Posted on 09/14/2004 9:44:21 PM PDT by yonif
A common point of tension in any significant relationship is the struggle to balance closeness with autonomy. If you've ever felt like shouting at someone you love, "Give me some space!" you're in good company; Adam, the first man, essentially did that to the Almighty. After eating from the fruit in the Garden of Eden, "... God called out to the man and said to him, 'Where are you?'" Adam replied, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I am naked, so I hid." (Gen. 3:9,10) Rabbi Shimshon Pincus, of blessed memory, interprets Adam's response as follows: "God, I heard you were looking for me, but I was afraid. After all, I'm just a simple man and I don't want to be with you all the time. It's just too much for me! I need some space, so I hid. I'll meet with you during the High Holidays, no problem, but other than that - let me live my life and leave me alone." Yes there are plenty of times when we feel inspired to do God's bidding, learn His Torah, observe His commandments, but there are other times when we draw the line and recluse into our own private space where God is no longer the Master of the Universe - we are. But there can only be one king. If we feel we have the power to dethrone God, even if it is only for a few moments a day, we believe, bottom line, that we are the reigning authority in our little kingdom. The primary theme of Rosh Hashana is making God King. This is the central focus of Machzor prayers: "Reign over the entire world with your glory... and appear in the splendor of your majestic might over all who dwell on earth... and all who have breath in their nostrils will say, 'God, God of Israel, is King and His Kingship rules over all.'" What does it mean "to make God King"? Rabbi Pincus defines kingship as the dominant purpose that serves as the driving force behind something. For someone who is constantly plugged into an iPod, spends every available dollar on purchasing the latest cds and reads only Rolling Stone magazine, music is the king that rules his or her life. For others it may be sports or money. Making God King means waking up every morning with the central, overarching goal in one's life to get close to God. All decisions and actions would strive to be in concert with this fundamental consideration: will this bring me closer or further away from God? In other words - no more hiding. MAKING GOD KING - WHY? The question is: Why would we want to make God King? There are a number of approaches to this question, and everyone needs to find the one that best speaks to them. The following explanation resonates with me. There is a scene in Kurt Vonnegut's novel, "Breakfast of Champions" that brings home the meaning of God as King. The main character, Kilgore Trout, is having a drink in a bar, minding his own business. Suddenly he senses an awesome presence about to enter the bar. He breaks out into a cold sweat. Who walks in? Kurt Vonnegut. When the author of the book steps into the novel to visit his character, Kilgore's perception of his world turns upside down. He realizes that he does not exist independently. Rather, every moment of his life requires a new stroke of the author's pen. Without the author, he ceases to exist. He also realizes that his universe exists only in the mind of the author, and that beyond his ephemeral world there is a higher dimension -- the realm of Kurt Vonnegut - that is more real than his own. He also discovers that literally everything in his universe is an expression of Kurt Vonnegut. Because in Kilgore's world, the author is the only being that has true existence. If Kilgore could reach out of the pages of the book and touch his author, he would have a mind-blowing, transcendental experience. For that moment, Kilgore would peel back the layer of his fictional universe -- and reveal the root of all reality. He would move beyond the Matrix. Our finite world is also a work of creation. Everything in it is an expression of God's oneness. Without a new act of creation every instant, nothing could exist. The only true, real existence is the Infinite, as Maimonides states, "'And God, your Lord, is true (Jeremiah, 10:10) - i.e., He alone is true and no other entity possesses truth that compares to His truth. This is what the Torah says, 'There is nothing else but Him' (Deut. 4:35), meaning, aside from Him, there is no true existence like His" (The Foundations of Torah, 1:4). This is the meaning that God is King - He, alone, reigns supreme in the universe because He is the only reality there is. Thus God is One - meaning the one and only; there is nothing else but God. Making God King means choosing transcendence over transience, Infinite over finite, reality over illusion. GETTING PRACTICAL With Rosh Hashana days away, how can we make this practical? By realizing we are not the king of our universe. We can never run away and hide from God. There is no corner where He cannot be found. Rebbetzin Feige Twerski gives a very simple and effective tool that helps to increase our God-consciousness in our daily life. Ask yourself several times a day, while doing whatever you're doing, "Is God comfortable here?" Does He feel at home while He joins your family around the dinner table? Does He like spending time with you and your spouse? Is He happy being with you at work? Listening to your phone conversations? While you surf the Internet? By frequently asking this question throughout the day, we can increase our awareness that God is right here with us, and come to realize that by coming out of our hiding places, we acquire our ultimate independence.
Ping.
I am constantly blown away about how deeply intelligent rabbis (sp) are. It is truly heartwarming.
I hate Vonnegut's politics, but I loved "Breakfast of Champions" when I read it yeeeeears ago.
Should this be posted in the Religion forum? Good article.
"While you surf the Internet?"
Man - I sure am glad God is a Republican!
Thanks for a great article. As a Christian - what is the basic jist and history of Rosh Hashanah in a few sentences?
It is the celebration of the new Jewish year, when Adam and Eve were created by God.
This will give you a good summary:
Is Rosh Hashanah the beginning of the year for non-Jews too? Should we wish them a 'good year' then?
A short summary of the holiday also here: http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday2.htm
Do you want to enter into discussion?
Thanks. And happy New Year!
read later
Good post!
Thought provoking questions for everyone to ask themselves. Thanks for posting this.
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