How do you look at the world? How do you experience events in your life? Do you think things just “happen”? Do you think every detail of your life is directed? Are we meant to see messages in the events that happen to us? Does it make a difference if it’s a major event or a minor event? How do our decisions come into the equation? What about other people’s decisions?
Jewish sources have a lot to say about the matter, but like everything else in Judaism, there are many schools of thought, some of which are contradictory to one another. There are also many internal contradictions.
At one end of this spectrum is the Chasidic view, that even a leaf that falls from a tree at a particular time is significant and is controlled by G-d. At the other end of the spectrum (seemingly espoused by the Rambam but there too, he has conflicting statements) is the view that there is a natural order to the world and that G-d generally does not intervene. There is also the view that an individual person’s spiritual level may determine the level of Divine guidance and intervention that he or she receives.
So how are we supposed to sort through all of this?
I have experienced many events that to me were clearly the hand of G-d. Sometimes they are major events and sometimes not. I find that when I view the world through this lens, it helps me focus and cope, because I feel like G-d is here with me in this world. This is true even when the events are seemingly bad. I believe deep down in my soul that G-d is here in this world, directing events large and small.
But I was challenged the other day by a Rav who I greatly respect, when in response to a comment that I made on the subject he stated: “Sometimes things just happen because people make certain decisions.” This bothered me at first, because I couldn’t reconcile it with my world view. So I asked for clarification, and this is what I took from that conversation.
1. It is worthwhile separating two issues: a. the question of what can I learn or take from the event that happened; and b. the question of whether G-d is sending me a personal message. This is a helpful separation to make, because while the first question is worthwhile and can help a person grow, the second question is generally not only impossible to answer with certainty, it also can sometimes be misjudged or used improperly.
2. There are complexities here that are truly mind-bending, especially when it comes to understanding the role of free choice. If G-d is directing every detail, where is our free choice? Of course, this is an age-old question, the answer to which is not readily available to any of us. We haven’t solved that dilemma in thousands of years, and it will likely remain that way at least for the foreseeable future. These complexities remind us not to be single-minded in our thinking. I am sure there is Truth here, but for us here on Earth, it is elusive. The good news about that is that it forces us to be flexible and open minded in our thinking.
3. When we are too analytical about the events that happen to us, it can lead to a lack of spontaneity. I will take this to the extreme to illustrate the point: if every single minute of the day you are looking for meaning in the events that happen, or looking for hidden messages, you will not be able to function via your own feelings and intuition. Of course, this probably does not happen to people at that level, but it is something to be aware of in general. We need to go with the flow, and not get caught up in over-analysis.
4. Whichever position you hold to be most true will also have drawbacks. The way the Rav stated it: Where there is light there is also a shadow. So if you take the more Chasidic view, it may be comforting and feel true at a certain level, but you are left with the problems of lack of spontaneity, potential misinterpretation, and the issue of free choice, to name a few. If you take the more “Rambamistic” view, it may allow for a broad range of free choice, and for more human decision making and spontaneity and drive, but you are left with the problems of, among others, where do reward and punishment fit in, what is the role of tefilla, and perhaps feelings of being left alone in the world.
5. Lastly, the idea that being on a different spiritual level can change the amount of Divine providence that a person receives is very powerful. On the one hand, it forces you to have anava – humility – and to not assume that you are receiving a high level of personal guidance; on the other hand, it is something to always strive for because of course, there is nothing better than knowing that you are being watched, guided and taken care of.
At the end of the day, our job is not to figure out how it all works. Our job is to improve ourselves, to reach out to others, and to try to build a relationship with Hashem. The more we can do that, the more we will see and experience beauty and love, and the better we will be able to cope with an uncertain and sometimes scary world.