I read this earlier today and thought it might apply?
Mishpatim discusses the laws governing damages and the responsibilities of the four types of consignees: the “borrower,” who
borrows an item from his fellow; the “hirer,” who rents an item
from his fellow; the “paid consignee,” who is paid to guard over
his fellow’s item; and the “unpaid consignee,” who guards over his
fellow’s item for no compensation.
Spiritually, we are all consignees. G-d has entrusted us with the
care of our Divine soul, our fellow human beings, and the world
at large.
On our worst days, we are borrowers: We enjoy the use of our
soul, our fellows, and our world without reciprocating.
At times we do better and act like hirers: We recognize that true physical and spiritual pleasures can only be experienced when we give, so we give in order to receive.
Sometimes we rise above the world of hirer and borrower, the world of the self, and advance to the level of the paid consignee: We are caretakers, seeking to use G-d’s gifts for His purposes. Perhaps, as paid consignees, we are not beyond looking forward to the reward, but at least that is not our focus.
On our best days – and ultimately all our days will be such – we
are unpaid consignees. We are oblivious to physical and spiritual
rewards; in Maimonides’ words, we “serve G-d out of love . . . not
because of anything in the world . . . not to inherit the good, but as
one who does the truth simply because it is the truth. . . .
Nice post! Are you a Protestant Jew or a Catholic Jew? 😁 Most people do not understand even the word Consignee. Big time freight term. Apparently goes as far back as far as who controls the soul.
I’m neither…..I like to describe myself as a follower of Jesus albeit a weaker one at that! I try to pay close attention to Jewish thought. Sometimes it’s confirmation or adds to revelation Holy Spirit gives us.
Sorry, I was afraid of that embarrassment but was hoping it was Bill Bonner! I will try to edit the post and remove that part. Thanks for pointing that out.
Although, as an Atheist, I automatically edit out what I’ve come to believe are unnecessary references to higher spiritual powers. For me, their DNA carries the whiff of those same Dilemma horns Joel exposes: (G-d vs. Satin, for example).
However, this doesn’t affect the solid worth of your post- I just replace “G-d” with the more down-to-earth collective “Our” (a personal context correction), and the words ring even more true to me.
Thanks Joel, one of your best. I think the problem is that a lot of good people think that their only choice is to vote for a Democrat or a Republican and to vote for the lesser of two evils without recognizing that Democrats and Republicans are essentially the same thing in their embrace of government to solve problems. Government almost always makes things worse.
Would sure like to hear more about what is going on in Argentina. Where is the legislation on Milei's important reform bill? I hear it is getting watered down. The media is showing huge crowds demonstrating? What is happening to inflation. Dollar Blue is showing some moderation? I thought this blog was going to be about this great experiment.
The trouble is that governments or any entity, say a charity, can start out small and with good intentions but good folk want to remain relevant so will cling on to power long after they are needed and worse still as Pareto said ‘sooner or later, the foxes take over’.
Hayek and C S Lewis and of course , Tolstoy, were ahead of the curve.
You can read “Washington” by Chief Justice Marshal and discover that this market was the foundation of America. In the early colonial period and on the frontier, it all got done. From one room school houses and hearth fires flowed greatness.
The state has corrupted everything and the convoluted language flows from the damned.
Life is short; surely, “The end is always perilously close.” How obtuse we are in our objectives and rationality.
You eloquently declared the two-party system worthy of overthrow, an event that would constitute a revolution
It took Argentina nearly 100 years to effect one. How many more years before the US might reconstitute itself perhaps with a Constitution revised to require a balance budget?
I’m always delighted to be reminded how often it is the case that we need to take a step back from arguing about a problem to see the true (or false) nature of it. I wish we could disappear more “problems” this way.
It seems that nowhere is the "Free Market Thinking" proposed is extremely insightful, Joel. Is everyone looking for a simple, concise, authoritarian solution? Certainly we are presented with authoritarian "solutions" endlessly. Maybe the natural reaction is to follow with some "better" dominant process while we have seen 245 years of "no dominance" success. Apparently our "leaders" do not have enough economic understanding to recognize it. Certainly Klaus Von Schwawbersnitzel and his New World Leaders trainees are not very economically savvy. It seems we would be far more economically successful if we threw out all this elite positioning and did nothing.
Two party, parliamentary, oligarchy, dictatorship, anarchy, whatever: “And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.” They all do this in Solomon’s name or without it. “And the beat goes on.” I think it might have been Greg Gutfeld who called it “the prison of two ideas.” It’s a small windowless bunker from which escape is futile. Where is the deus ex machina when we need it?
The god in the machine was never there. But the true God, and His Son, are still here for us. Someday, perhaps sooner than everyone thinks, there will be a 'voluntaryist' society that the libertarian and Austrian economists only envisioned.
Here! Here! Well said and as close as dam is to swearing. The nail is hit on the head perfectly. Only to convince the general population. A mighty big task, but not impossible.
I read this earlier today and thought it might apply?
Mishpatim discusses the laws governing damages and the responsibilities of the four types of consignees: the “borrower,” who
borrows an item from his fellow; the “hirer,” who rents an item
from his fellow; the “paid consignee,” who is paid to guard over
his fellow’s item; and the “unpaid consignee,” who guards over his
fellow’s item for no compensation.
Spiritually, we are all consignees. G-d has entrusted us with the
care of our Divine soul, our fellow human beings, and the world
at large.
On our worst days, we are borrowers: We enjoy the use of our
soul, our fellows, and our world without reciprocating.
At times we do better and act like hirers: We recognize that true physical and spiritual pleasures can only be experienced when we give, so we give in order to receive.
Sometimes we rise above the world of hirer and borrower, the world of the self, and advance to the level of the paid consignee: We are caretakers, seeking to use G-d’s gifts for His purposes. Perhaps, as paid consignees, we are not beyond looking forward to the reward, but at least that is not our focus.
On our best days – and ultimately all our days will be such – we
are unpaid consignees. We are oblivious to physical and spiritual
rewards; in Maimonides’ words, we “serve G-d out of love . . . not
because of anything in the world . . . not to inherit the good, but as
one who does the truth simply because it is the truth. . . .
Rabbi Yosef B. Friedman
Kehot Publication Society
Daily Wisdom, Volume 3
Nice post! Are you a Protestant Jew or a Catholic Jew? 😁 Most people do not understand even the word Consignee. Big time freight term. Apparently goes as far back as far as who controls the soul.
I’m neither…..I like to describe myself as a follower of Jesus albeit a weaker one at that! I try to pay close attention to Jewish thought. Sometimes it’s confirmation or adds to revelation Holy Spirit gives us.
Rob
Um, Mr. Bonner does not respond to comment posts, nor is he the only one with the name of "Bill."
Sorry, I was afraid of that embarrassment but was hoping it was Bill Bonner! I will try to edit the post and remove that part. Thanks for pointing that out.
Robert,
Overall (ha!), I like your post very much!
Although, as an Atheist, I automatically edit out what I’ve come to believe are unnecessary references to higher spiritual powers. For me, their DNA carries the whiff of those same Dilemma horns Joel exposes: (G-d vs. Satin, for example).
However, this doesn’t affect the solid worth of your post- I just replace “G-d” with the more down-to-earth collective “Our” (a personal context correction), and the words ring even more true to me.
Thanks.
Thanks Joel, one of your best. I think the problem is that a lot of good people think that their only choice is to vote for a Democrat or a Republican and to vote for the lesser of two evils without recognizing that Democrats and Republicans are essentially the same thing in their embrace of government to solve problems. Government almost always makes things worse.
Would sure like to hear more about what is going on in Argentina. Where is the legislation on Milei's important reform bill? I hear it is getting watered down. The media is showing huge crowds demonstrating? What is happening to inflation. Dollar Blue is showing some moderation? I thought this blog was going to be about this great experiment.
Was not looking for a philosophy class.
The trouble is that governments or any entity, say a charity, can start out small and with good intentions but good folk want to remain relevant so will cling on to power long after they are needed and worse still as Pareto said ‘sooner or later, the foxes take over’.
Hayek and C S Lewis and of course , Tolstoy, were ahead of the curve.
You can read “Washington” by Chief Justice Marshal and discover that this market was the foundation of America. In the early colonial period and on the frontier, it all got done. From one room school houses and hearth fires flowed greatness.
The state has corrupted everything and the convoluted language flows from the damned.
Life is short; surely, “The end is always perilously close.” How obtuse we are in our objectives and rationality.
You eloquently declared the two-party system worthy of overthrow, an event that would constitute a revolution
It took Argentina nearly 100 years to effect one. How many more years before the US might reconstitute itself perhaps with a Constitution revised to require a balance budget?
Joel,
I find this post “curiously refreshing.”
Loved it.
I’m always delighted to be reminded how often it is the case that we need to take a step back from arguing about a problem to see the true (or false) nature of it. I wish we could disappear more “problems” this way.
What if?
“We need not slavishly impale ourselves on one of The State’s two horns, but only to open our eyes to alternative possibilities.”
But what if we are scared to open our eyes and act on the assumption: What I don’t see isn’t there.
What if we FEEL safer to just go along and don’t rock the boat, and go along with what we think everybody else thinks?
What if our education rendered us incapable to think independently and form our own conclusions?
It seems that nowhere is the "Free Market Thinking" proposed is extremely insightful, Joel. Is everyone looking for a simple, concise, authoritarian solution? Certainly we are presented with authoritarian "solutions" endlessly. Maybe the natural reaction is to follow with some "better" dominant process while we have seen 245 years of "no dominance" success. Apparently our "leaders" do not have enough economic understanding to recognize it. Certainly Klaus Von Schwawbersnitzel and his New World Leaders trainees are not very economically savvy. It seems we would be far more economically successful if we threw out all this elite positioning and did nothing.
Another brilliant piece Joel! The two horns of our reality are goring us daily.
Some of us feel it, others relish it.
Mass psychosis has enveloped the proletariat I'm afraid, and civil war will be upon us due to the false dilemma.
Perhaps after the dust settles, we can all reawaken to some reformed sensibilities, however unlikely.
Two party, parliamentary, oligarchy, dictatorship, anarchy, whatever: “And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other.” They all do this in Solomon’s name or without it. “And the beat goes on.” I think it might have been Greg Gutfeld who called it “the prison of two ideas.” It’s a small windowless bunker from which escape is futile. Where is the deus ex machina when we need it?
The god in the machine was never there. But the true God, and His Son, are still here for us. Someday, perhaps sooner than everyone thinks, there will be a 'voluntaryist' society that the libertarian and Austrian economists only envisioned.
Nicely said, Mr. Bowman. Thank you.
Here! Here! Well said and as close as dam is to swearing. The nail is hit on the head perfectly. Only to convince the general population. A mighty big task, but not impossible.
Not sure why and where it leads but it popped into my mind. Is the USA at the start of a King Lear tragedy? Where/who is Cordelia?