I'm a Good Person, Isn't That Enough?

I give charity every now and then, I'm nice to people, everyone at work gets along with me just fine, I'm a devoted family man, and of course, I respect the religion and never miss a prayer on Friday night. Do I need more than that? Does it really matter to Hashem what I have on my plate or if I turned on a light during a holiday?<\/p>

Having a kind heart and treating others pleasantly is immensely important. The mitzvot between a man and his fellow and the correction of one's character are inseparable parts of a Jew's life's work. The Jewish library is full of rabbinic literature on personal work required to improve character, and there are also many halachic books containing detailed laws on various aspects concerning interpersonal relationships.<\/p>

Yet, Hashem, who wishes only the best for us and knows the right path for us in this world and the next, gave us, the Jewish people, the Torah out of love, as a gift from a loving father to his children. The Torah is not a book of recommendations for a good life decided by any human being but by the Creator of the universe, possessing divine and superhuman wisdom. He determined the way to achieve our life's purpose, the way to eternal goodness, and the path to creating a true connection with Him. He knows our soul better than we do and knows where and how we can feel true satisfaction, the non-fake happiness that disappears when the curtain falls, the true peace that the soul so desperately yearns to achieve, the connection to our "I" that seems so obvious from the outside but in moments of silence and painful honesty - so distant.<\/p>

Sometimes it's easy to understand the logic behind some of the mitzvot, and sometimes not, and that's okay. It's okay as long as we know one and only one thing for certain - Hashem said so. Knowing that behind the path of Torah life stands the will of the One who created us and this vast universe, who only wants our happiness, who knows better than us, who sees the grand picture from above, and asks us to trust Him, lean on Him, walk with Him - the doubts disappear. Whether we understand the mitzvot or not.<\/p>

And if we're honest, when do we know it's about a true connection between one and another? When everything flows, easy, understandable, clear, fun, and nice, or when we don't always understand the other side and try to accommodate? When maintaining 24/7 loyalty, or when one day a week (just for example, Shabbat...) decides to wander elsewhere?<\/p>

One can live an entire life under the illusion of having a close relationship with the Father in Heaven. One can also believe that He truly understands and accepts that a whole life with what I'm doing right now is enough. But the question is whether there is a solid basis for those gut feelings in that divine letter of life, the Torah. Is it written anywhere in the Torah, even hinted, that everyone should do as they wish, or is it explicitly stated what the conditions are for creating a connection with Hashem?<\/p>

A true connection with Hashem is measured precisely in those incomprehensible, difficult moments, in struggles and efforts. A loyal relationship with the Creator of the World is not to give up, even for any fortune, on what He set as the holy covenant between us - the observance of Shabbat.<\/p>