Vidui
וידוי | Vidui | Confession
“If you see what needs to be repaired and how to repair it, then you have found a piece of the world that God has left for you to complete. But if you only see what is wrong and what is ugly in the world, then it is you yourself that needs repair.”
-Lubavitcher Rebbe
Confession
We focused inward, narrowing our vision;
we were preoccupied with ourselves.
We turned our backs on the poor and defenseless;
we were contemptuous of the weak.
We tolerated violence against children,
neglect of the old, exploitation of the innocent;
we told ourselves there was nothing we could do.
We wasted the resources of the earth;
we denied our own responsibility and put it out of our minds.
We kept silent when we should have spoken out;
we gave in to cynicism and despair.
We sought entertainment instead of enlightenment;
we were lazy, indifferent, and callous.
We forgave ourselves too easily for our failures;
we forgot that we always have a choice.
-Mishkan HaNefesh
“As you think about our world today, what words or phrases struck you most in Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On? What struck you most in the confession?”
Two Comedy Bits, 44 Years Apart
One confession we might make today is for knowing of a problem without taking action to solve it. 44 years of unacceptable status quo persisted between these two bits, and we cannot plead ignorance. We can only repent for inaction and change our behavior in the year to come.
•Both clips have adult content•
“When you learn of an injustice, what stops you from acting? What injustice do you think we still be fighting in 44 years? How does that make you feel?”
D’Angelo was set to release a new album for the first time in 15 years when a police officer murdered Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in August of 2014. When the officer was not indicted by the grand jury, D’Angelo decided to release the album early as a statement. In the credits for the album he writes:
Black Messiah is a hell of a name for an album. It can be easily misunderstood. Many will think it’s about religion. Some will jump to the conclusion that I’m calling myself a Black Messiah. For me, the title is about all of us. It’s about the world. It’s about an idea we can all aspire to. We should all aspire to be a Black Messiah.
It’s about people rising up in Ferguson and in Egypt and in occupy Wall Street and in every place where a community has had enough and decides to make change happen. It’s not about praising one charismatic leader but celebrating thousands of them. Not every song on this album is politically charged (though many are), but calling this album Black Messiah creates a landscape where these songs can live to the fullest. Black Messiah is not one man. It’s a feeling that, collectively, we are all that leader.”
This live performance of The Charade is off of Black Messiah and specifically memorializes Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and Michael Brown. z”l
“What societal “charade” most cuts you to your core? In what ways are you willing, ready, and able to do the work needed to realize justice in our society? What advice can you give yourself to turn that motivation into action?”
