Seeing is believing. Like it or not, that’s how we interact with the world, we don’t really comprehend or retain a memory of something unless we see it ourselves. Perhaps that’s why Judaism has no intermediary serving as a link between us and G-d; we probably wouldn’t trust someone else to convey our message. So, we each have a “bat phone” to G-d, a direct line that’s always open, that needs no interpretation, that allows us to develop our own relationship with our creator. Despite this, we often feel like Judaism with a capital “J” doesn’t speak to us. “How can such an ancient religion still have a personal message for me?” That’s the same question we were asking after the episode of the spies relegated us to 40 years of wandering in the desert. It was clear that G-d was poweful, but would this lifestyle be fulfilling? “How can a Torah that governs our whole nation be sensitive to my needs, to my desires?”
This week in Parshat Chukat, G-d responds to our fears. “Moshe and Aaron gathered the congregation before the rock,” it says. Rashi explains: “This is one of the places where something small held that which was greater.” It took a miracle for the millions of people that made up our nation to all have a spot in front of that rock that would bring forth water for Israel. We were all to have the opportunity to SEE the rock, to be there when G-d showed us we had nothing to fear.
It’s one of the hardest things in the world to let someone know you care. You can tell them all you want, but for them to really hear it, the message must be tailored to that one person. G-d wants us to know how much love G-d has for us. That’s why we all had a front row seat at the rock. It’s the same reason, the Mishnah tells us, that there was always room to pray at the Temple and room to sleep in Jerusalem. G-d wants us to have a personal experience, a meaningful experience that speaks to us. In the grand scheme of things, we’re pretty puny. Yet inside of our tiny frames lives a piece of infinity itself...greatness hidden within ourselves.
In each tiny moment, huge opportunities to connect are opening. All G-d can do is show us the door. May we all have the strength to open it and explore.