We All Turn to Hashem, But How Can We Understand It?

Every person, in some way, has a relationship with Hashem. Some pray to Him several times a day, while others simply exclaim, "Oh, Hashem!" when something extraordinary happens. But everyone, deep inside or in their subconscious, prays! If we want our conversation with Hashem to be closer and more sincere, we must know who we are talking to and what characterizes Him, even though we cannot really know Him. Jewish texts give us some idea about Him. For this purpose, use special glasses. Even though they cannot correct our shortsightedness, at least they may help us take a more truthful look at the world and history. While praying, there are several things we must consider.

The first thing – Hashem truly exists. He is not a figment of imagination. He always was and always will be, even if everything else disappears! The proof is us – if we exist, it means He exists, not the other way around.

You must know, in a real way, that in every prayer or conversation with Him, your words do not vanish into the void. There is someone who hears and analyzes every word, like a conversation with a regular person.

In addition, we know that Hashem is one, controls the world, and everything is subject to His will. All the rulers of countries, company owners, or heads of terrorist organizations cannot act as they wish. They are subject to His will, and even though it seems otherwise, in fact, they are not the ones controlling and responsible for the changes in the world and in our lives, but Hashem.

Imagine a child whose classmates are bullying him. What should he do? Tell the teacher, who is the authority in the classroom? What if the teacher doesn't act as expected? He needs to talk to the principal, and so on. When it comes to Hashem, we know He is the ultimate authority and our problems are in His hands. There is no authority above Him, not even close to His level. Everything depends solely on Him.

We also know He is perfect! Being perfect means being without any flaw. Hashem needs nothing. He is complete! And all we want, essentially, is to resemble Him.

Therefore, when we pray, we can be confident that the answer will be perfect. If our request was not accepted, it means it's better this way because the answer comes from perfect wisdom.

Hashem is unlimited, in all aspects and all characteristics. He has no limit in space or time, He always was and always will be.

Therefore, He has no physical form – He is entirely spiritual. If He had a body, He could not be unlimited, because anything tangible – even if it is of great value – is limited.

However, often when we think of Hashem, we are tempted to imagine an old man adorned with a long white beard, whose expression is calm and inspiring trust, sitting on His throne.

This image does not originate from the Torah. It is a distortion of Jewish sources according to Western perception. True, it is easier to imagine a physical figure with whom you can converse, but we must remember that Hashem has no body – He is entirely spiritual.

If during prayers you find it difficult to understand what is spiritual, without a body, try to explore this concept within you. Think for a moment about thoughts – you know they exist, but you cannot see them, touch them, hear them, or even smell them. The concept of "spiritual" describes everything our five senses cannot perceive, yet we are certain of its existence. In fact, you too are a spiritual creature, but unlike Hashem, you have a body, in addition to the soul.

Undoubtedly, understanding the essence of Hashem is beyond our reach, and we can only understand what characterizes Him. He is unique, generous, faithful, compassionate, and more. In our prayers, we turn to an entity with these qualities, and that should be enough, even if we do not understand His essence.

Additionally, there is no division in Him. He, His characteristics, and His knowledge belong to the same entity.

Why Are There Doubts About the World's Truth?

In our time, unlike the time of the giving of the Torah, Hashem does not reveal Himself to people. A person must search for Him. Because of this, there are many doubts about His existence, and there are many people who do not believe in Him.

The reason for this is that Hashem wants people to be worthy of finding the truth. Many love to get everything easily, but it is much more satisfying to acquire something through personal effort. Some parents can support their children their entire lives, but it's important to them that the children work because what is gained through personal effort brings much more satisfaction than what is received without effort. This is true about our knowledge of Hashem and our communication with Him. When Hashem hides, He forces us to think about how to find Him, and this effort makes us worthy people.

Moreover, when He hides, He preserves human free choice, our right to choose between good and evil. Otherwise, we would not be able to choose evil; instead, we would behave according to Hashem's instructions, like pre-programmed robots. But Hashem expects more from us – to strive to achieve good out of choice.

Despite the difficulty, it is possible to find Hashem through His creation. The more complex the creation, the more one notices the "divine hand" in it.

In the book of Job (19:26) we learn that the best way to find Hashem is to look inward, into ourselves.

From the book "Dan's Journey for the Meaning of Life," by Roni Dayan. To purchase the book at Hidabroot Shops, click here.