Let Him In

So strange.

We trust that He is good, and that all He does is good.

Yet we pray. Because to us things don’t look so good. After all, His goodness is so distant from us. Beyond our understanding. Far beyond.

If so, shouldn’t we simply continue to trust? To surrender to a higher understanding?

Yet He asks us to pray. To complain and to kvetch. And He listens. And He answers our prayers.

Because this is what He most desires from us: that we make room for Him in our lives, in all that matters to us as flesh and blood human beings.

And that begins when we share with Him those things that touch us most deeply. Deep within our hearts.

“Serve G‑d, your G‑d, with all your heart,” the Torah says. The sages ask, “What kind of service do you do with your heart?”

And they answer, “Prayer.”

Pour out your heart to Him. It is the one place He can enter only once you let Him in.

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The Paradox of Prayer

In His Presence

By Tzvi Freeman

From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. Subscribe and get your dose daily. To order Rabbi Freeman’s latest book, Wisdom to Heal the Earth, click here.

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Wisdom to Heal the Earth is a revolutionary new look at Tikun Olam based on the teachings of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory.

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16 Comments

Peter Bayliss LRPS Birmingham October 4, 2016

Desire from the heart ! Yes, from your heart comes valid prayer, but also from that same heart comes love ! Love to God because He first loves you, but through you comes His love for all others ! Reply

Brenda Toronto, Canada September 30, 2016

Tune In To Him Most prayers are triggered by despair originating from our egoistic desires. These thoughts only separate us from Him.

We need to imagine that we are connected as one system. My request effects the entire system. I need to direct my prayer for the benefit of this system. Then I am able to tune in to Him with my request. Reply

Formula One Victory January 29, 2015

The formula of our very thinking can be a blessing, a burden to developments, or a harm to the 80% who do not serve Hashem? If thoughts of the heart do not speak & if actions don’t engage: it is incomplete. Because of this heart, I personally do not believe anyone could be an atheist. I know, it’s just that I have always seen those at the line: what are they doing there? Why are people at ground zero unless they want to be a witness. Yeah, I have some professional friends who love to laugh: I've heard what they call themselves. I pray for them, and see what they are searching. All I'm saying is that there’s actually a harvest season & these better make the cutoff date that's all..those would be sorely missed. Sure some might be truly mistaken about what they serve & others may seem like they don’t serve but there are those who serve a greater commitment. Would we not love to know who these are who love so much to engage a dark world to search? It's hard: 20% serve? I don't know about that figure. I think many will be very embarrassed to meetup with their assumptions. Is daytime really daytime?!
Portico: Life Reply

Lech Redlands January 29, 2015

Love your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul. "SH'MA ISRAEL" What a gift that he gives to all of us? His love is infinity and waiting our love to return. Reply

Eric NYC January 28, 2015

Serve God..... why? not based on God's past record of deeds! Excuse me, my nephew and my step-daughter are both autistic. They have such a difficult life, their parents work almost 24 hours a day to help them live better lives. And yet, the kids next door are normal, some Jewish, some Gentile. Please tell, why should "we serve God with all our heart"? Are we thanking God for this handicap God gave to these innocent children? Or, as the Torah says, is God punishing the children for their parents iniquities? And, why should any gentile serve God today, when God chose a different nation many years before this gentile was born, to be a special chosen nation? This essay is an example of a Rabbi trying to maintain his "holy" position, and this a part of the evil of God. Should we pray, ""...Shehakol Nihyah bidvaro" (Everything was created through His words)"? Go to a senior home and look at what God has done to those who prayed their entire lives, the bent over, weak and sick. If God is omnipotent, why is He doing this! Reply

Norton Mezvinsky New York City January 18, 2015

response to Rabbi Tzvi Freeman Rabbi Freeman,

It is illogical that an omnipotent, all-knowing, moral and just G-d would allow suffering, especially in regard to new born infants who have not even had an opportunity to sin. To state that there is no rationale in this world for suffering but that a person should nevertheless believe in and trust a supposedly just G-d strikes me as an unacceptable religious non-answer.

I believe it obvious that a non-believer in G-d can indeed have a moral position, based upon a belief in purpose and meaning in this world. You are being far too presumptuous when you assert that these self-avowed non-believers or doubters, including many intelligent, sophisticated individuals who regard themselves as humanists, are in reality believers in G-d. Personally but without rancor, I, as a doubter in the existence of G-d and also a person who has a sense of purpose and meaning in this world, consider your view demeaning.

Norton Mezvinsky Reply

Tzvi Freeman January 18, 2015

Back to Norton Please address the comments on the Lunar Files under that article. That way, any discussion will benefit future readers. I will just note here that the point of that essay was that we do not have a rationale to justify suffering.

Concerning your assertion that many non-believers are outraged by human suffering, this is all a matter of definition. In my lexicon, they are believers. The belief that things should be in a certain way that they are not, that itself is a belief in purpose and meaning, which is a belief in what I call G‑d.

Others have a different concept of G‑d, so to them, these people are atheists. Reply

Norton Mezvinsky New York City January 16, 2015

More for Rabbi Tzvi Freeman Rabbi Freeman,

Following your suggestion, I read The Lunar Files. What you wrote therein strikes me as an example of man creating G-d. The rationale presented there for suffering in this world, moreover, was both illogical and morally unacceptable from a human perspective. Many thoughtful people, who are sincerely concerned with suffering and other evil things in this world, would have a similar opinion. Had I more space to write, and provided that you were interested, I could and would specify my reaction in more detail.

Norton Mezvinsky

Reply

Norton Mezvinsky New York City January 16, 2015

response to Rabbi Tzvi Freeman Rabbi Freeman,

The reasoning you employ in your assertion about my believing in G-d is invalid. As opposed to what you wrote, and as you should know, many individuals, including philosophers, historians, scientists, literary figures and a host of others, who are either avowed agnostics or atheists, have developed and have advocated humanistic, moral and ethical principles, have demanded justice and have been concerned with suffering without belief in G-d. The literature showing and explaining this humanistic approach is vast.

Numerous sincere and distinguished agnostic and/or atheistic human rights activists, with whom I have worked for decades, have labored diligently to help people who are suffering, and to fight against oppression. Some of these human rights activists became agnostic or atheistic when they observed first- hand human suffering.

I understand your belief that all morality comes from G-d. Is it too much for me to expect that you understand correctly my doubts? Reply

Tzvi Freeman January 15, 2015

More to Norton As for your belief: You certainly do believe in G‑d. Otherwise, why should the problem of suffering bother you to such a degree? Isn't it natural that the big fish should swallow the smaller fish, that some should suffer while others prosper, and each man should should be to his own?

It is only belief in a beneficent Creator and a good purpose behind our existence that drives us to demand justice, and to sense outrage when we see the opposite—just as it was Abraham's faith in G‑d that cried out, "Will the Judge of all the earth not do justice?" Or Moses to demand, "Why have you done evil to this people? Why have you sent me?"

So too must you cry out to G‑d about that which pains you. Reply

Tzvi Freeman January 13, 2015

Back to Norton I think you will find of particular interest The Lunar Files. Reply

Norton Mezvinsky New York City January 13, 2015

Dear Rabbi Friedman,

I appreciate your responding to my previous comment. From my perspective my comment pertained to the essence of what you wrote, regardless of what you call it. I shall indeed consult your website further and use the key word "suffering."

I have read numerous writings of the Rebbe, including the commentaries in the Gutnick edition of the Chumash. I have read and pondered for decades the spoken and written ideas about G-d of many other Jewish, Christian and Islamic theologians. During the past few years I have read carefully. the Book of Tanya, I have discussed much of all of this with the rabbi of the Chabad congregation of which I am a member.

For more than six decades I have taught, lectured and written about suffering of people; I have also been, and still am, actively involved in human rights activity and peace work in my attempt to help alleviate some suffering

Conveying thoughts to G-d, when I am unsure of His existence, is difficult, but I try doing so. Reply

Rabbi Tzvi Freeman January 12, 2015

For Norton Norton, this is not a column, but a series of short meditations. No one is trying to convince you of the existence of G‑d here, or explain how a good G‑d could allow suffering. These issues are dealt with in many other essays on our site. You can find them using the keyword search "suffering."

This short meditation is on prayer, and it is also a practical lesson: If you have an issue to take up with G‑d, if you don't like the way He is running His world, if you can't bear how He is allowing the suffering that you see—prayer is the time to pour that out to Him.

And then, after prayer, go do something about that suffering. Reply

Todd Omaha January 12, 2015

Deeper I love this piece on prayer. Perhaps if more people would pray then the millions suffering perhaps would not suffer. Perhaps what is happening is our prayer life has become so shallow we do not reflect the great light of G-d. G-d manifests himself through people, famine and death exists as a whole so that G-d can have the intimate with the individual. Norton, please study the TaNaK to find examples of why G-d allows certain things and the triumphs of faith. Perhaps G-d will move you to action in the areas you levy a complaint. Reply

Norton Mezvinsky New York City January 12, 2015

I am certainly not convinced by this column. I see a world in which millions of newly born babies, who are not of an age that they can choose between good and evil, have died and are dying daily of starvation. I see a world in which millions of innocent people have been and are being killed and wounded. I see a world in which millions of people have been and are being oppressed by being deprived of numerous other human rights? How can I logically and in good conscience believe in the existence of a G-d, who is allegedly the creator and is also allegedly omnipotent, all-knowing, good, just and merciful? Why should I trust that such a G-d, if it actually exists, exudes goodness, which I am told I cannot understand? How can I -again in good conscience-pray to such a concept of G-d? These are but a few questions that make it difficult, if not impossible, to accept and follow what is stated in this column. Reply

Gene SD January 12, 2015

Conversation I do not share ,in conversation ,many of my thoughts. The supreme knows my thoughts,who would I talk with? So to realize it is connection in spirit with my dear ones,and even the supreme, had not occurred to me. Thank you for bringing this so my light came on. Reply