If Hashem Stood Beside You – Would You Dare to Complain? 5 Points for Reflection

Only One Person Never Feels Cold!

We have all experienced the bone-chilling cold. We have all endured the extreme heat and bothersome sweat of summer months.

Everyone except for one... Who? A fetus in its mother's womb.

Despite the external weather and the extreme, unpleasant sensations of heat or cold that the mother feels, the fetus inside the womb surprisingly does not experience these. The fetus maintains a constant temperature around it and even feels quite comfortable in its mother's belly.

The amniotic fluid, the liquid surrounding the fetus in the mother's womb, is of great importance. Amniotic fluid protects the fetus from external bumps and maintains a constant body temperature. The fetus is in a kind of warm bath.

Amniotic fluid is crucial for the fetus's proper development, and either an excess or deficiency can indicate or even cause problems during birth.

Who maintains the fetus's body heat in the mother's belly? How come the mother's experience of cold or heat doesn't affect or penetrate to the fetus inside her? Who "warmed" the amniotic fluid and "keeps" such precise and constant temperature throughout the pregnancy? Who filled the womb with the exact critical measure of amniotic fluid vital for the fetus's proper development?

"If Hashem Were Standing Beside You Now - Would You Dare to Complain?"

A man descends the stairs in his apartment building. Suddenly, he loses his balance, slips, and injures his leg. He's writhing in pain and realizes that the stairs are wet. He starts to get upset and loudly complains about the building's cleaner, declaring that he will make sure he's fired...

If we pause for a moment and imagine that Hashem stands before him now (one mustn't imagine Hashem, as He lacks a body or physical form, but metaphorically), would he dare to complain? If Hashem were to ask him: "Why did you fall on the stairs, because of the cleaner or because of Me? Who decided you'd fall, Me or the cleaner? I heard you have complaints about Me?" Anyone fortunate enough to witness such a revelation, would immediately compose themselves and reply apologetically: "Complaints about You? Of course not! Everything is fine, Hashem, whatever You decide is acceptable to me...".

We would all respond this way if Hashem revealed Himself to us. Yet we must always remember that Hashem is here before us, even if we cannot perceive it with our senses. We need to practice this every moment and imagine that Hashem is beside us at all times, even in times of falls. That way, we will have more strength to cope and be joyful—because it is Hashem, the greatest of all, who decided for us...

A person is disappointed with life. His leg hurts, his salary is low, his house is small, his car isn't spacious. He complains and grumbles. Wait, if Hashem was beside you, would you dare to complain? Would you worry about anything? Or anyone? You wouldn't be afraid of anyone...! Did someone hurt you? Imagine Hashem asking you: "Who hurt you? Me or him?" If we imagined so, our faith would grow so much!

Lack of money? Want to marry and can't? Want children, but it's not happening? Before you complain or fall into despair, imagine Hashem telling you: "My beloved child, I've been managing the world for about 5,800 years, do you think it's a problem for me to provide for all your needs? Clearly, it's not. Trust me that it's for your good." We would immediately calm down. The problem is, we consider Him in the heavens... somewhere… far... busy... with many issues, why then would He notice me?

If you believe Hashem is here, why are you disappointed? If Hashem decided you are single now and you're disappointed, you're essentially not accepting His decision! You're disappointed by His ways. So stop being disappointed! Because Hashem is here in front of you, beside you, around you! Focus on what you have, understand that Hashem chose this for you because it is the best for you, as the Creator of this wonderful world knows what He's doing...

Playing. On the Vocal Cords

At the top of the throat are the vocal cords (Vocal cords). In actuality, the vocal cords are two closely situated muscles positioned opposite each other at the center of the throat. These two muscles create an elastic curtain that opens and closes across the trachea—the tube that carries air through the throat. When air flows across them, the vocal cords vibrate and produce sound.

When we breathe in, the vocal cords move sideways (the right cord moves to the right and the left cord moves to the left), moving apart and creating a wide gap between them. The gap created between the vocal cords allows air to pass from the throat to the trachea and from there to the lungs.

When we swallow, the vocal cords come together to prevent food from passing to the trachea and from there to the lungs.

When we produce sound, the vocal cords move closer toward the middle line of the throat and adhere to each other. The airflow coming from the lungs causes the special mucosa covering the vocal cords to vibrate, creating sound.

In summary, to produce sound, as air is exhaled (leaves the lungs), the vocal cords meet, and the mucosa covering them undergoes vibration. When a person breathes, the vocal cords move apart to allow air passage. To prevent food from entering the lungs, the vocal cords fully close when the person swallows.

How do the vocal cords "know" when to come closer or move apart, a perfect design so crucial for a person's health and function? Who coated the vocal cords with special mucosa? And how does air "meeting" the vocal cords produce about 8 billion sounds (equivalent to the number of humans on Earth) so varied?

Good or Bad?

Your partner decided to cancel the wedding with you—good or bad? And after two years, when you found out she's barren...?

You missed the intended bus and are late for a job interview—good or bad? And after half an hour, when you found out that a terrorist got on that bus...?

You came to pay the cashier at the grocery store and realized you left your wallet in the car—good or bad? And after 2 minutes, when you reached the car and got a report that robbers entered that same grocery store?

It took you 5 years to get pregnant—good or bad? And then, after 3 months, when you discovered you're expecting... triplets?

Someone spilled your lunch you'd been waiting for on the floor—good or bad? And the next day, when you found out the cook has coronavirus?

This is how it is with everything a person goes through in this world. Everything comes from Hashem, who is good and beneficent, and everything He brings to a person is with immense love, kindness, and mercy, and whatever comes to a person is the best possible thing that could be in the world.

It is worthwhile to notice the wondrous guidance of Hashem, by always looking at the end results of events that befall us, seemingly bad (at first), and much of these events that happen without our will, we merit to see in the end, turn out to be good, still in this world, and some we will understand are for good only after 120...

The Duty of Contemplation

Observing the wonderful wisdom present in creation is the way to prove the existence of a Creator. If there's a creation, there's a Creator. If there is order, there's an Organizer, and if there is design, there's a Designer. The more complex the creation, the greater the Creator. Simple logic.

But are we required to contemplate creation? In other words, does Hashem obligate us to do so to acknowledge His existence?

Few know, but the obligation to contemplate the creation and derive from it proof of the greatness of the Creator is imposed on us by reason, by the Written Torah, and by the Oral Torah! (from Rabbeinu Bachya in his book "Chovot HaLevavot" - Gate of Examination, Chapter 2).

By reason, because logically, the advantage of humans over animals lies only in the ability to ponder. A human has more intellect and understanding and can discern the secrets of wisdom found in creation. When man looks at the wisdom of creation (such as the human body, the sun, stars, animals, fruits, and vegetables), his advantage over the animal is according to his comprehension: The more he understands, the greater his advantage over animals. If he does not contemplate, he is not like an animal but worse than one. For even the ox and donkey know to whom they are dependent, who cares for them, and meets their needs, as noted "An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master's crib, Israel does not know, My people do not contemplate" (Isaiah, 1:3).

By the Written Torah, there are verses that explicitly teach the obligation to contemplate creation, that we are required to look at the enchanting creation around us! As it is written: "Lift up your eyes on high and see who created these" (Isaiah 40:26); King David said: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon, and the stars, which You have ordained" (Psalms 8:4).

By the Oral Torah, from what our Sages said (Eruvin 100): "If the Torah had not been given to Israel, we would have learned modesty from the cat (which relieves itself in private), and marital fidelity from the dove (which does not exchange its mate) and manners from the rooster (which appeases) and theft from the ant (which does not steal from its fellow what it has prepared for itself)". According to Rabbeinu Bachya, although the Torah was given, there is still a place to contemplate the creation and learn moral ways from it.

So is there an obligation to contemplate creation and thus recognize Hashem? The answer is yes...