Beyond Nature

“From the straits did I call upon G-d and G-d answered me with expansiveness.” Psalm 118

Many of us at some point in our lives have had the existential feeling of not going anywhere meaningful, a feeling of being trapped by our circumstances, of wondering why the decisions we’ve made have yielded unwanted outcomes.

One of the things I’ve become aware of recently is that even we Jews who are genuinely attached to Torah and keep Shabbat and kosher, etc., who even maybe speak to Hashem in personal prayer, on some level still default to the “laws of nature”, teva in Hebrew, when it comes to day to day living and life decisions.  Of course nature, by definition, is a manifestation of Hashem in creation but the difference between the Jewish people and the gentile nations is that we have the option to transcend the laws of nature and, so to speak, buck the trend. This option can only occur to the extent that we cleave to Hashem and put our total trust in Him for all our needs.  This is called hashgacha pratis [personal supervision]. It was our patriarch Abraham who was chosen to become the root of this intimate interaction between Hashem and the Jewish People for it was he who Hashem “took outside” to gaze upon the stars [Lech Lecha], in other words Hashem was telling him that he and his descendants would not be bound by the astrological patterns of nature but would transcend them depending on the degree to which the Jewish People would keep the Torah and trust in Hashem.  In fact, Abraham’s wife, Sarah, who was barren, became pregnant with Isaac as a result of their new spiritual level.

So how does this knowledge that the Jewish nation can live beyond nature translate into our own lives? Below are some of the ideas which have helped me:

1. Acknowledge this truth and believe it’s possible for all Jews in any generation.  Without being aware that such a thing is possible, we can’t develop the desire to live according to it.

2. Enjoy learning Torah and clarify what Hashem wants.  Develop openness to being challenged by previously held beliefs whether or not you come from a religious or non-religious background   It’s OK if we discover that what we thought or did turned out to be incorrect [and incorrect thinking is just as damaging as actions].  We are not failures because of it but rather it’s an opportunity to grow and renew ourselves, and that’s exciting!  By doing this we do teshuva and cause Hashem’s light to restore us emotionally and physically.

3. We need to internalize that whatever decisions we make in life should involve Hashem in the process.  This involves personal prayer, to discuss with Hashem our goals and ask Hashem to help us achieve them. We should try to sanctify Hashem’s name by behaving in a way becoming of a servant of Hashem – our actions should reflect the beauty of Torah no matter what the environment I might find myself.

4. We need to uproot our vested interests, our biases, which come from the Evil Inclination, which can make it seem that we are making good decisions when in fact we are putting our own desires first.  This requires honesty, a self-assessment.  Do I really want to move spiritually or am I happy with the status quo? For example, an observant woman told me once that they had a choice between two Jewish schools for their child, one very religious and one less. They opted for the less religious [even though they were advised not to by a rabbi] and one of the reasons she gave was that they didn’t really think that the more religious school fit their outlook and maybe it was better to be the most religious family in the less religious school and be a positive influence there.  I don’t need to say what the outcome was; it has ended in tears for various reasons.  In retrospect, I believe Hashem only gave them those options in order to test how much they were prepared to move spiritually even if it meant being in an environment in which they themselves would initially have to move out of their comfort zone. Be aware that we can’t fool Hashem; He created us and knows us intimately so if we make decisions that seem on the surface “spiritually orientated” but really serve our own interests, Hashem will be on our case for sure but for our own benefit!

Hashem wants to shine His spiritual light on us.  In fact, our problem is that we are the ones blocking his light and blessing!  We wonder why we suffer, why we are depressed, why problems arise. Ask yourself, do you love living according to Hashem’s will or is it a burden?  Are you inspired? When you have a resistance to doing His will, do you dig in and rationalize why you don’t need or can’t do it, or do you make a commitment to overcome the resistance and ask for Hashem’s help?

Do you absolutely believe Hashem can and will help you with everything in your life? If you do, you will surely see Hashem’s hand turning nature upside down to fulfill your desires.