Totalitarianism & Shabbat [Thread]:

The world has suffered the emergence of >1 totalitarian state/society in modern history, & continues to face groups/states w/ totalitarian tendencies. Whether in fascist, communist, or religious guise, totalitarianism is not ever good news 1/9
Totalitarianism - in both Left & Right wing flavors - hinges on the belief that if a party/ideology controls enough of the state, its institutions, social space &/or discourse, it can reshape the state or society in its vision, creating a better reality or utopia. 2/
Totalitarians almost always believe - or act as if - the ends justify the means, think in terms of “us vs. them” categories, & are functionally religious fundamentalists who act out their apocalyptic fantasies on a political, rather than a traditionally religious, stage. 3/
Totalitarians believe they have The answers to society’s most pressing questions, offering the definitive guide to the ideal social system or polity. Their belief in their ideas/policies as Gospel Truth serves as justification for the control they seek & methods they use. 4/
One of Shabbat’s lessons is that despite our intelligence, & despite the myriad ways we stand apart from the rest of the natural world, we are essentially part of God’s creation. For 7 days a week we exert our control over the natural world, & on Shabbat we rest. 5/
On Shabbat we remember that while we may except influence over our small corner of the universe, we do not - & cannot - control it. And it does not depend on us. If we rest from our labors, the world will continue on without our help. 6/
By remembering that we are part of creation - not gods who stand apart form & control creation - we practice some healthy humility about what we can or should try to accomplish. 7/
That humility can be a strong bulwark against totalitarian thinking. We humans don’t know everything. We can’t control everything. We make mistakes & don’t always understand what the consequences of our actions will be. Therefore, we cannot pretend to have any total answers. 8/
Shabbat frees us from the burden of complete responsibility, & calls us to cultivate the humility that provides us with the space to just be. 9/9
*Apologies for the typos in this thread!
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