|  Many
years ago, when I returned from a trip to Israel,
my parents picked me up at the airport and sadly told
me that we were going to the funeral of my cousin,
who had been killed in a car accident. At the funeral,
the rabbi said something that angered me very much
and challenged my faith in
G-d. In his eulogy, the rabbi
quoted a Yiddish saying: "What do we know? People
try to figure it out, and G-d is laughing."
The
rabbi seemed to be saying that it's only from our
perspective that terrible accidents look terrible.
We see the back of the tapestry of life, and it looks
to us like random strands of knotted wool. G-d, however,
sees the whole beautiful picture on the right side
of the tapestry, and He's laughing because everything
is in order, everything makes sense.
But
the rabbi's words really upset me. Bully for G-d that
He knows it all. But what about us? I felt like we
were stupid little mice scurrying around in pain and
fear, trying to find our way through a maze, while
G-d was laughing. I didn't like that image of G-d
at all. It only confirmed my childhood ideas, which
I had been working so hard to get rid of.
But
I completely misunderstood. It seemed to me as if
the rabbi was saying that G-d is transcendent and
completely removed from our pain and sadness in this
world. But that's not true. Yes, the Torah and Kabbalah
teach that G-d is transcendent, "outside" the world,
a perfect being. But the Torah and Kabbalah
also teach that G-d is imminent, "inside" this world,
and manifest as a perfect becoming -the very
soul of humanity, completely immersed in our ups and
downs, our happy times and our sad times.
A
story is told about a businessman whose company purchased
a coal mine. However, shortly after the sale, the
price of coal began to drop in response to the fluctuation
in fossil fuels. Distressed by the financial loss,
the man went to get advice from a Kabbalist. The sage
told him, "The Talmud says that when a person is in
distress this causes the Shekhinah, G-d's Presence
in the world, also to feel anguish. If you are in
pain over your financial loss, this causes G-d to
suffer along with you. So what do you think? Is it
worthwhile causing G-d to be saddened over a few pieces
of coal?"
Life
is difficult. But then again, it depends on how you
look at it. I once watched my kids take hundreds of
pieces of a puzzle and spend long, hard hours putting
it together. I had planned to frame it once it was
finished, but they had a different idea. They celebrated
its completion by destroying it. Why? Because they
were not interested in the puzzle's being completed!
They were interested in the excitement of doing the
puzzle, the challenge and adventure of making it.
That's what they enjoyed about it.
They
understood what we should all understand. There's
so much life and value in the process, so much growth
and awareness in the journey, as difficult as it may
sometimes be.
Kabbalah
teaches us that G-d takes the journey with us. G-d
is intimately involved in our daily challenges and
struggles, in our ups and downs. G-d shares our pains
and troubles as well as our pleasures and successes.
Knowing this makes difficult experiences more manageable
and more meaningful. Knowing this also makes the good
times even better. I have heard it said that when
you share your sadness with another person it is halved,
and when you share your joy it is doubled. This all
the more so when you realize that G-d shares in your
sadness and joys.
We
are all here for the journey. However, we get the
most out of our journey when we turn it into a holy
journey by acknowledging that G-d is with us.
[excerpt
from The Secret Life of G-d ]
Rabbi
David Aaron
Author of Endless Light, Seeing G-d, The Secret Life
of G-d, Inviting G-d In and Living a Joyous
Life |
