World Goes Wild Without a Vision

Prv. 28:18

Now that we’ve read through almost all chapters of Her Wisdom we know that it is a collection of wise teachings that primarily addresses the individual. Almost throughout its entirety, the book provides moral guidance for every person as a human being.

The word ‘Israel’ is not mentioned even once. This is not a national text, unlike many others in the Bible - it’s about the individual pursuit of Wisdom - whatever that is, whoever She is.

But in today’s chapter there is a surprising slip.

In the middle of the familiar references to people’s whims or wise ways, the narrator slips in half a sentence with a message of warning intended not for the individual, but for the public, for the nation. It may have been a moving message back then - and it sure echoes loud and clear today:

בְּאֵ֣ין חָ֭זוֹן יִפָּ֣רַֽע עָ֑ם וְשֹׁמֵ֖ר תּוֹרָ֣ה אַשְׁרֵֽהוּ׃

For lack of vision a nation will lose restraint,

But happy is the one who heeds instruction.

Prv. 28:18

This is not directed at any specific nation but serves as a moral lesson for any nation as a collective.

What do these words mean?

“a nation will lose restraint” is the translation of the Hebrew that could mean also something like ‘go wild’, ‘unmoored’ or possibly so dispersed so that it may ‘perish’.

In the extreme case, this can mean a state of anarchy and chaos, a lack of governance. A more moderate interpretation could describe a divided nation—a people riddled with mutual distrust and growing polarization, sometimes even leading to hatred among its factions. A situation where segments of the population label others with derogatory terms and engage in demonization.

Are we there yet?

What is the “lack of vision” that creates this state of dissolution? According to the parallelism in the verse, “Where there is no vision, a nation will lose restraint; but happy is the one who heeds instruction” it is the opposite of “heeding instructions”, or living by the laws of Torah - which may be what the verse meant.

The basic understanding here is an aspirational collective path. A nation that wishes to survive as a unified entity must have a compelling national vision, meaningful enough to the majority if not to all its people. When there are clear national goals, there is also determination to achieve them, creating a shared desire to join hands and work toward that goal.

On another level, “vision,” like “law,” refers to clear and agreed-upon rules for conduct—a transparent legal system with judicial enforcement that enjoys public trust, along with norms for managing public discourse. When there is a lack of trust in the legislative or judicial system, or when public discourse becomes unrestrained, aggressive, or even violent—“the center does not hold.”

Are we there yet?

Another interpretation of“where there is no vision” might refer to “where there is no leader.” A nation needs wise leadership with visions that see far into the future and help make the present bearable and worthy of trust. Every community and nation needs upright leaders who can guide. When the public holds its leaders in contempt, whether because of the leaders’ actions or the general public atmosphere—it’s usually a bit of both—this mutual feeding of negativity creates a vicious cycle. And when the leaders sow chaos and violence — the nation may devolve into chaos and confusion, despair and deadly disputes. In the public sphere, it seems that the spirit of patriotism and general solidarity is fading, giving way to tribalism and isolationism—capitalism’s vision is not a shared society based on visions of virtue but the gain and greed of few at the expense of all, or most.

Sadly, whether I consider the state of the united vision in the US or in Israel. My two homes, or for Jews around the world, let alone the human species — - it’s clear that solidarity is more often created around trauma and less by a sense of shared vision and purpose. What will it look like to retrieve a common vision not rooted in trauma but reaching out for our highest aspirations of a just society for all?

Is there still a unifying spirit with visions for justice among us? I know and am confident there is. I meet wonderful people and resilient visionaries every day.

Perhaps the public visions will have to wait until more individuals wake up to listen to Her Wisdom - find our way back to more compassionate and careful ways for being in the world, with less greed and rage, entitlement and erosion of empathy — and more visions, wild and real and tangible, for lives lived with more purpose and attention to the sacred path which is our collective highway leading us to better days.

Are we here yet? Perhaps, but we may have also always been here.. And it’s on us to co-create the visions and support the visionaries that keep helping us see beyond this moment, around the corner, to much better days.

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