Is It Time for Jews to Leave the UK?
6 min read
The long-awaited interview was starting in just five minutes. Joe’s dream job was finally within reach, but…he still was searching frantically for a parking space. Every lot and every spot on the street was full! Desperately, Joe called out, “God, if you find me a parking space, I’ll give $1000 to charity.” Suddenly, a van pulled out right in front of him. Elated, Joe declared with gusto, “Never mind, God, I found a space on my own.”
On his own? Doesn’t Joe understand what just occurred? In the nick of time, a parking space became available. Did he really think this was a mere coincidence? Sadly, it appears so.
Just like Joe, many of us call upon God only when it suits our needs. Otherwise, we don’t recognize God’s Presence in our lives. Joe attributed his found parking space to happenstance rather than to God’s providence. Why didn’t he connect the dots? Joe’s spiritual navigation system was turned off, or, perhaps, it was never turned on.
We tend to take for granted what appear to be ordinary occurrences. Waking up, going through the day, driving here and there and returning home, all seem uneventful, but they’re not. Every nuanced detail, from the start of each day until its end, is not haphazard. Our life experiences are not random but, rather, significant—too important to be regulated by mere chance.
In Parashas Bechukosai, we are introduced to the Hebrew word keri. God warns the Jewish People, “If you behave toward Me with keri, I will behave toward you with a fury of keri.” In the entire Torah, the word appears only seven times, all seven in this specific section. But why? We’re being given a crucial message, not to act with keri. What is keri?
Rashi interprets the word keri as “coincidence.” Keri expresses that rather than acknowledging God’s providence in our lives, we view all occurrences as merely random. A keri relationship with God is superficial and erratic. It lacks commitment, as illustrated by Joe’s reaction, “Never mind, God, I found a parking space on my own.” We mistakenly assume that our achievements are solely the results of our own efforts. This flawed mindset is acting with keri—indifference to God’s involvement and presence in our lives. It’s like being in a one-sided relationship. You are rarely thought of, except when a favor is needed, and even then, there isn’t a hint of appreciation. This is the human experience that resembles having a keri relationship with God.
Rambam explains keri as viewing God’s intervention merely as chance. If Israel behaves toward God with keri, the welfare of the Jewish People will be advanced only “by chance,” when it happens to correspond to the interests of the surrounding nations. Divine protection is removed, allowing the natural course of world history to determine our fate. If we refuse to see a Divinely ordained pattern in world events, God will relate to our nation haphazardly and unpredictably as well. Failure to recognize God’s imminence will become a self-fulfilling prophecy, for God will respond to us with distance.
Keri is explained as indifference and coldness. An outwardly religious person might just be going through the motions. Such a mechanical approach to Torah lacks a real connection to God. Simply doing what’s required without thought or feeling doesn’t strengthen a relationship. Consider these two scenarios: (a) It’s your mother’s birthday, so you send her a text saying, “Happy Birthday, Mom”; and (b) it's your mother's birthday, so you visit her and present her with a bouquet of flowers and a heartfelt note. Which scenario would a mother prefer? Developing and maintaining significant relationships comes about with concerted, ongoing efforts. Our relationship with God does as well.
Although the Torah clearly explains that keri refers to the Jewish nation as a whole, we must be ever mindful of the effect that each individual’s actions have on others. Our responses impact those around us, much like the domino effect. Acting with keri may start out with a single person, but it can become pervasive, like an epidemic infecting an entire nation.
To avoid keri, we shouldn’t take the details of our lives for granted. Let’s start by recognizing that there’s so much of which we are unaware.
For example, surrounding us are invisible, non-tangible technological frequencies. Similarly, God’s Presence is all-encompassing, yet we may be unaware of it. Just like Joe, we can find ourselves in a void, unaware of what’s occurring around us. Integrated, mindful Torah study and mitzvah observance deepen our awareness of God’s providence. We can choose to develop our inner resources and to become more sensitized to God’s Presence in our daily lives.
By being mindful of the occurrences surrounding us, we’ll discover numerous situations in which God’s intervention is unmistakable. Losing a job only to find a better one or being in the right place at the right time, we’ll come to recognize that the twists and turns of life are anything but random.
By viewing our lives as a panorama, seemingly unrelated events will present a clear picture of Divine intervention. God’s seemingly hidden presence is revealed to us through those very situations that guide, push, and encourage us along each step of our journeys.
Consider this: Someone involved in a serious car accident walked away unscathed. He sponsored a kiddush to express his gratitude to Hashem. The next week, his friend sponsored the kiddush and explained that after last week’s kiddush, he realized that he’d been driving for more than twenty-five years and had never been in an accident. “Why wait for an accident before I express my gratitude?”
Chassidic thought teaches us that God communicates with us through our daily interactions and experiences. The Baal Shem Tov said it most succinctly: “As man acts, God reacts.” Let’s strive to recognize these vital teaching moments. Think of them as personalized spiritual text messages. Just as one’s phone must be turned on to receive a text, likewise one’s soul must be activated to perceive God’s messages. Our Creator is communicating with us, and He desires that we not miss or overlook the message.
We can, and should, become more than the average Joe.
