"There’s something deep at stake that touches on the very future of our society. Thirty three centuries ago Moses said something very profound. The book of Deuteronomy contains the speeches he gave at the end of his life, having led the people to the brink of the promised land. In essence he says: “You thought the forty year journey through the wilderness was the hard part. Actually that was the easy part. The hard part is affluence. That’s when you forget where you came from and why you are here.”
In an affluent society people all too easily think of the I not the Us; what benefits me, not the common good. When that happens, people lose the art of relationships. Marriages fail. Communities grow weak. People can become more concerned with short term advantage than long term sustainability. They begin to spend money they don’t have to buy things they don’t need for the sake of a happiness that won’t last. Then it all comes tumbling down, and often it’s the most vulnerable who suffer most. "
Very beautiful quote. I have always found Rabbi Sacks to be a deeply profound thinker. I recommend all his books.
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