The Rabbi's Message: Hard to Believe

We continue our cooperation with the Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz Institute and publish material prepared specifically for the member communities of the EAJC. This article is published posthumously, following the passing of the great thinker of the generation, scholar and Hasid, Rabbi Steinsaltz, of blessed memory.

It is often said: "Blessed are the believers! How fortunate is the one who believes!"  However, in our contemporary era, defined by skepticism and a pragmatic view of the world, is it still possible to remain (or to become) a believer? Has faith perhaps receded into the past, along with the generations of the Jewish shtetls in the Pale of Settlement, medieval ghettos, and immigrant quarters at the edge of the world? Is authentic faith indeed possible in our age?

In this regard, a characteristic story from Jewish folklore comes to mind. It occurred as follows. The statement by King Shlomo (Solomon), renowned for his wisdom: "The simpleton believes everything" (Mishlei, 14:15), deeply unsettled all the simpletons. From all over the world, they gathered at a convention to discuss the situation. After all, prior to it becoming known that "the simpleton believes everything," it was impossible to unmistakably distinguish a wise man from a fool, and fools were not singled out. What would happen now, when all of them would expose themselves? The fools deliberated and finally devised a solution. They decided that henceforth, to avoid being ridiculed, they must do the exact opposite: believe nothing. They adhere to this decision to this day. Therefore, when people begin to speak of the impossibility of believing and the absurdity of faith, framing this simple idea in various common or scholarly words, one immediately wishes to ask if they were delegates at that very convention.

This does not imply that the path to faith is easy. It is uncomplicated neither for one raised in a religious home nor for one who grew up in a non-religious environment. For every individual and for the entire world, the path of faith is simultaneously long and short. It is not a highway upon which anyone can walk untroubled. It is a narrow, winding path, a highly personal and individual journey. In this context, one can cite the simple and profound words of a righteous man, based on a phrase from the Psalms: "For I know that the L-rd is great" (Tehillim, 135:5) — this I know, and I alone; no one else knows it in the exact manner that I do (Sichot HaRan, 1).  Another may know more and deeper than I, his knowledge may be incomparably broader than mine, yet ultimately it is a matter of a personal, inexpressible feeling. Having tasted a delicacy, I may appetizingly describe what I ate and what I felt, but I still cannot convey my sensory experience. It can only be experienced by one who tastes a piece himself. Such is the meaning of the words of Scripture: "Taste and see that the L-rd is good" (Tehillim, 30:12) — taste it yourself!

Where then is this faith located? It is not in the heavens, nor is it beyond the sea, but far closer: "in your mouth and in your heart." For indeed (this is true both on the level of personal experience and as a profound theological truth), every person utters many things that testify to his faith and his reliance on the L-rd, yet he often does not realize what he is saying and cannot recognize what he truly believes in the depths of his heart. When we say out of habit, "Everything will be fine," we do not notice that faith finds expression in this phrase. It appears both in the words of comfort addressed to a crying child and in the realization that, despite all adversities, one can still live a worthy and fulfilling life.

Some, while "denying everything," believe in the G-d of Israel with all their heart. At times, a person, casting aside all that religion, tradition, and the heritage of our ancestors carry, still fights for what appears to him as good and just. Such people are found both among the intelligentsia and among the common folk; they may wander through winding paths or follow a straight road. They possess abundant authentic faith, which is "in their mouth and in their heart," yet various obstacles and barriers confuse them and lead them to conclude that all of this is not for them. They assume that genuine religious faith exists only in some celestial heights or beyond the seven seas, and  therefore do not seek it nearby, failing to nurture and cultivate the sprout that grows within their own soul.

In Hebrew, the word emunah (faith) is related to the meaning carried by the cognate word omen: one who nurtures, raising a child. Thus, the sprout of faith must be nurtured and allowed room for development; one must cherish and cultivate one's authentic, religious experience, allowing it the opportunity to find expression. One should fear not oneself, but the consensus reached at the convention of simpletons. In this manner, we will be able to develop the potential we possess, which requires only its practical realization, as it is written: "It is in your mouth and in your heart, that you may perform it" (Devarim, 30:14).

In honor of the ascension of the soul of Rabbi Adin ben Avraham Moshe Even-Israel.