"What is too exalted for you, do not seek; what is hidden from you, do not investigate. Reflect on that which is permitted you; what is hidden is no concern of yours." (Ben Sira 3:21-22)
This diary is a continuation of my Street Prophets series on Duties of the Heart, a book written by the 11th century Spanish rabbi, Bachya Ibn Pakuda, who wrote about using our intellects to find God, and finding in God’s generosity an imperative to live altruistically.
Pakuda says all descriptions of God in the Torah should be recognized as metaphorical.
"It is impossible to apprehend any object of sensation without the sense that is suited for it; whoever tries to apprehend it with one of the other senses will fail. For example, if a person would try to apprehend a melody with his sense of sight, or colors with his sense of hearing, or tastes with his sense of touch, he would be unable to apprehend them, even a trace of them, even when they were present, because he seeks them by means of organs other than those suited for their perception....This is also true of the mind, which perceives intellectual matters directly and by way of [indirect] evidence. That which is close to it, the mind perceives directly; that which is remote and hidden from it, the mind perceives by way of evidence which implies it. Since the Creator, may He be exalted, is – in the essence of His glory – utterly hidden and infinitely remote from us, the mind can apprehend nothing of Him except His existence. And if the mind should try to grasp the true nature of the essence of His glory or to picture Him, [even] God’s existence - which is evident – will escape it, because it attempts something beyond its ability."
He understands there are many reasons why people don’t recognize God’s participation in the universe: materialistic pursuits, self-seeking, taking the good things in life for granted, feelings of entitlement, and failing to see misfortune as an opportunity for growth. With these attitudes, some might end up thinking they are wiser than God, or believing God intends to hurt them. He says we should always try to envision the final outcome of things. "You will discover something astonishing: Many things happen to us against our will, and yet we applaud their end result." He’s saying that all events are inherently meaningful – you're upset that you missed your flight, but then the plane crashes, and you realize how lucky you are.
On a personal note, while I used to reject the notion Everything Happens for a Reason as some kind of fluffy and annoying tripe for airheads, I’ve come to feel that regardless of whether we as human beings can ever figure out why we exist, how the universe got here, or what it’s all for, belief in an unconditionally loving God is a useful and effective philosophical foundation for living. I’d rather live my life as if the godliness in each person mattered. I’d rather live as if the universe were rich with significance. And so it is. And I feel better connecting to a power greater than myself. Maybe that's no accident.
;)
Pakuda says we can verify the existence of God by reflecting on the wisdom embedded in the ordering of the natural world. Look around, analyze, and be impressed and amazed by the workings of the human body, the interconnectedness of the ecosystem, the movement of the planets. The changing seasons, cycles of life and death, rain, the way plants grow from tiny seeds, and the way what we need for our survival is available in proportion to the need – e.g. we need air more than we need water, we need water more than food, food more than clothing - all that stuff is intricately designed with apparent intention. When looking at the sky, "one beholds signs of power and wisdom which stagger the mind and are beyond description by the tongue." The Creator organized the universe in a way that points to and reflects His nature, "as a work of craftsmanship reflects the craftsman."
Existence is made of both material and spiritual elements, blended and fused so one sustains the other. Think about how our bodies convert the plants and animals we eat into energy and flesh. We’ve been given a body made of rather mysterious ingredients. A soul has been joined to this body – the spirit of life (ruach ha-chayim) – which manifests in body heat, and in the blood, veins, nerves, arteries - protected by bones, muscles, skin, hair, and nails.
Yet there was a time when humanity did not yet exist. A baby grows in the protection of its mother’s womb and is nourished until it’s time to be born – according to a schedule not our own. The mother then provides the perfect food in the form of breast milk. God gives the parents love to care for the child until he or she is capable of knowledge and wisdom. Somewhat poignantly, I thought, Pakuda says it’s a sign of God’s wisdom that a child doesn’t know about good and bad while dependent on others for his needs, because if he knew, he would die of sorrow and anxiety. We can marvel that teeth are replaced gradually so we always have enough teeth with which to eat while the new ones are growing in, and we’re exposed to sickness and pain in order to develop good judgment. Check out all the cool functions of the body and its parts: hands to give and take, feet to walk, eyes to see, ears to hear, teeth to chew with, nose to smell with, tongue to speak with. The stomach digests, the liver purifies, the heart keeps us alive, and the brain houses our spiritual faculties, sensation and nerves. This Rabbi is totally tripping on the coolness and awesomeness of everything!
While he does this, he’s trying to teach us about gratitude. God has given us all kinds of stuff which we did nothing to earn. Everything we have comes from God. To return the gift, we should devote ourselves to God’s service, use what we need materially but abandon luxury and excess, and turn to spiritual growth as our primary focus. We should study human nature, and develop our intellects.
The intellect allows us to understand things we can’t perceive directly. We can tell the difference between true and false, good and bad, what’s necessary, possible, or impossible. We can put other creatures to work for us. We can learn math, science, and the arts – abilities which reflect qualities God possesses. You know how you feel when you hear a mind-blowing symphony, and you wonder what brilliance flowed through the composer? Or when you read a philosophical argument, and you are astounded that anyone could be so smart? That’s the level of achievement he’s talking about. God also gave us speech and language with which to communicate, form relationships, share our innermost selves, transfer information over centuries, organize our thoughts, and manage our personal affairs. At the end of the day, all the things our bodies and brains can do are, for Pakuda, proof of God’s love.
We should be further impressed by our God-given "faculties of the soul," e.g. thought, memory, forgetting, shame, reason, speech. While we innately "have shame before other human beings" (by which he means a sense of social obligation - to show kindness, to keep promises, etc.), we need to learn to feel "shame before God." Why is this? God wants us to have free will. In effect, there’s no spiritual free lunch. If we want self-esteem, we have to earn it by doing acts of kindness, love, generosity, altruism, and compassion. When we develop this sense of "shame before the Creator," and realize He is always with us, we acquire the humility to thank God for creating us and allowing us to be part of His universe, and to appreciate the love and care that went into every detail.
"...we come to know that we have a Creator Who is wise, everlasting, and one; Who has existed from all eternity, is infinite in power, and transcends time and space; Who is exalted above the qualities of His creatures and beyond their conception; Who is merciful, kind, and benevolent; Who is like nothing else, and nothing is like Him. Through the intellect we comprehend the wisdom, the power, and the mercy which pervade the universe; and we recognize the obligation to serve Him – as He is worthy of this and because of His benevolence."
The ability of living things to move is spiritually significant because every movement is tied to the Creator’s wish, guidance and Will "with the exception that" for human beings "He has placed in your domain the choice between good and evil."
"When this has become clear to you, pay attention to every move that you make. Be conscious of the body by which the Creator has tied you to Him; feel abashed before Him always and be in awe of Him; surrender to His judgment and accept His decrees. And so you will attain His favor, and your future will be bright, as it says in Scripture ‘He who trusts in God will be surrounded with love’ (Tehillim 32:10)"