Is G-d in Control?

Is G-d in control?  The short answer is yes.

Let me share four levels of belief in G-d:
 

1. G-d created the world a long time ago

2. G-d continues to create/control the world, especially the big things (like coronavirus) 

3.  Not only does G-d control the big things, but He even controls the smallest details (like a leaf falling off a tree, or each individual blade of grass growing, or who I bumped into in the store).  The one and only thing out of G-d's control is fear of G-d itself (Pirkei Avos).

4. G-d even choreographs our mistakes

Belief that G-d created the world is pretty basic.  To say that G-d is involved with the big things is also relatively easy to swallow.  Even though it hurts, when we go through hard times (like now), we turn to G-d and ask for his kindness, and can find comfort in the knowledge that He knows what's going on.

However, believing that an infinite G-d could care about small things like a blade of grass growing, littering, or doing a a little mitzvah, is difficult for some people.  This is called hashgocha protis or divine providence.  Hashem literally controls everything.  I'm sure things have happened to you that just couldn't have been a coincidence, and made you feel like G-d was saying "hello."  The more we look out for this stuff, the more we see it in our lives.

What's absolutely mind blowing though, is that even our mistakes are choreographed by G-d.  It's a principal of Judaism that people have free will (if not, no one should be held responsible for mistakes).

The Rebbe taught, however, that while Hashem doesn't force us to make mistakes, He knows us intimately, and knows every mistake we'll make, and choreographs our lives in a way that even our mistakes are with divine providence.

This level of faith in G-d is extremely liberating.  We tend to eat ourselves up over mistakes we've made and continue to make, and I'm no exception.

When we remind ourselves that G-d knew we'd make this mistake (perhaps many times) and knew what consequences would become of them, and still arranged them to happen, it gives the most tremendous sense of peace, and allows us to move forward, not cry over spilled milk, and see the new opportunities that G-d arranged, through our mistakes and their consequences.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Abrams

P.S. We opened a whatsapp group for Chabad of Temecula updates (we won't be blasting you all the time).  Please click this link from your phone to join, and you'll get reminders for classes, events, and other important announcements.