They Don't Like Olives

There’s a Christian prayer that I really like. It’s called the Serenity Prayer.

G-d, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

In His Image

When the Torah says we are made in Hashem’s image, what does that mean? Does Hashem look vaguely human? Does he have a look at all?

Moshe was the only person ever to actually see Hashem. Hashem had conditions, though. He told Moshe that no human can see His face and live. Hashem only showed Moshe His back. Hashem’s form is beyond human comprehension, to the extent that a human would have to die and be heavenly to perceive it. Even Moshe, someone with the highest connection to Hashem, could never fully perceive Him while on the lowest world.

So if Hashem doesn’t have a physical form that we can perceive, we can assume that “man was made in His image” doesn’t mean physically.

Being made in Hashem’s image means we are godly. We are capable of doing godly acts. Every mitzvah we do is godly and contributes to the return of Mashiach. It means that all the good qualities in ourselves are qualities we got from Hashem. Hashem is kind. You can’t be kind if there’s no one to be kind to. Hashem gets angry, Hashem loves unconditionally, and Hashem is vulnerable.

The Strength in Being Vulnerable

A lot of people see vulnerability as a weakness. If you’re vulnerable, you can be hurt. It’s an utmost trust in someone. It’s naive, even. So, if Hashem is all-powerful, how can He be vulnerable?

What’s interesting is that in some ways, Hashem is more vulnerable than we are. We don’t have needs. We don’t need to run that errand or sleep; Hashem needs us to. I didn’t ask to get hungry. I didn’t ask to get tired. I didn’t even ask to be born; Hashem needed it. In order for a need to be met, you need to be vulnerable. A deer drinking out of a pond needs to be vulnerable to drink.

So vulnerability isn’t a weakness; it’s a strength. It’s telling someone, “I need you.” A declaration of love, admiration, and an invitation to meet that need. If Hashem being vulnerable makes Him stronger, then the same can apply to you.

Someone that never lets others help them ends up failing.

The Ideology of Perfection

You were made in Hashem’s image. If Hashem is perfect, then so are you. Every freckle, trait, and quirk of who you are and what you look like was perfectly crafted by His own hands. Your kindness is a reflection of Hashem’s own godly kindness.

I haven't written anything on this blog for almost a year. This is because, after experiencing the pressure of being an adult for half a year, I met a girl.

Six months ago, every day became worthwhile. They are the most amazing, most funny, most beautiful, most kind, strongest, most perfect person I have ever come across. Annie makes the quiet moments when I'm alone loud in the lack of their presence. They make the loud moments when I'm with them as peaceful as a sunset. They make waking up a privilege and going to sleep a pleasure as I get to reflect on the best day ever, every day.

Annie is proof that being made in Hashem's image makes her perfect. Love often blinds you to flaws, but you can usually spot them. Annie has no flaws. I can look at Annie for hours and see G-d's perfection.

Soulmates

The idea of soulmates is one of the most fascinating parts of Judaism. The idea that when you come down from Heaven at birth, an angel says your soulmate's name. It makes it easy to have faith that everything is going to be okay. Because when I met Annie, that's exactly how it felt. Every time I look into Annie's eyes, I am reassured that the rest of my life is going to be okay.

Adam and Eve were first one being. Then Hashem split them in half, making Adam and Eve, and immediately told them to get married. You can think of soulmates as kind of like a rope. Having just a single string is weak and fragile; they don't last. Put two strings together, and now you have a strong rope that can handle anything together as one.

As the monkey man sang it:

I was her, she was me. We were one, we were free. And if there's somebody calling me on. She's the one

There's this idea that if you like olives, then your soulmate will hate olives. I love olives.

Annie doesn't.