Wicked is one of those contradictory terms which means the opposite of the other. One definition has it as something "evil, morally wrong". The same dictionary has it as something "utterly wonderful" as in that play was wicked - excellent or wonderful. Two sides of a coin?
Wickedness is defined as the practice of being evil or, a stronger definition - "a profound evil committed consciously and of free will". No hesitation about defining and capturing it within a boundary. However, is that boundary impervious to escape or change?
What is the definition of "morally wrong"? What if the law is legal but morally wrong in that it requires one to do evil as defined? What if that person does not agree with that definition and prefers taking a solitary walk down the path less traveled? How do we mesh evil and good, morally and legally right or there is a volatile mismatching? How does society run when the definitions and boundaries are confused, appearing and disappearing seemingly at will or via the will of presumed leaders of society? And if the leaders are themselves morally faulty, very obviously so?
In fact, in reality, can there, is there, a reasonable chance to completely align the two concepts and behavioral imperatives? These are questions about which theologians and philosophers have debated throughout the history of humanity, never ever finishing discussion or strict boundary delineations.
Certainly, I am not an arbiter of that discussion for others, only for myself, my soul and heart and conscience. In fact, we are all our own arbiters, the responsibility and onus of decision is upon us, and cannot be laid off on another. We are the one - whether society itself is defined as evil, as in Sodom and Gomorrah or that of Noah. A society deemed as good, well, ...waiting, waiting.
Personally, I am a bit of a pessimist or cynic. I do not think that people are inherently good but rather must fight temptation to go the other way, the morally wrong and easier path. They avoid the challenge to simply -not so simple - be a good, unselfish, caring person. One who has a severe aversion to evil and its practitioners, the morally challenged. I expect the worst, so when it does not happen, I am so pleasantly surprised.
Anne Frank wrote that she believed, as she looked out her hiding place, that people are good at heart. I doubt she felt the same as she lay dying alone, starved, naked and in pain, beside the body of her sister already dead of the same cause. Not typhus but rather the inhumanity and evil hearts of people, men and women, who thought nothing of indulging their worst fantasies, even as they amassed power and wealth.
These are the same people who deny the worst truths of mankind. They deny the awful unthinkable truths of the Holocaust or cut the number of dead and the motivations morph into the best of justified motives. Or they spout the same canards, tired excuses of the 'righteousness' of deeds, and denials of the truth of their ugly soul distorting hatred, their self-indulgent denial of their awful prejudice, and the venom which runs through their veins.
Pride at being an active antisemite. Stating the Holocaust did not happen or if it did, it was much smaller than reported.
Jews are ungrateful for the Holocaust - I guess we should have expressed gratitude for allowing some of us to survive. Despite their best efforts to make that so not true!!
Or that we did not express gratitude for the professional skills we needed to survive - just as enslaved Blacks should have been grateful for the professional guidance they received, along with the room and board we were all so graciously given. as well!!Oh dear!!
Or, that tired old excuse that one has Jewish friends so one cannot be antisemite. Oh yes you can, if that is the truth of you, even as you send your Jewish 'friends' to death while appropriating their possessions, their very humanity.
And of course, Jews controlled the world, so they certainly organized the horrendous pogroms and bloody expulsions, sent their sons off to the armies of their tormentors for terms of 25 years.
Or walled their own ghettoes, willingly, and simply adored the odd hats, clothing and identification, forced themselves to expel themselves from countries of centuries long inhabitation. Where they could take over yet another country! For sure.
Not to forget the obvious amalgam of rip-roaring capitalists and socialists, destroyers of society, faking their opposition to each other. Guess we failed for now we turn to new weapons of domination - like the space laser! Oh, for sure.
We are responsible for ourselves and the choices we make. We make. We choose our stands and go along or defy, the choice and courage is ours. G-d willing we never will have to face that choice, though many still do. Defying the natural tendency to take the easy way out, or the most advantageous, is difficult, perhaps impossible, but the choice still remains ours, ours alone. No one else.
In Tehillim, or Psalms, Chapter 7:9 states:
"Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end."
And may we all work together, harness the good within, and fix this oh so damaged endangered world. It is the only one we have.
And not to think that Jews are the only target, merely a beloved one, like that old teddy bear you cannot throw away, not yet for you are not done with it.
Hatred is hatred and it must slide quickly into obsolescence. We have no room nor any use for it.
Together.
It is our moment or moments in history. Let us rise to the standards and place where we belong, where we must be.
That is only done together.
Or we will destroy ourselves and have only ourselves to blame.
In the meanwhile - Together. B'yachad.
Together. Together. Together.
Together we can heal the nation.
HEAL THE WORLD.
HEAL YITZY!
Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah
May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu.
AMEN. AMEN.
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