Trusting a Higher Power From the Book, Hey What About Me. 

Faith holds together all the characteristics… Path of the Just

Trust is the number one-character trait where all others are intertwined.  When you have faith there is no need to get angry, scared or depressed. Accepting where you are in life is where you are supposed to be, is the path to serenity.  Living in the present moment, not reliving your past or worrying about your future, is the path to emotional sobriety, peace of mind and freedom. When you trust in a Higher Power, you will become independent, not needing to place hope in another person or in yourself.   You will not have to please other people to make them like you or have to flatter them to please you.   You will be free to express yourself because you don’t have to depend on them for your self-worth.

In the words of Duties of the Heart, if one trust in G-d, his soul is at rest, his heart tranquil, untroubled by decrees…. But one who does not trust in G-d, even when he is prosperous, he is always troubled and in a state of continual anxiety, mourning and grieving (because of his lust) to increase and multiply his possessions and hoard them. 

According to Abraham Amsel in Judaism and Psychology (84, Feldheim, NY, 1969), “trust presupposes the belief that G-d molds circumstances in accordance with His will, that He wills the good of man and that He is completely just in His reward and punishment, the latter attribute, presupposes the free will of man.”

People who openly deny the existence of G-d and therefore cannot put their trust in a Higher Power greater than themselves, cannot enjoy genuine peace of mind, tranquility and contentment.  They are enslaved by fears and anxiety because they have no real power to hold onto for security. They hold on to the belief that they can control themselves and don’t need anyone to give them help or a crutch to push forward.  They become the gods of their own understanding.

Imagine if you were given the task of forming a living planet with trees, fruits, vegetables, humans and animals. Use your imagination and figure out what new types of fruits and vegetables could you create.  What would they look like, smell like, taste like?  Then imagine you were the higher power and you could create and do whatever you wanted.  Of course, you would be an all loving god because that’s what we all want to envision.  Anything and everything is permitted in your society.  There are no laws, rules, decrees, customs, consequences or punishments.  No natural disasters, just everyone does as they please until someone gets upset at someone else and kills them, or runs a red light, wrecks a car, or someone falls from a three- story building and injures themselves. Now what are you going to do?  Just say, oh well, you can do whatever you want to whomever you want and there are no consequences?  What kind of world would that be?  Then make sure the sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening and you’ll have to create seasons so the vegetables and fruit you create can grow.  Or, you could just go on perpetual vacation and let the chips fall where they may.  How long do you think this society would last?

Trust in G-d does not mean standing around in busy traffic and getting run over, or sitting on your porch all day, hoping someone will shower down money upon your household. No. You still have to put in the effort to work and put food on your table.  The extent of abundance is out of your control.  You have to put in the work and trust G-d with the results.  Otherwise, constant worry will never bring peace of mind and tranquility of spirit.  A person who trusts G-d does not get upset when his requests are not granted.  Do you ever tell your children NO?  Then why is it so difficult for you to accept no from a Higher Power who has your best interest at heart?

How am I supposed to have trust if I grew up with abuse and trauma?

People have free will to do as they please and therefore we cannot blame G-d for what people do to others.  We find people in society who are willing to suffer for the greater good of society, like firefighters, doctors, and soldiers. But sometimes people suffer against their will and it could be for the sake of keeping free will present in society. If every time someone decided to do evil and G-d prevented it, there would be no free choice.

A person might ask, why me? And that’s a question that cannot be answered with any form of certainty. G-d gives us many tests in life, some we understand and some we cannot. You are alive today, despite the abuse and trauma.  You are a survivor, not a victim any longer.  Your task in life from now on is to heal from past trauma and abuse and move forward in breaking the generational chain which has so captivated your mind.

According to Rabbi Shmuel Waldman in “Beyond A Reasonable Doubt,” Sorrow possesses great potential power to expand our lives, enlarge our vision, and deepen our understanding.  Grief can also help purge us of immature pettiness and selfishness.  It can build our strength back with patience and a new understanding of human nature.