Midrash Tehillim, a collection of homiletic interpretations of the Psalms, offers a fascinating perspective, suggesting that everything, absolutely everything, has its perfect, divinely ordained time.
The verse from Ecclesiastes 3:11, "God has made everything beautiful in its time," really gets to the heart of it. Rabbi Tanchuma, quoted in the Midrash, even takes it a step further. He suggests that God didn't just create the world perfectly the first time. Instead, He created and destroyed worlds that weren't quite right, iterating until everything was "fitting for Me." Talk about high standards!
Rabbi Simon offers a particularly intriguing example. He argues that Abraham, the patriarch of monotheism, should have been created before Adam. Why? Because Abraham was so righteous! But God, in His infinite wisdom, reasoned that if Abraham failed first, there would be no one to correct the course. Adam’s failure, however, could be redeemed by the arrival of Abraham later. Think of it as divine risk management.
And it isn't just about people. The Midrash beautifully illustrates this point by noting that hot fruits are eaten in winter, and cold fruits in summer. Everything is beautifully timed, perfectly suited for its moment. David, in his Psalms, even acknowledges this, saying, "Everything You have made is beautiful, and You have done it with wisdom," echoing Psalm 104:24, "How great are Your works, O Lord! In wisdom You have made them all."
But here's where it gets interesting. David challenges God: What about foolishness? What pleasure is there in that? Imagine a man tearing his clothes in the marketplace, children chasing after him, everyone laughing. Is that pleasing to God?
God's response is a curveball: "David, you call this foolishness, but one day you will need it." It's a powerful reminder that even things we perceive as negative or nonsensical can serve a purpose in the grand scheme. As Solomon says in Proverbs 13:18, "He who despises instruction will pay the penalty." But what's the penalty? According to the Midrash, it's being drawn towards that very thing you despised.
The Midrash then offers a fascinating, and somewhat unsettling, example: David's encounter with Achish, the king of Gath. Remember when David fled from Saul, as recounted in 1 Samuel 21:11? He sought refuge with Achish, in the very city of Goliath, whom David had famously slain!
God essentially says to David, "You're going to Achish? The same Achish whose brother you killed, whose blood hasn't even been avenged? With his sword in your hand, no less!" You can almost hear the exasperation in God's voice.
The situation escalates quickly. The Philistines recognize David and plot to kill him. To escape, David feigns madness, as described in 1 Samuel 21:14. He scribbles nonsensical things on the doors, acts like a lunatic, even gets his family to join in the charade! Achish, thoroughly unimpressed, exclaims, "Do I have a shortage of madmen?"
And here's the kicker: The Midrash suggests that this "foolishness," this descent into apparent madness, is precisely what saves David. It's the very thing he questioned God about! From that joy and relief of escaping, the Midrash claims, David composed the psalm in question. God, in a way, validates this madness, saying, "David, madness is good."
The Midrash concludes by connecting this episode back to the beginning: "Do everything beautifully in its time." Just as God saw that everything He had made was "very good" in Genesis, even the seemingly negative, the foolish, the chaotic, has its place and purpose.
So, what does this all mean for us? Maybe it's a call to trust in a larger plan, even when things seem senseless or difficult. Maybe it's a reminder that even our perceived failures, our moments of "foolishness," can ultimately contribute to our growth and our destiny. Or maybe it's simply a comforting thought that, as the Midrash suggests, everything truly does happen for a reason, in its own perfect time.