In a family, there is often a dominant ‘voice’ that provides leadership and is a living example to other family members. In a suburban street one often finds a neighbour who seems to take the lead in beautifying the street and making it more serviceable. In a city a charismatic mayor with initiative, can transform his/her city much for the better. In a country, the President or Prime Minister worth his/her salt, is a leader of leaders and sets the pace both personally and collectively. And in the wider world, there is often a stand-out trail blazer who breaks a pattern or norm and leads the world in a very different direction, politically, socially and economically.

With the historic encounter between McLuhan and Silicon Valley, the world has shrunk beyond ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’.  As a result, individuals in positions of power and control, colour our future through their fears, biases, intellectual acumen, emotional-intelligence quotients, thereby impacting the world for better or worse.

Why is this happening? Why has the power of the small begun to have such major effect on the rights, freedoms, and lifestyle of the many?  It clearly points to a Hassidic teaching espoused frequently by the Lubavitcher Rebbe obm -that each one of us sets off a ‘butterfly’ effect with our mere words and thoughts, let alone, behaviours. We constantly change everything – ‘the theory of everything and more’.

We just witnessed the near assassination of a possible next President of USA. A centimetre or two was the difference between a world without Trump and a world that may be led by Trump.  One man – huge variation in the potential future of the world.  Yet this is true for each one of us.  I wrote last week, “…we have the spiritual properties that intersect our auras with everyone and the world at large… Our words and actions leave a huge footprint in the sands of space and time. Invisible to the naked eye, unfelt by our senses, hiding beneath the veneer of consciousness, we constantly launch a ‘butterfly effect’, changing the spiritual colouring of the universe, of creation.”

The corrupt prophet Bil’am sought to curse the Jewish people. Instead, he blessed them. Why? There is a higher Power. But we have to do our bit to deserve a positive influence from Above. You are powerful. So, use your gifts for the good. But also, be humble.  There is a much greater power Above.