When my classmates were out at Halloween parties, eating candy and dancing in their costumes, I sat in my basement, studying the history of the Jewish people. Boring, right? This Halloween was rather blasé by most people’s standards. Since it fell during fall break and was a few days before my midterm, I went home and rejected all thoughts of going out: I was in for the night with Jewish history.
Not only did I pass a rather interesting Halloween in my basement, I managed to get a few interesting facts about my people stuck in my brain. I marveled at the unswerving faith that the Jewish people must have had when they returned to Israel from Babylon. First of all, who guaranteed that they’d even make it back? The journery from Iraq to Israel is long and perilous today, let alone antiquity. Even if they got to Jerusalem, the land was inhabited by descendants of Israelites who hadn’t been exiled: How were these people to be ensured that they would have anything to return to?
The answer is, they had no way of knowing. All they had was G-d’s promise. That’s a lot of faith to make such a monumental journey. In trying times, I try to remember the same thing. Instead of enjoying my break, I was home cramming for an exam when I would rather be out with my friends. My relaxation consisted of a few family hugs, rather than sleeping late every day. I was lucky that I never had to make a monumental move like the ancient Israelites, but who couldn’t use a little more faith in their life?
Whether that faith is faith in G-d or trusting in the universe, the process of putting our feet out on a platform that may collapse is difficult. Everyone would rather have the security of knowing what would happen if they stepped on a scaffold than to have it collapse under them without warning; however, when one trusts that everything will work itself out, there is actually no way of knowing it will. That difficult message may seem to refute the point of “trusting” in G-d or the universe, but, just because one thing turns out badly, that doesn’t mean it won’t turn out better next time.
To be clear: I am not advocating that one should lay one’s entire fate at the expense of other forces. Taking control of your life and studying for exams or something equivalent is very important. However, worrying about every minute issue, trying to cram every fact in my mind, might not be the best way to study for a test. After studying for more hours than I could count, I just had to trust that I would remember the things I studied. I had to trust in G-d and my physical form that I would manage.
Regardless, I would resume cramming facts into my brain the next day. I can’t give up that sort of control easily. At the same time, knowledge that it’s just one test made my break a bit easier.
