounds should humanity hold primacy before God?
The Maharal explains that angels vastly surpass humanity in fields aligned with their specialities. For instance, no mortal can restore health to the degree of Raphael, the healer. Even so, outside their individual jurisdictions, they remain stunted, devoid of additional faculties. Thus, our sages teach how angels cannot perform multiple tasks. We will see that this is more than just a practical constraint. It is their fundamental limitation.
Let me explain. Consider the example of defending and accusing angels. For them, these titles do not simply denote job descriptions; instead, they encapsulate their entire essence. The angel of defence is only capable of identifying goodness. Its view of reality is narrowed to that of a legal defender, such that, for him, evil does not exist in the world. On the other hand, the accusing angel can only detect creation's flaws. Its perspective excludes any virtue, focusing solely on its shortcomings. For both categories of heavenly beings, their singular orientations represent inescapable cognitive constraints. They have no capacity for a balanced or nuanced perspective beyond their predetermined roles. They each inhabit a narrow slice of reality. So, whilst playing essential roles within God's divinely ordained system, angels' viewpoints distort the truth.
Angels are vehicles for expressing God's traits in the world. Each attribute of God illuminates a particular facet of the divine, and these messengers are tailor-made for specialised tasks. However, when considered individually, these attributes obscure one another. For instance, it is difficult to perceive God's quality of mercy during a time of harsh justice.
But we must know that, in truth, God's attributes are not discrete factors that can be separated from His essence. The Almighty is entirely and utterly One - a singular, indivisible Being with no distinction between qualities. Love, mercy, justice, goodness - these are but shadows we cast, hoping to grasp an infinity beyond our comprehension. Just as one cannot call a water droplet an ocean, so we cannot lift any single trait from the Divine and claim to understand His essence.
As images of the Divine, humans are called to reflect God's transcendence and majesty in the world. This is no easy task, for it requires balancing conflicting characteristics, employing each in the proper measure at the appropriate time. A holistic approach is needed to thoughtfully represent reality's nuances while upholding transcendent values of truth, justice, and compassion.
This idea clarifies why the verse recognises each patriarch as possessing a variation of "Kol", meaning all. Having an all-encompassing grasp refers to integrating multiple characteristics and viewpoints needed to navigate life. The forefathers demonstrated this competency by balancing diverse roles during different moments in the proper measure for each circumstance.
Earlier, we noted how overspecialisation hinders modern society. But this limitation of perspective manifests itself not only in industry but also in moral thinking. The inexplicably extreme objections to Israel's right to self-defence against genocidal forces are a case study for this dilution of ethical clarity. The lack of balanced, well-rounded consideration of complex realities leaves people vulnerable to extreme reactionary behaviour. When the ability to integrate a diversity of understandings is lost, even life-or-death issues are reduced to caricatures over nuance.
We now embrace doctrines suitable in limited circumstances but toxic when elevated to inflexible dogmas. The West seems hell-bent on worshipping an emerging pantheon of absolutes, new idols overriding logic and self-preservation. Chief among these is the reductionist notion that powerful entities can claim no legitimacy and weakened factions bear no guilt. It is a superficially appealing assumption that utterly disintegrates when a supposedly "weak" terrorist brigade gleefully butchers over a thousand innocents in cold blood.
Of course, there are other dogmas of this sort. Sentiment against imperialism has merit in many contexts. Yet, viewing the miraculous story of the Jews' return to Israel through a colonialist lens does not account for the ancient Jewish connection to our land. It also fails to consider the devastating trauma of our exile and dispersal. And the multiple attempts of Israel to bring peace to the region only to be rebuffed by terror, intifada and calls for their annihilation.
Society's unwavering fixation on clinging to "the right side of history" demands thorough interrogation. Deeming the right side as invariably synonymous with present pieties is a thought-terminating cliché and an intellectually feeble one at that. While history has undoubtedly vindicated progressivism before, we would be foolish to presume a perpetual winning streak. No political theology has a monopoly over justice or time.1
Leaving Israel aside, rigid adherence to progressive ideology imperatives has birthed bizarre contradictions. I'm still trying to fathom how university students reconcile their battle against microaggressions at breakfast with celebrating Hamas atrocities at lunchtime. In addition to rank anti-semitism, it is the adherence to new Western absolutes that leads to this perverse moral schizophrenia.
The Torah is etymologically linked to the word Horah, guidance. One might think it would be assigned a title more reflective of the intellect, like daas or chochma. Along these lines, the Maharal explains that pure intellectual sophistry is not the Torah's goal. Its aims are loftier: To shape us into balanced beings, deliberate in deed and word. In this age of increasing segmentation, it is easy to lose perspective and become blinded by one area of focus. Yet, unlike any other being in creation, humans have the unique ability to integrate diverse understandings and view issues with complexity, nuance and balance. We're most definitely no angels. But maybe that's a good thing.
We continue to pray for the well-being of our Jewish brothers and sisters.
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This desire to be on the right side of history can be seen as inherently Hegelian. Hegel's philosophy emphasizes history's progress through the clash and synthesis of opposing ideas. Wanting to align oneself with the right side of history reflects a belief in society's ongoing development and improvement. It implies a recognition of the dialectical nature of history, where specific ideas or actions are deemed more morally just and conducive to progress. Yet, there is no real reason why Hegel's theory should be correct.
“Conscious awareness is the only thing that can’t be an illusion.” A most important truth. Well done sir!
Loved this piece. Brilliant connection between angels and single-mindedness, I really appreciated that. It is, as you say, unfathomable how college students can "battle against microaggressions at breakfast with celebrating Hamas atrocities at lunchtime." But in the oppression Olympics, Jews will never win.