Righteous Anger

This week, I had a Zoom conversation with an old friend with whom I had not spoken for many years. He’s an activist and never one to mince words.  When he got on to Zoom, he did not bother with pleasantries or even a hello. Instead, he began the conversation, “I am angry, Rabbi.  Really, really angry.”

For a split second, I thought I had done something to offend him. But, then, I realized what he was talking about the election and impending change of leadership. He was deeply angry, but in total control of his emotions. It was righteous indignation. In essence, he was saying, “Things are not right.  I’m not going to pretend that everything is good. I’m not going to ignore the inevitable or accept it without protest.”

It made me think of the conversations that I’ve had over the past month.  Most have been filled with pleasantries, humor, and talk of the mundane.  How would it feel to start conversations with “I am angry”?  Would it be exhausting or liberating or both?  Would people discount the anger or listen?

This past Sunday, I went to see the musical “Suffs” on Broadway.  The musical does an excellent job of showing how different women in the suffrage movement expressed themselves and what boundaries they accepted on their anger.   Some spoke loudly and wildly.  Others restrained themselves and pointedly tried to be polite and civil so others might listen.  In the end, all their voices were needed for women’s suffrage to become a reality.

Throughout Jewish tradition, we read warnings to control our anger and, yet, we can think of examples when anger is righteous. Moses Maimonides, in the 12th century, cautioned that anger can be a great tool to make one’s point, but only if we control our anger and not let it control us.  In the words of the Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, "Anger is not the antithesis of love, but its counterpart, a help to justice as demanded by true love."