Einstein’s Emuna

Dear Racheli,

I understand that Hashem can do whatever He wants, and no matter what I do, the result is up to Him. So why should I put any effort or care into anything I do? For example, why do some people try so hard to be healthy, then die of terminal disease? Or, why do some people work day and night to earn a living, yet still can’t make ends meet?

Thanks,

Steve

Hey Steve!

Did you know that Albert Einstein was a relative of mine? No joke! I figure that since we’re both Jewish, doesn’t that make us all relatives? We have lots in common. Saba Al won a Nobel Prize in Physics, and I am always nominating myself for one Nobel Prize or another. Aside from developing his groundbreaking theory of relativity, he worked on other space-related theories such as wormholes and time travel. Similarly, I have been called a space cadet many times in my life. The world recognized Saba as a genius, and both my mother and I think that I am also a bona-fide genius. The parallels are endless.

But enough about me. Let’s talk about your questions. They make a lot of sense. If you go strictly by what your senses tell you, then it’s true that life seems unfair. Everywhere you look, you can find situations that make you wonder if it really pays to be a good person. I have news for you, Steve. You’re living in a reality that’s deceiving, and I’ll explain to you why.

First, let’s clarify an important spiritual law: In this physical world, nothing is as it appears to be. Our senses are intentionally designed to fool us. For example, what we perceive as success might in fact be the most detrimental thing for us. How many lottery winners have ended up in massive debt as a result of their win? Conversely, when we think we’ve reached rock bottom, we might actually be starting an entirely new upswing in our journey through life. I’m sure you’ve never met a woman that you were sure was “The One,” only to find out later that she was “The Crazy One.” Right.

We now see that we can’t rely exclusively on what our senses tell us. So how do we figure out what’s right or wrong? How do we know which decision to make? How can we understand anything about life?

Next spiritual law: We must realize that we know nothing and understand nothing. That’s kind of Einstein-esque, no? We must realize that our perception of the world is severely limited, and we must internalize that concept with the reminder that we really understand nothing about what’s going on around us. This awareness keeps our egos in check. It is vital to remember this when things go against our wishes, as this realization will save us tons of frustration and heartache.

Third law: Hashem runs the world according to His calculations, not ours. In chess, a Class C player can’t understand all of the moves that the Grandmaster has figured out in advance. The Grandmaster can see many potential moves into the future, and he can also visualize the consequences of each move. We humans are like Class Z players compared with The Grand Creator. We will never be able to see into the future and understand all of the moves Hashem is making in our lives! That’s just the way it is.

Fourth law: We need to trust that everything Hashem is doing is for our best. Since we truly don’t have a clue of what’s going on in our lives and why, there is no better option for us than to trust Hashem! We can’t see into the future. We don’t know logically why seemingly bad things that happen to us are actually for our best. The only way to fill the supermassive black hole-sized void between our logic and what is happening to us is to trust in Hashem and believe that everything is for our best!

With all this in mind, let’s wrap it up with a final law for good luck: a person is only responsible for his efforts in life; not the outcome. In Hebrew, the term is hishtadlut. Even though we are a clueless and severely limited species, Hashem still considers us His partner in creation. He gives us free will to decide how we will behave in every situation in our lives.

The trick is not to focus on the outcome; rather, we should only focus on our efforts. It is a mistake to delude yourself into thinking that you can sit back and expect the Prize Patrol from Publisher’s Clearing House to knock on your door with a check for $10,000,000. As awesome as that would be, it ain’t never gonna happen!

What’s the real genius in all of these complicated formulas? I’ll wrap it up for you in this bonus formula, at no extra cost: 100% emuna + 100% hishtadlut + 0% expectations = a genuinely happy life! I’ll call my Nobel Prize-winning formula “Einstein’s Emuna,” in honor of my Saba Al.

Seriously, though, the real man who should be given a Nobel Peace Prize is Rav Shalom Arush. His life-changing books are dramatically changing millions of people’s lives for the better; in particular, The Garden of Emuna and The Garden of Gratitude. All I have to do now is figure out how to get him nominated…

Best Wishes,

Racheli

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Feel free to send Racheli your questions, particularly in the areas of marriage, dating, child-rearing and women's role; write her at racheli@breslev.co.il