By Rabbi Marcia Plumb
Being made in the image of God does not mean we are perfect. Far from it. In the Torah, God lost the Divine temper, and so do we. God acted impetuously out of pique over and over, and so do we.
But we also have endless potential to improve ourselves, be calmer, and have healthier better relationships. Because we are made in God’s image, we too have a bit of the power of Creation–we too can create something new.
Every encounter is a separate world, a fresh start. Even when we are in the same old argument–every conversation is new, with new possibilities. We create a new tiny world in every conversation.
We have free will to choose how we treat others. It is human to be overwhelmed by emotion, and lose it from time to time. But Mussar teaches us to pause before the anger, hurt or frustration overtakes us. Stop and take a Behira Point–a moment to choose. Stop before our emotion strikes the match and our fuse blows. What will we create in the next moment?
What world do we want to make in our next hard conversation? A world of connection or division? Hope or polarisation? Will we choose to be a creator or a destroyer?
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