The lyrics of the song "Imagine" that captured the world in 1971 [that was actually the year the world captured me - not to reveal my age...] was playing in my head tonight.
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
No eternal bliss. Just suffering [as we all do] for 70-80 years and then dying forever. And all of those people who did great things in their lives - no reward. And no punishment for the Nazis, Communists and other countless people who caused so many others to endure unspeakable suffering. Doesn't sound so good.
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
No religion, no G-d, no greater purpose, nothing so important that it is worth dying for, no sense of patriotism. Just live for today. Eat, drink and get high! The problem is that with no G-d that one has to obey and answer to, the odds of people living in peace is next to nothing. As the pasuk says -
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
No eternal bliss. Just suffering [as we all do] for 70-80 years and then dying forever. And all of those people who did great things in their lives - no reward. And no punishment for the Nazis, Communists and other countless people who caused so many others to endure unspeakable suffering. Doesn't sound so good.
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
No religion, no G-d, no greater purpose, nothing so important that it is worth dying for, no sense of patriotism. Just live for today. Eat, drink and get high! The problem is that with no G-d that one has to obey and answer to, the odds of people living in peace is next to nothing. As the pasuk says -
בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם אֵ֥ין מֶ֖לֶךְ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אִ֛ישׁ הַיָּשָׁ֥ר בְּעֵינָ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃. No king - anarchy reigns.
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
The world can't be one unless there is One who binds us all together.
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world..
No possessions!!! Communism! That didn't work out too well at all!!! It has already been said that those who tried to create Paradise ended up creating a hell. "No greed or hunger" sounds AMAZING. I just wonder how much of the Beatles fortune they gave to feed hungry people....
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
The world can't be one unless there is One who binds us all together.
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world..
No possessions!!! Communism! That didn't work out too well at all!!! It has already been said that those who tried to create Paradise ended up creating a hell. "No greed or hunger" sounds AMAZING. I just wonder how much of the Beatles fortune they gave to feed hungry people....
Conclusion: They were high when they wrote this so it is not their fault.
The Neviim ALSO wanted us to "Imagine":
צפניה ג':ט'
כִּֽי־אָ֛ז אֶהְפֹּ֥ךְ אֶל־עַמִּ֖ים שָׂפָ֣ה בְרוּרָ֑ה לִקְרֹ֤א כֻלָּם֙ בְּשֵׁ֣ם יְהֹוָ֔ה לְעׇבְד֖וֹ שְׁכֶ֥ם אֶחָֽד׃
For then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that they may all call on the name of Hashem, to serve Him with one accord.
