Video: 22 Teves 5772 -- January 17, 2012
Visitors: 6322
The Gradual Pursuit of Truth
Step One: Relating G-d to You; Step Two: Relating Yourself to G-d. Torah Or Vaeira Maamar Vayedebar Elokim -- Part One
Dedicated by THE CHANIN FUND
In loving memory of Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka (Mussia) Bas Reb Shmuel hy"d Nimotin
who passed away on the 27th of Teves 5763
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Image?
From childhood I have an image of what G-d looks like--I cannot describe it even to myself, I just know that it makes me very uncomfertable. He is almost like a "big scary brother," a massive clowd, or pair of eyes that are scary and theretening. Despite all my meditation, that instict does not leave me. And it just turns me off. I heard your class and your message.
How can I liberate myself from this childlike and primitive "picture" of G-d that was created in my fragile psyche as a young child? Thanks so much
Re: Image?
I am deeply pained by this. No body, especially not children should be given an image of an angry vengeful G-d. It is simply not true and is at best focusing on one tiny aspect (reward and punishment) aspect of His relationship with us. If He didn’t love us He would not have, nor would He continue to, give us our very existence every second exnihilo.
How to overcome this tendency is hard for me to say. Let me suggest beginning a dialogue with Him talking to Him not in Hebrew and from the Siddur but in whatever language is most comfortable to you. It is wrong to anthropomorphose, but all of us begin by relating to Him in a subjective way, make Him your confidante and your friend and don’t feel silly about it. The goal is to understand that the greatest aspect of our relationship with Him is fact that we can have one. Period.
Good luck and tell me if my thoughts work for you. If they don’t I’ll try to think of something else.