Does Jewish tradition avow that God acts in our lives?

Re'eh

Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17

Haftarah: Isaiah 54:11-55:5

Some years ago, my daughter and I saw an extraordinary production of the musical "Children of Eden." The show was a vibrant contemporary retelling of the first chapters of Genesis, complete with a frighteningly angry adolescent named Cain, resplendently clad pairs of "animals" dancing their way onto Noah's ark and more.

God, a powerfully resonant bass, was portrayed as an awesomely wise and passionately loving father. At first, "God" was right in there, parenting, teaching and mentoring Adam and Eve. But as the story unfolded, the God-figure receded from the stage, moving farther and farther from the sphere of human action. By the end of the play, "God" was imprisoned on a narrow column rising high above the stage, a distant figure full of pathos and yearning, unable to interact any longer with the world of "His" creation.

Every week I have the extraordinary privilege of listening to Jews reflect on the ways in which the Divine is present in the midst of their everyday lives. Most of these people do not see God as a male with humanlike limbs or desires, nor do they generally experience the Holy One as a Father, King or Judge. Each seeker in her own way describes an experience of a life somehow mysteriously guided and inspired by the Infinite, by the Source of Life, by the Holy Mystery.

Outside my counseling office, however, I often find myself in conversation with Jews -- from ordained rabbis to people utterly disconnected from Jewish practice and community -- for whom God is precisely the kind of distant, pathetic and irrelevant figure portrayed at the end of "Children of Eden." Many people, of course, live profoundly joyous and useful lives, without any faith in a power greater than themselves. I can only stand in awe of such rich and holy lives. But I confess that I find it difficult when a Jew tells me that to imagine God as present in the midst of life runs counter to Jewish belief. This is simply not so. It saddens me when I am reminded that so many contemporary Jews believe that this is the only "authentic" Jewish way to think about life.

Consider the following exquisite Chassidic teaching, responding to the first verse in this week's majestic parashah:

"See, this day (hayom) I set before you blessing and curse" (Deut. 11:26), Rebbe Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev says the word "this day" is unclear. (Try reading the verse without these words, and you will see the redundancy.) What does the word "hayom" come to teach? "It is known that the Blessed Holy One, in God's goodness, continually renews each day the work of creation. Every day the Blessed One provides new clarity, and causes new kindnesses to overflow. Every day the person who serves the Blessed One receives new clarity and wisdom that was unknown the previous day. This is the meaning of 'See, this day I set before you': As the rabbis said, 'Today: every day let everything be as new in your eyes.' That is to say, every day receive blessing and kindness anew" (Kedushat Levi).

According to Levi Yitzhak, God did not retreat to a distant corner of the stage after bringing forth creation. Rather, God actively breathes new life, new blessing and new kindness into each of us every day. Were it not for this action, we would cease to be. If we attend to our lives with care, we will see the divine gifts that are offered to each of us anew each day.

Or consider the following teaching, by Rabbi Moshe Leib of Sassov. "See, I the Lord your God give you good and evil, blessing and curse. All the good and bad things that happen are neither natural nor random occurrences. They are all from the Blessed One" (Itturei Torah, vol. 6, p. 82).

How are we to understand how the Creator of the Universe, the Oneness of All, acts every day in the lives of individual people? How can a God without a body bring good and bad things to my life and yours? How are we to imagine such a Power, much less open our hearts to this One? These are all complex and important questions. But to the question "Does Jewish tradition affirm a belief that God acts in our lives?" the answer is, without question, "Yes."