According to Jewish tradition, He's not exactly kicking back with a cosmic cup of coffee. Nope. He's been busy making matches.
That's right, God is the ultimate shadkhan—a matchmaker. It's a powerful idea, isn't it?
The story goes like this: God sits and arranges marriages, pairing this person with that person. And get this – He's doing it even before they're born! The Talmud, in Tractate Sota 2a, tells us that forty days before a child is even formed, a heavenly voice announces who they're destined to marry.
Think about that for a second. Before you're even a twinkle in your parents' eyes, your bashert—your destined one—is already out there, somewhere. It's a comforting thought, isn't it? That there's someone out there meant just for you.
But here's the kicker: making these matches isn't easy. In fact, the rabbis said that each match is as difficult for God as parting the Red Sea! According to Genesis Rabbah 68:4, finding the right partner is no small feat.
And the angels? They're in on it too. They watch over these unions, and when a match is truly blessed, they sing out, "God the Creator of the world and the Matchmaker, blessed be He now and forever."
Now, why this idea of God as matchmaker? Well, it speaks to the Jewish concept of bashert that we talked about, the belief that everyone has a soulmate, a destined partner. This belief, as Tree of Souls points out, could make it easier to accept matches that, in practice, were often arranged by parents, based on things like status and wealth, rather than, you know, true love.
But there's something deeper at play here too. The Zohar, that foundational text of Jewish mysticism, offers another layer. It tells us that all souls begin as both male and female. But when they enter this world, they split apart, the male part into a male body, the female into a female body. According to the Zohar (specifically 3:45b), if they're worthy, they'll reunite in marriage, restoring that original unity. That’s why your loved one is often called your soulmate – because, together, you form something whole again, body and soul.
So, the next time you think about love, relationships, and the search for your soulmate, remember the image of God, the ultimate shadkhan, working tirelessly to bring people together. Maybe, just maybe, it'll give you a little hope, a little faith, and a little comfort in knowing that somewhere out there, your bashert might just be waiting. The angels might even be singing about it already.