Seeing Is Believing
Parashat B'ha'alotcha
There is a saying: "Seeing is believing." Yet, at times, and for various reasons, we see things with our own eyes or experience things in our own lives and, still, we doubt their truth. If we are skeptical about what we ourselves experience, how much more so are prone to skepticism about stories of miracles, even if the stories come from the Bible...?
Our Torah portion of B'ha'a'lot'cha tells us that the Israelites were guided through the desert by a divinely orchestrated “GPS” that took the form of a cloud and of a pillar of fire!
According to the Biblical story, the Israelites all saw the cloud and the pillar of fire...So, it is natural to wonder:
Why did they have trouble believing that God was with them during their 40 year trek through the desert? Why did they complain? Why were they not open to simply "believing" the miracles that they saw with their own eyes?
Perhaps it is because, from the earliest time in our history as a people, Jewish tradition has encouraged us to ask questions! We are supposed to use our minds in order to understand more fully whether what we are experiencing, or what we are being asked to believe, is true or not.
Experience teaches us that a healthy measure of skepticism is important in life! In fact, a healthy measure of skepticism is at the heart of what we know as: “critical thinking!” And, Jewish tradition encourages us to develop our sense of "critical thinking." If we are to be honest with ourselves, we must ask: Isn't that exactly what the Israelites were doing as they "looked right past" the miracles that they were experiencing? Weren't they just employing tools of “critical thinking?” Weren’t they just doing what Judaism teaches us to do - to use our minds to ask probing questions...?
But, there is a greater truth embedded in our Parsha. The greater truth is that literal truth is not the only kind of truth that has spiritual value. And, sometimes, there is value in "believing" a story even when it is mixed with some measure of "mythology."
The Torah tells us that the cloud and the pillar of fire were there, literally or figuratively. Either way, they were “seen” by our people. Yet our people complained and denied God's presence in their lives!
In telling this story, might our Torah portion be asking us to consider the following questions:
How many times do we hastily dismiss, as insignificant, stories of everyday miracles and of extraordinary miracles that happen in our own lives?
How many times do we unthinkingly under-value stories of miracles that are part of our Torah's spiritual message?
How many times does our habitual skepticism get in the way of deepening faith?
How much does it block us from experiencing a sense of hope, of purpose and of devotion?
Can we balance a healthy measure of skepticism with a realistic appreciation for miracles that reflect God’s presence in the world and in our lives?
I welcome your thoughts on this subject....What would you say?