The psychiatrist Karl Menninger famously asked, “Whatever Became of Sin?” (the title of a book he published in 1973). More than three thousand years earlier the Torah declared: Set limits! Limits must be established and must be enforced – one may not follow the desires of one’s heart and one’s eyes.
“Anything goes” is a recipe for anarchy, which is exactly where we find ourselves today.
Gone are the calls for good deeds and noble behavior. No longer are chivalry, kindness and good manners admired, praised or esteemed. “We want what we want, and we want it now!” And woe to the person who tries to stop us from getting what we want.
The aforementioned tzitzit are meant to remind us that there are limits. But more important than the tzitzit themselves is the need for a determined citizenry to set its endangered ship straight. We must boldly declare that enough is enough. The debauchery, the harmful behaviors, the perverted values – these will no longer be tolerated.
Freedom of speech and freedom of thought are wonderful values – theoretically. But when exercised without limits, they are destructive, not constructive. Judaism has always taught that structure is what sets us free and allows us to accomplish much more than those who act without structure. Lack of structure and boundaries leads to chaos.
As the savagery progresses, no one is really safe. We are all subject to the blandishments of the evil that surrounds us. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we are all being rapidly reduced as human beings, even those who think they live in protective cocoons and isolated ghettos.
It is not sufficient to simply remember; it is necessary to remember and perform. By carefully performing mitzvot, both major and minor, without regard to their respective rewards, we can be transformed into a holy nation, distancing ourselves from the evil passions that tend to corrupt. In this way, we will hopefully become holy to God.
And if we, the People of Israel, are indeed successful in transforming ourselves, we will be in a powerful position to influence society at large. The message of the tzitzit may not only save us but humanity as well, by creating a world devoted to morality, goodness and holiness.