Ever feel like you want to just... give up? Walk away from everything? It turns out, that feeling isn't exactly new.
The Yalkut Shimoni, a fascinating compilation of Midrashic literature, explores this very idea. Specifically, it delves into the delicate balance between acknowledging God’s power and judgment, and focusing on hope and redemption, especially during Rosh Hashanah. It raises a really interesting point about how we talk about God.
See, the Yalkut Shimoni on Nach 359 quotes God as saying, "As I live, declares the Lord God, I will reign over you with a strong hand, etc., and with overflowing fury." It then goes on to explain that while we need at least ten verses referencing God's kingship, we generally avoid verses emphasizing punishment, such as the one just quoted. Why? Because mentioning anger on Rosh Hashanah just isn't the done thing. It’s a holiday about new beginnings, after all.
But what about when things are really tough? When people feel completely abandoned? That's where the story takes an even more interesting turn.
The text references a statement by Rav Naḥman: "Concerning any anger like this, let the Master of the world get angry, and let Him redeem us." It's a powerful sentiment, isn't it? Acknowledging the anger, but immediately pivoting to the hope of redemption. Even at God's angriest, there is still the possibility of redemption.
The Yalkut Shimoni then brings in an example from the Book of Ezekiel. Remember the prophet Ezekiel? Apparently, during his time, some elders of Israel felt so disillusioned that they wanted to cast off God's yoke altogether. They came to Ezekiel with a tricky question, almost a legalistic riddle, about a priest's slave and priestly tithes. The question essentially boiled down to: if someone can leave a priest's jurisdiction, can't we also leave God's jurisdiction? Aren't we, they wondered, just like idolaters now?
Ouch. Talk about a crisis of faith!
Ezekiel's response, as quoted in Yalkut Shimoni, is pretty forceful. He says, "But that which you have in mind shall never come to pass," followed by God's declaration, "As I live, declares the Lord [...] with a strong hand, etc." He then explains that as long as a slave hasn't been sold, he remains under his master's jurisdiction. And the Israelites, Ezekiel reminds them, haven’t been sold off completely. As it says in Isaiah 52:3, "You were sold for free, and you shall be redeemed for no money.” You weren't sold for a price, so you can be redeemed without a price.
The key takeaway? Even when feeling lost and abandoned, the connection to God remains. You can't just "sell yourself" out of that relationship. The possibility of redemption always exists, even in the face of divine anger.
It's a powerful reminder, especially when we're tempted to give up. The Yalkut Shimoni, through this fascinating story, encourages us to acknowledge the challenges, the anger, even the feelings of abandonment, but to never lose sight of the enduring possibility of redemption and the unbreakable bond we have. And that, maybe, is a message worth remembering, not just on Rosh Hashanah, but every day.