Happiness and Trust in God

Happiness and Trust in God

Come and see: The Lower World exists to receive constantly and it is called a Good Stone and the Upper world doesn't give to it except according to how it exists. If he exists with a lighted face (happily) below, accordingly, They send him light from above. and if he exists in melancholy, they send him judgements because of it. It says like that in Tehillim (Psalms) "Serve the Lord with happiness" and the happiness of the person below brings down upon him another Upper Happiness. **From the Zohar: Tetzaveh P184

Why the Zohar concludes so? Well, I do agree that the Upper World (which might be Heaven?) Gives accordingly to how the Lower World lives. One should always be happy to live, and since that everything that the Creator Do for us is good, there is nothing that we should be sad of truly.

However, I am not in the opinion of “Eternal Happiness”; one can only strive to obtain that level. Even Jewish Law requires the Jews to mourn for the dead, and it is a Mitzvah to do so. I can safely say that this goes the same to us (Gentiles) too. Sometimes, God Understands why we weep but the reason the Zohar said “...if he exists in melancholy, they send him judgements because of it ...” is because 'he' refers to a person that are always in a constant state of sadness, of self-pity.

The Sage teaches us that we can always look at a matter at different angles. Let me quote a blurry story I remembered reading it from somewhere.

Once there is a Rabbi who met a water-bearer, who is quite advance in age. The water bearer said to the Rabbi, “I am old in age but I still have to carry on to support my family and my in-laws as my sons are all engaged in (Torah) studies,” A few days later, the same water-bearer told the Rabbi the same story but in a different way, “Though I am well advanced in age, I still have the ability to support my children and my in-laws in their studies,”

If I remember the story correctly, this is how it was told.

However, the lesson within this story is the most important, even though the condition of the water-bearer doesn't change, his view of life change, is he not existing in happiness if he perceives the matter in the latter-way instead of the former? The Zohar doesn't mean that God is a tyrant that does not allow for unhappiness, even for the slightest mean. We are given feelings, and for sure we need to use it for good!

This might be the basis for the saying 'Heavens Help those that Help Themselves,” Very true indeed, when one strives to achieve happiness, The Upper World will surely give to it. However, if one always grunt about his own life, then the Upper World gave him reasons to grunt about accordingly.

There is also a Rabbi that said this,

“The greatest Miracle is not the parting of the Sea of Reed (The Red Sea) but is, when a mother, worked wretched and tired, still have the strength to take care of her family,”

Thus, a good person will make miracles for themselves, only a fool will expect a miracle. God Gave us a very mundane life, use it for good!

Well, once I pondered, how about those that went through a lot of sufferings? It's not easy for us to understand how they feel, and the Pirkei Avot (The Saying of the Fathers) told us that “Do not condemn if you put not yourself in their shoes,” Is it easy for us to apply the Zohar's Quote to them? No, I would say it is certainly unfair to said to those that have a terrible accident simply to live 'happily'. This is utterly insulting.

However, even though those experiences will have its effect on the said persons, God Always Bestow Hope on them. I have seen those that survives traumatic experiences often get stronger and tougher. They might be melancholy at first and even lost hope to live but mostly, people will stand up after hitting rock-bottom i.e. when they realised that there is no other ways available except to go back up. When we fall, we have to stand up, not ranting sweet about how unwell God Treats us. Yes, it hurts, but when you stand up, you will possess anything far more valuable than you have now.

This is the reasons Judaism maintains that the highest level of charity is when one can help another to stand up and support themselves, whether financially, physically, or emotionally.

I remembered a very meaningful quote from the cartoon titled “As Told By Ginger“ saying, “All those cuts and bruises means that you have live life,” Life is not easy but it's how we become stronger, we are always learning.

When you truly understand, and truly conceives it in your mind. When one always strive for the better, when one always strive to achieve happiness, this is the one with the 'lighted face' and surely, God Will Helps them! Baruch HaShem!

Shalom.