Do you think that we, as a society, have advanced over the years or do you think that we’ve declined?
In traditional Jewish sources there is a common notion that we are doomed to yeridat hadorot. That in regards to Torah scholarship and spiritual attunement, each generation progressively declines from the previous. The exact opposite attitude is true in the secular world, and for good reason: Today we have more technology in a smartphone (which practically everyone has) than what was in the space shuttle that landed on the moon. Medicine, science - you can’t compare the achievements of today to what previous generations had achieved. The first world view leads one to have a certain sense of respect and humility when regarding the earlier generations; an understanding that we are less spiritually in tune and of lower spiritual stature than they were. The second perspective leads one to have a diminished view of past generations. In fact, this often seems to lead to outright disparaging of previous generations for their supposed failings, often disregarding their amazing achievements. It’s almost as if society has become like a teenager who goes from being a child who is proud of his/her parents, to being embarrassed by them. Interestingly, we see a similar tension appear right at the beginning of this week’s Torah portion. Hashem is communicating to Moshe and informing him that the Jewish people, whom Moshe will soon be leading out of Egypt, will experience a revelation of G-d’s presence that the forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov never had the opportunity to experience. In other words Hashem is essentially informing Moshe that, notwithstanding the greatness of the forefathers, the later generation - that of the Exodus - will reach even greater heights. But here’s the fascinating twist - although objectively the later generation’s accomplishment was superior to that of the forefathers, after all they received the Torah at Mount SInai, still it was all due to the previous foundation that was laid by the forefathers. Although they received the Torah, it was not solely on their merit. Rather they were like a dwarf standing on the shoulders of a giant; although much shorter, he can see over a taller wall than the giant.