Miketz - 2022-12-24
Last Monday, I began
my eighth decade. Miketz is the Torah read at my Bar Mitzvah. My family was
members of a Conservative synagogue whose chapel was up a flight of steps. Bar
Mitzvah boys were required to read the Haftorah and give a drash about the week’s
Torah portion. Due to my disability, the Rabbi only allowed me to say the
blessings before and after one of the Cantor’s readings. Since everyone coming
near the Torah had to stand, I ‘stood’ while hanging from my Father’s arms.
Miketz is the Torah portion that tells the story of Joseph
telling Pharaough about his dream. He dreamt that there would be a food
abundance during the next seven years. A seven-year famine will follow. Since
becoming a Temple Sinai member in 1991, I’ve given several drashes about
Miketz. They’ve all been about how God speaks to us through dreams and our
guts. This year, I questioned how God knew to tell Joseph what the future
holds. Coincidentally, as I prepared this drash, I read a book about the
metaphors we have that describe God. These two events motivated me to write a
blog about how I perceive God. With your indulgence, I’d appreciate your
listening to and commenting on the first draft of that blog.
God and the Google Search Engine
Rabbi Mates-Muchin
is the senior rabbi at the temple where Denise and I are members. A few years
ago, she gave an exceptionally meaningful sermon about the phrase “God is One.”
Traditionally people interpret that phrase to mean there is only one God.
Another way of thinking about it is that “one” means “whole.” God is the
“whole” universe. God is everything and everyone that existed from the
beginning.
The metaphor that
works best for me is the Google Search Engine. God, for me, is a highly
advanced version of Google. I am amazed by the amount of information accessible
through Google. Google has, or will someday have, everything that was ever
recorded. Currently, whenever I want to know something, I ask Google. I
envision God as having information about everything that was made, experienced,
imagined, or felt by everyone and everything that existed anywhere at any time
in the galaxy. We can inquire about any of these things simply by asking God.
There are many ways
to acquire information from the Google Search Engine, including different
languages and input devices. Similarly, there are innumerable ways of asking
God. Praying, meditating, practicing rituals, taking drugs, eating, and
drinking certain foods are examples of how people get God’s information.
The Google Search
Engine cannot create, invent, develop, or promote new ideas, things, feelings,
relationships, etc. It cannot, by itself, cause help or harm, nor does it know
about the future. The search engine doesn’t know right from wrong, good from
evil, or love from hate. Everyone, anything, everywhere, is constantly
redefining these constructs. Collectively we are defining and creating the
future. It is encouraging and uplifting to look around us and realize how many
people throughout history have agreed about the meaning of good, righteousness,
and love. We are evolving into a better world, albeit slowly.
As with the Google
Search Engine, some people will misunderstand, misinterpret, or misuse the
information they receive from God. Just because we think we are making the
world better doesn’t mean we are right. But if the ultimate correct
notion of these constructs exists, why is it being withheld, and why are we
here? Perhaps knowing
that we are all working toward the same goal may enable us to be more
empathetic to each other. However, it doesn’t relieve us from our obligation to
ensure that no interpretations lead to making the world worse.
I believe that when
we die, our souls are all connected. Collectively we review the successes we
accomplished in our previous life. We decide how we want to improve the world
and what kind of role would best enable us to reach that goal. Some souls may
want to improve the world by helping people stay connected with God. Others may
decide that seeing hatred will motivate people to move toward love. Showing
people beauty by being a butterfly might be how some souls spend their next
life. Whatever our role and physical manifestation may be, it only lasts for a speck
of time.
As with any belief,
my belief might be all hogwash. That’s fine with me. My most vital hope is that
everyone, everywhere, knows they are fulfilling their role and they are not
alone. As we begin 2023, may we continue our quest to better our world.
End of Blog
Using my understanding of God, I believe God knew that given
the weather patterns in the area Joseph resided in, there was a high
probability that the weather might be good for planting and harvesting in the
next seven years. Seven years of drought might follow. God offered this
information to Joseph through a dream. With this information, Joseph developed
an action plan for Pharaoh.
I’d appreciate feedback via email about my blog and my
metaphor. May we have a healthy, happy, collaborative new year.
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