By: Rabbi Shlomo Ezagui
Logic, reason, and rational is never absolute. Even the strongest logical argument, with all kind of rational and scientific support, allows for an opposite point of view. So, when a person is grappling with questions related to faith, and he attempts to strengthen his convictions with further arguments in logic, it may help only to point. Every logical argument always allows for some other kind of a different slant, and then the faith is once again challenged.
Weakness in one’s faith is precisely that. Weakness in the faith. Every soul, spark of G-d, has a natural built in faith and trust in G-d. When a person has a strong robust durable faith, there are no doubts. It is only when faith is stifled and not clear enough, the faith is too distant that doubts are able to grow and breed from that root.
Once, a student came to his Rabbi and lamented, that every once in a while he feels doubts and questions, a kind of weakness regarding his faith. The Rabbi answered, “You have a soul, and a soul in its’ convergence with a person’s consciousness will ask questions, so it’s all part of growth.”
Another student, once came to the same Rabbi with a similar question. The Rabbi asked the student, “Are you afraid of the Czar?” The student answered, “Yes.” The Rabbi asked, “Did you ever see the Czar? And the student answered, “No, I never saw him.” The Rabbi asked, “So, why are you afraid of him, how do you know he even exists?” The man said, “I see his officers all around, and I see his influence everywhere.” The Rabbi said, “Look around. Don’t you see his officers and isn’t His influence all around?”
This very negative trait, to know the truth and still rebel against it, is not a matter of not knowing enough, or being tempted. This negative vice which we call Amalek, is where a person knows the truth, and has faith in it, and still irrationally goes against it.
Amalek knows the truth all along, he knows there is a G-d who made this world, and He is all knowing and all powerful, so there is really nothing to discuss with him. The more one feeds these arguments with logic and engages this Amalek, the more he creates all kinds of fuel for argument for the determined Amalek to be arrogant and impudent in his war against all that the person truly believes in.
The only way to deal with this negative force, is to deny any validation and credence to the never ending questioning in our minds and especially our hearts. By focusing our efforts strictly on strengthening the holiness of our souls, we chase away the doubts that creep in.
In Holiness there is certainty. The Torah and its instructions, awareness in divine providence with simplicity and warm enthusiasm automatically eliminates the doubt. Doubt is a negative energy that comes to cool any warmth of the soul and all of the enthusiasm to be alive in our service of G-d and in living life.
This kind of doubt and coldness can only be dealt with by giving it no attention whatsoever. There is no time to get engaged in these kinds of discussions. Just do it, the right things. The study of Chassidus gives the strongest logical reasons for the strengthening of one’s faith, but most importantly, it strengthens the holiness of one’s soul which automatically strengthens a person’s trust in their own faith.
To read more articles from Rabbi Ezagui visit him at http://koshercaffeine.blogspot.com
