Rabbi Evan Moffic - Congregation Solel in Highland Park, Illinois, United States for Friday, 16 June 2017 "How to Deal With Your Anger"

Rabbi Evan Moffic - Congregation Solel in Highland Park, Illinois, United States for Friday, 16 June 2017 "How to Deal With Your Anger"

Anger seems to be growing all around us. The tragic shooting of Republican Congressmen in Virginia shows how dangerous this growing anger can become. Our culture today—especially when it comes to politics—does not give us the space to learn and grow and better control our anger. It seems to encourage it.  The language and images appeal to our amygdala, the primitive part of the brain that reacts with anger.  Now let's be clear: there is much that warrants anger. And we will get to that. But first we need to tame our hysteria because it distorts our perspective.   The Talmud--the complication of Jewish law and wisdom--put it this way: "When one becomes full of rage, God becomes of no consequence to him." Here's one overriding Jewish rule: anger needs to be rooted and tempered by compassion. Vengeance is not a healthy motive. Resist the temptation to react quickly. Imagine, said Rabbi Noah Weinberg, that you are standing on a busy street corner. Then someone knocks into you and pushes you into busy traffic. You'd be furious. But then imagine you turn around, and the person who knocked into you was blind. You'd be a little less angry, a little more understanding. Of course you have to defend yourself against getting run over by a car. But sometimes the people we are angry with are similarly blind. They do not know the impact of their actions or words.  Our role is to serve as compassionate teachers, not instigators of further anger. You will discover more stories of kindness and empathy in the The Happiness Prayer: Ancient Jewish Wisdom for the Best Way to Live Today. Rabbi Evan Mofficevan@rabbi.me Rabbi Evan Moffic Congregation Solel 1301 Clavey Road Highland Park, Illinois 60035, United States

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