Take the Israelites wandering in the desert, for example. They’d been through so much – slavery in Egypt, the Exodus, the giving of the Torah at Sinai. Yet, here they were, facing setback after setback. Naturally, questions arose. Was it all worth it? Did God even care?
In Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on the Book of Deuteronomy, we find a powerful passage addressing this very doubt. The verse in question speaks of God bringing the Israelites out of Egypt only "in the L-rd's hatred of us." Ouch.
Now, that's a tough one to swallow. Does it mean God actually hated the Israelites? The text immediately pushes back on this notion, asking, "Is it possible that the Holy One Blessed be He hates Israel?" After all, as the prophet Malachi (1:2) so clearly states: "I have loved you, said the L-rd."
So, what’s going on here?
The Sifrei Devarim offers a profound insight: "It is, rather, they, who hate the Holy One Blessed be He." It's a matter of perspective, a mirroring effect. There's an old folk saying that captures the idea perfectly: "As you are disposed to another you think him disposed to you." In other words, we often project our own feelings onto others, including God. If the Israelites were feeling discouraged, disillusioned, even angry, it would be easy to interpret their situation as divine animosity. But the text challenges them – and us – to consider the possibility that those negative feelings originated within themselves.
Then the text continues, focusing on the phrase, "to deliver us into the hands of the Emori (Amorites) to destroy us." This evokes another layer of fear – the fear of annihilation. We find a similar sentiment expressed in Joshua (7:9): "For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land will hear of it, and they will surround us and cut off our name from the earth, etc." The Israelites were terrified that their entire identity, their entire purpose, would be wiped out. The Emori, representing all of their enemies, would destroy not just their bodies, but their very memory.
These verses and their interpretations force us to ask ourselves some hard questions. When faced with adversity, do we automatically assume that God is against us? Do we succumb to fear and despair, projecting our inner turmoil onto the divine? Or can we find the strength to look inward, to examine our own attitudes and beliefs, and to recognize the possibility that our perceptions may be skewed?
This isn't about blaming the victim, of course. The Israelites faced real challenges, real threats. But it is about recognizing the power of our own minds, the way our emotions can shape our reality. It reminds us that even in the darkest of times, even when it feels like the universe is conspiring against us, there's always the possibility of choosing a different perspective. Maybe, just maybe, the love is still there. We just need to open our hearts to see it.