We Are With Him
In as much as we are committed to Hashem, in as much as we cleave to Him, we are put aside as His. And if this is the case, Hashem will listen when we call.
The news from Israel this week (July, 2008) has my head full of intensely disturbing and upsetting images of prisoner exchanges, bulldozers, and enemies cheering while lovely, moral everyday people sob at funerals. There is no peace or harmony in these images. I’m guessing that millions of people are playing the same awful and bizarre movies over and over in their minds. I’m curious to know if some of you also experience the following phenomenon: sometimes the news gets so weird and feels so wrong, I cruise past anger, past denial, scoop up some sadness and then land just over the threshold in trust- with some tears in my eyes. The news is so insane I capitulate much sooner than normal, throw up my hands, and say, “Hashem, you are in charge. You are directing this movie. You are in charge.”
I wonder if really righteous people even need to pause on those other spaces. Do they just live in trust all of the time? Can you imagine? They wake up and say, “Oh, look what God is doing!” And they do this all day. I think they really do this.
Since I have landed in trust, albeit just by a hair, I’m going to turn to my Torah books so I can stay here for as long as possible. Please Hashem. That would be so great. Let’s look at a prime example of a righteous, trusting human being, King David. He had it in spades.
From Psalm Four:
O sons of [great] men, how long will you put my honor to shame, love futility, and seek deception? Be aware that Hashem has set aside the devout one for Himself, so Hashem will listen when I call to Him. (4:3-4)
King David was so devoted to Hashem, trusted Him so much he could boldly shout in the face of his enemies that Hashem has put him, King David, aside for Himself. He wasn’t worried about where he stood.
It’s as if he’s saying, “I’m with Him. I know the rules. I know the way it works. You don’t have a chance unless you change your ways. I am a child of Hashem and you are merely a child of man. You don’t frighten me. Now I’m going to sleep.”
In peace, in harmony, I lie down and sleep; for you Hashem will make me dwell solitary and secure. (4:9)
I told you, he goes to sleep at the end. He puts his head on his pillow and sleeps, as in to not lose sleep.
This is reassuring. Maybe Hashem sees the normal folks who try to live in faith and follow His rules as ‘devoted ones’. I don’t think that means ‘perfect ones’, thank God. It means in as much as we are committed to Him, in as much as we cleave to Him, we are put aside as His. And if this is the case, Hashem will listen when we call, and I think here this means not only ‘listen’ it means ‘help’. Hashem loves the devoted people and helps them.
And let me tell you, even if I am so wobbly as a religious person that He doesn’t listen to me as much as He listened to King David, it is still reassuring to know that in the end the monsters in the bulldozers will lose. They are not ‘devoted ones’. The prisoners who the government of Israel set free aren’t free. They are not ‘devoted ones’. Hashem knows exactly where they stand, and where we -the regular old people who are trying to be as devoted as we can- stand.
This is from Crossing the Narrow Bridge, by Chaim Kramer. From the chapter entitled, “Peace”:
“With each day that dawns, universal peace seems further away. Yet, our Prophets foresaw the time when Mashiach will come and bring this longed-for peace to the world. It is up to us to strengthen ourselves in faith, prayer, joy and Torah study, as well as in friendship, kindness and consideration. Look for the good points in ourselves and in others and intensify our search for the truth. By doing this, we will merit the coming of Mashiach, the rebuilding of the Temple and the in-gathering of all exiles, speedily in our days. Amen.”
So here’s the list. We need to do these things to bring peace, no more attacks with construction equipment, no more killers walking out of the jail where they should stay forever. This is how we become ‘devoted ones’ who Hashem puts aside for Himself and how we will live in peace. It’s a great list isn’t it?
I hope this list makes you feel as safe and confident as I feel when I read it. Anyone can strengthen their faith. We don’t need to be perfect in our faith, just move forward. Anyone can pray. And feeling joyful helps! Which makes me feel joyful, ironically. Anyone can study Torah. We don’t need to become grand Torah scholars. We just need to move forward from where we are. That’s totally achievable. We need to make more friends and to be better friends. No problem. And we can all be a little kinder and a little but more considerate, that’s not unattainable. I’ll just let you continue through the list without me explaining further how fabulously beautiful and doable it all is.
If we the normal old regular people who want good things for the world, who want to live simple, lovely lives can just move forward bit by bit each day, then surely Hashem will see our devotion. We can show Hashem that we know we are His children. We are not merely children of men. Hashem is our Father and even if we aren’t perfect because only He is, and even if we aren’t King David, because only he was, we are devoted to Him. And we can sleep solitary and secure because we are with Him. We are His.
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