Ask The Rabbi

Ask The Rabbi

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11. Is it not trivial for G d to be involved with minor aspects of the creation?
There is a well-known Chassidic commentary on the sentence “Raised above the nations is G d”, – the nations of the world may think that G d is supernal and therefore not involved with the lowly matters of the world. We know that G d does not have a problem occupying Himself with even the lowliest aspects of creation. Nothing is “beneath His dignity”. Those things which seem ‘big’ to us, are not necessarily so for G d, as it is written “he brings me down to see the heaven and the earth.” To the Creator even elevated things like the heavens are as lowly as the earth.
On the other hand, the main goal of creation was this lowly and physical world. The Midrash says “G d wished to have a dwelling place in the lower worlds”. Thus, whatever happens here is of great importance to G d!
If G d invests energy in each detail to create it, then certainly there is an aim in its creation. G d does not do anything without a reason. Our finite minds may have difficulty in fathoming a reason for certain things, but the very fact that something exists proves its importance to G d.
What kind of feeling should all this leave me with? Is G d keeping track of me? Watching for my downfall?
The expression ‘watching for my downfall’ would mean that G d is standing over me with a stick, only waiting to catch me out. This could not be further from the truth. It is truly not the case. The Creator loves us and all He wants is for our own good. Certainly, everything that happens to us is with G d’s knowledge and under His supervision. “The eye sees and the ear hears”, and this strengthens the necessity to do G ds will and when we don’t live up to it, to rectify our deeds and come closer to G d.
The main feeling we should have when we internalize that everything is under G d’s supervision is that the Holy One Blessed be He is interested in me, and that everything that happens to me is supervised by Him, and therefore of necessity it is for the good. Since the Creator is the essence of good, and the nature of good is to do good, and everything comes from Him, so it is all good. Even though we don’t always perceive how it can be good.

To answer your question, we must first define the term “exile.” In secular terminology, exile is defined as ‘the state of being barred from one’s native country, typically for political or punitive reasons.’
This is not the true Jewish connotation of exile. The Torah concept of exile includes being sent out of our country, but not only. The land of Israel is not called ‘the Holy Land’ as a sentiment. It truly is holy, and when the first and second Temples, the Batei Mikdash, were standing, G-d’s presence was felt there by ongoing miracles. Exile for the Jewish people means that the Temples were desecrated, G-d’s presence was not manifested by these miracles, and as is still true today, even though many Jews live in Israel, thank G-d, many Jews still look to the nations of the world for approval, and there is not enough awareness of the Divine plan.
Regarding the fifth exile, there is much discussion among the commentaries, but the whole concept of exile can be on a spiritual plane, and does not have to involve being under the actual physical rule of a foreign power.

The important thing is, what are we doing to bring about redemption from our personal spiritual state of exile?

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