Conventional Wisdom on this Rosh Hashanah Eve

I have been thinking about this bit of conventional wisdom from Rabbi Hillel the Elder, who lived in a world where mass communication meant talking to a roomful of people, or writing something down on a single piece of parchment that might be read out loud to a roomful of people, some who may have been scribes.

If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am only for myself, what am I?
And if not now, when?

I work very hard at what I do. I practice, write music, make arrangements, teach, and rehearse. I try to advocate for myself as a musician, and I do what I can to make the fruits of my work available for people to play. I believe that the purpose of my work in music is to share my love for it, and I hope the material I write and arrange can inspire other musicians to communicate with one another, and to be comfortable expressing themselves while playing together.

I believe that doing what you do as well as possible to make work that speaks for itself leads to a fulfilling life. Coleridge wrote, “Nothing can permanently please, which does not contain in itself the reason why it is so, and not otherwise.” I wrote a post about my experience with that statement in 2012, and I stubbornly still believe it is true.

I have met a great many people in and out of the world of music who have made it their business to tell me just how accomplished, successful, and important they are. I guess they would fall into the "If I am only for myself, what am I?" category. I decided early on that this was not the kind of person I wanted to be.

That "only for myself" way of thinking casts a large a shadow over the "If I am not for myself, who will be for me?" concept, and, as a result of the conflict, I often hesitate to advocate for myself in the larger musical world. When I do, I am often disappointed by not getting a response (even from publishers I work with). I suppose business people are selective about who is worth their time, particularly when there are so many people and computer-generated entities vying for their attention.

Hillel's last question, "And if not now, when?" has never made sense to me in the context of the first two questions. 

But it stands alone as a great piece of wisdom.

Speaking of standing alone, Hillel's explanation of the Torah while standing on one foot: not to do anything to your fellow man that is hateful to you, is, perhaps, the best conventional wisdom of all.

L'shanah tovah