R' Darmoni of Yeshivat Netiv Aryeh in the Old City (of Jerusalem) told me once that the major challenge of existence in the desert, after the reception of the Torah, was faith. They had food, they had water, they had shelter, clothing, everything one could ask for, and just the fear that perhaps their needs wouldn't be met the next day was enough to send them into rebellion. The fear that God might suddenly abandon us tomorrow, the simple uncertainty and innate blindness of the future is too much to bear. Over time I've observed that this challenge is still the most thoroughly overwhelming to this day. In the Talmud, one of the three questions we are asked when we come to be judged after death is: "did you perform your business endeavours with [appropriate] emunah (translation: faith)?" Every moment of our lives we can be ruled by doubt, plagued by fear, or we can [do our best to act according to the strictures of the Torah, and] trust in God to protect us accordingly. |
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