Da'at Tevunot grapples with this very question, painting a picture of what could be, what should be, and how far we are from that ideal. It suggests that humanity could have chosen a different path. We could have striven for righteousness, recognized truth, and turned away from the deceptive allure of this world, all in a passionate desire to draw closer to our Creator.
Imagine a world where we inherently understood that everything contrary to God's commands – all the negativity, the suffering – actually stems from a deliberate concealment of His goodness. A world where, seeing through the illusion, we’d be utterly repulsed by it. Where we would, instinctively, choose the hidden light – the radiant presence of the King of the Universe.
If we had chosen that path, Da'at Tevunot suggests, God's blessed Oneness would be revealed through us, within us. We would hasten our own salvation. The Holy One, Blessed be He, wouldn't have needed to subject us to the arduous, drawn-out path of exile. Because the truth, grasped through our own sincere intention, would be sufficient.
And here's the key: "when it becomes clear – it will become clear." It's not about blind faith. It’s about seeing the negative, recognizing its emptiness, abandoning it, and then clinging to the truth of God's Oneness (Yichud), the core principle of Jewish belief.
That, says Da'at Tevunot, is all that's needed. The entire purpose is for us to know the truth. So that, armed with that knowledge, we act accordingly, with the truth that has been revealed to us. If so, then when it is revealed – it is revealed. The implication is clear: the power to unveil the truth, and thus change our destiny, lies within us.
It's a powerful idea, isn't it? That our perception, our choices, are the key to unlocking a better world. Are we choosing the hidden light, or are we still captivated by the deceit of our eyes? The answer, perhaps, determines the path we walk, and the world we inhabit.