Where is God?

The Russian cosmonaut, Yuri Gregarin, is alleged to have quipped upon reaching outer space, ‘I looked and looked but didn’t see G-d’[1].  Well, he looked in the wrong place and wasted loads of fuel in the process.   But, if G-d is not floating in the majesty of outer space, where could He be?  

                One nuance in an easily overlooked verse tells us where to find G-d.  As always, this is for those interested enough to look for Him.[2]  It says in verse 17:22, ‘And G-d finished speaking to Abraham and G-d went up from upon Abraham’.  Sounds heavy, but these two words give away the secret.  The verse should have said that G-d went up from Abraham.  They were having a conversation, and when they were done they went their separate ways.[3] But the way the verse literally reads, G-d was on top of Abraham. Our medieval teacher Rashi brings mystical wisdom to the rescue,’…we learn from here that the righteous people are the chariot of G-d’. 

                There is no need to go to outer space in search of G-d.  There is a simpler way to find G-d.  He resides with those people that emulate him, and the only challenge now is to find those people who are, unfortunately, few and far between.  When we act in a way that befits a sublime being, people recognize that there is G-dliness behind everything. And, more than that, G-d’s presence goes out of hiding and is given a place to dwell in the world. When people complain that how can we believe in a G-d we can’t see or interact with, the answer is that we can.  However, we don’t have enough divine representatives around today to facilitate the interaction. 

                This is supported by real life stories. More than any philosophical proof, the people who leave the fold are those who were negatively influenced by a person who purported to represent G-d, but did just the opposite.  On the other hand, those who have joined the fold are there in large part by the people they have met along the way. They see people sleeping four hours a night, fueled by an inner passion and joy that bespeaks of the divine.  Obviously, the Torah itself has an inescapable depth that even a skeptic has to admit.  But when it is lived properly, even the skeptic has to rest his case because that is when they meet the divine itself.  

               

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[1] Others claim it was a fabricated quote by anti-religious Russian propaganda

[2] And I don’t recommend looking only at times of desperate need because people don’t appreciate being used; people want a real relationship based on mutual respect and love, so too G-d, though if you just can’t help it, He is forgiving enough to overlook this oversight at times of crisis

[3] Again, G-d is obviously transcendental and infinite and never goes anywhere. But in His relationship with us, He constricts himself so that we can relate to him. So all of this is from our limited perspective but does not reflect reality.