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Seeing Possibility and Making it Reality
AUGUST 2007
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Photo by
Chris Gaines |
Adapted from a sermon Rabbi Ettman
delivered at CBI July 6, 2007
I'd like to teach you a new word. It's a word that describes people's actions, desires, wishes, wants, hopes and dreams. Perhaps this new word will give you a new way to look at life. Perhaps it will give you a different way to describe yourself, or your spouse, or your child. Perhaps it will be an ideal – something to aspire to. Or, better yet, to make a reality.
The new word is "possibilist."
A possibilist is someone who makes things possible. Each one of us has the potential to do this. Now, a possibilist is not an optimist, because there is always the notion that what we desire may not happen. And a possiblist is not a pessimist because there is always the dream that success will be met. And still a possibilist is not an opportunist because the ends never justify the means.
Rather, a possibilist takes responsibility. A possibilist makes things happen and is equally concerned with the journey as well as the outcome. Theodore Herzl, the founder of Political Zionism, was a possibilist when he said, Im tirtzu, ain zo agadah – If you will it, it is no dream.
Being a possibilist requires more than just dreaming, wishing and hoping though. To be a possibilist, one must act. One must believe. One must have faith. And one must at least try. A possibilist tries to makes life's possibilities real by seeing all that is in store as good rather than focusing on the challenges.
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Friends, each of us has this potential right now. We have the power and ability and strength to see the world awash with possibilities when we work passionately towards our goals and toward change. We can use the examples set by those who stand up and voice their opinions: our prophets, who railed against society's wrongs, and the proponents of social justice in our own congregation.
This idea is not new at all if you really think about it. We come to see the model of what we can become and what we can do from Moses – Moses the possibilist, because from him, we can learn how to work toward making things possible.
We might ask how Moses is a possibilist if he never actually gets to see his perfect dream fulfilled – if he fails to ever enter the Promised Land? But Moses does accomplish something and that something is great. His ideal is never lost no matter what challenges he faces. It is possible for him to save the Israelites, and he does.
It is possible to weather the storms of insurrection and the kvetching of the people and he does. It is possible for him to work towards the fruition of his dreams and promises, despite the fact that, at times, the odds are stacked against him. And he does.
Moses seems to know the Talmudic passage which reminds us Lo alecha
cham lacha ligmor – It is not our duty to finish the task, but neither are we free to desist from it.
It is up to us to act. It is possible for us to try to end hunger in America and as we work towards that goal we are possibilists. It is possible to support Israel in her peace-making decisions and in that support we are possibilists. Buying Israeli goods and supporting the political candidate of our choice makes things possible. Speaking up against the wrongs of the world makes things possible. Money, food, time and labor donations all make things possible.
We each have dreams, goals, desires and wishes that we must try to follow to fruition. This is what makes us possibilists. This is what makes us like Moses.
At this time of year we realize, as we should, that possibilities can become realities. Im tirtzu, ain zo agadah…If you will it, it is no dream...It is up to us to try to make it a reality.
Cain yehi ratzon…
Rabbi Glenn Ettman
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