Be Proud of Your Privilege

A Single Mitzvah Turns Back the Enemies of Mankind 

For the weak and feeble-minded, having money and status is about pride and pomp. For the righteous, privilege is about responsibility to our mission for G-d and mankind.  

There were always two sides to the aristocracy.  

One side was about dressing in glamor while prancing around in the king’s court. It was about knowing the right people, and being able to look down at everyone else. They looked at decent people struggling to take care of their families and tritely said, “Let them eat cake.” 

The second side are the aristocrats who were also the officers of the army. They led the charge in every war. They fought alongside us. They bled alongside us. They sacrificed alongside us. They were also the leaders. They took seriously the role of providing for the security and welfare of everyone in the nation. They labored day and night for the benefit of everyone.  

What Everybody Has 

The most basic layer of the soul is what Hashem gives to every man and beast. Every being, including the animals have a nefesh. It is the soul essence that expresses itself through instinctual behaviors. It assures the drive to perpetuate life. 

Thanks to the nefesh Hashem gives us, we don’t need to teach “procreation” or “self-preservation” to animals or humans. 

When forensics examine a murder victim, they look for defensive wounds. Why? Self-preservation orders us to attempt to defend ourselves despite being unarmed and and facing a gun.  

The “progressives” are trying to take away what God gives all of us. They accuse us of having “privilege” by using the instincts Hashem places within us for the preservation and perpetuation of life.  

They are forcing upon us non-procreative ideas with non-procreative unions which confuse our youth and weaken civilization. We are taught that any self-identity is racist. That accomplishment is wrong. That we are essentially evil and whatever we want to achieve in life is bad. 

Ancient Rome was never defeated. It fell because of these ideas. Decadence led to a population implosion which made them vulnerable to the point of annihilation. Little did they know that those who canonized Sodomite principles destroyed the very empire they were trying to “reform.” 

Like Nimrod in his day, the Romans in theirs, and the “reformers” of our time, they are all trying to “progress” us past God’s law. They are fighting Hashem. They are acting to eradicate His values that promote life and order with their false values that inhibit life and celebrate chaos. 

Privilege Redefined 

When a nation was under attack, it was the privileged classes the people turned to for protection. It was the generals, the king, and the nobles who had the money, influence, and education to mount a defense. Even to attack the enemy and turn their territory into ours.  

In this fight for G–d, we, the Jewish People, have been given the ultimate privilege. We are the standard bearers of mankind. We are the aristocracy that has been called to lead this battle. 

Hashem gives every Jew spiritual privilege over everyone else on earth. We are the spiritual elite. We are the holy aristocrats.  

Our prayers move mountains. Our deeds shake the heavens. God promises every Jew that our mitzvot redeem the world.  

We are the warriors in this fight. We are the noblemen. We are the generals, the officers, the influencers. We have the privilege to fight this and win. 

We, the Jewish People, have been given the power to end all suffering. You, a Jew, have been given by G–d, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the King of the Universe, the ability to fix everything ailing mankind.  

A single mitzvah. A line of Torah. Reciting the Shema. Looking the other way in the face of a lewd image. Charity. Shabbat. Emuna.  

These are not commandments, they are our badges of nobility.  

Long dresses, head covering, and tefillin are the crowns we wear.  

As long as we use what God gives us to get closer to Him at every chance, we are like a legion of noble knights who lead the charge into battle.  

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David Ben Horin lives in Afula with his wife and children. Since moving to Israel in 2002, David has discovered Torah, writing hi-tech, hiking, coding ReactJS Apps, and hearing stories about the Land of Israel from anyone excited to tell them. Check him out on Highway 60 or email him your favorite Israel story at: david.ben.horin@spreadyourenthusiasm.com.