Experiencing G-d in our Lives

Let's take a look at the last four verses of the book of Exodus found
in parashat Pikudei: "The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the
glory of HaShem filled the Mishkan. And Moses was not able to come to
the Tent of Meeting , for the cloud rested upon it and the glory of
HaShem filled the Mishkan. When the cloud was raised up from the
Mishkan, the Children of Israel would journey on all their journeys.
If the cloud did not rise up, they would not journey, until the day it
rose up. For the cloud of HaShem would be on the Mishkan by day, and
fire would be on it at night before the eyes of all the House of
Israel in all their journeys."

When I first read this statement, I began to think about how easy it
was for the Israelites to encounter G-d. There were physical signs of
G-d's presence that could be noted by anyone in the presence of the
Mishkan. The cloud that covered the Tent of Meeting, was apparent to
the entire community, not just to Moses who had personally
encountered G-d's radiance on Mount Sinai.

Being aware of G-d's presence is not as easy for us as it appears to
have been for our ancestors at the time of the Mishkan. We tend to be
more like Jacob, in the book of Bereshit, who ran away from his
family, fell asleep, had a dream about angels "going up and coming
down" on a ladder, and awakened saying, "Surely G-d was in this place
and I did not know."

We often hear individuals talk about their need for or their search
for spirituality. According to a definition of spirituality given by
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, "spirituality is a dimension of living where
we are aware of G-d's presence. It is being concerned with how what
we do affects G-d and how what G-d does affects us." Although prayer
can cause us to reflect upon our deepest hopes and dreams for the
world and helps us set goals for our behavior, if one is focused on
how intensely he or she is praying, the sense of connection to G-d's
presence will be lost.

Knowing that we do not have the cloud over the Mishkan to guide us, we
need to think about the experiences that we have had in our
lifetimes, that have allowed us to move beyond awareness of ourselves
to a sense of feeling G-d's presence. Have we had unique experiences
that were so intense that they transformed us but could not be
sustained on a daily basis because of their magnitude? Perhaps you
can relate to this type of G-d encounter when you think about the
feelings you have experienced when witnessing a birth of a child, the
death of a loved one, or escaping a danger. Similarly, are there times
when we experience G-d's presence in the very common routines of our
daily lives? Do we feel G-d's presence when we relate to a spouse,
raise a child, or participate in a community that tries to act in
G-dlike ways toward others? In a world where connectedness to G-d is
sensed, moral sensitivity does affect one's actions.

There's a midrash that I read in Ron Wolfson's book, The Seven Questions You're Asked in Heaven, that talks about finding the Divine Image. It goes
like this: "When G-d set out to create Adam, the first human being,
G-d told the angels:" I will make human beings in My image." The
angels were outraged. How can something so precious, so powerful, be
entrusted to this creature? If humans have the Divine Image, they
will think like G-d thinks, feel what G-d feels, create as G-d
creates, and most shocking of all, they will grasp eternity and live
forever, just as G-d lives forever. We cannot let this happen. So
the angels conspired to steal and hide the Divine Image somewhere
where human beings would never find it. The question was "Where?" '
Let us put it at the top of the highest mountain,' one angel
suggested. The others replied:' No, they will learn to climb the
highest mountain and find it.' ' Let us put it at the bottom of the
sea,' another offered. ' No,' the others replied, 'they will plumb
those depths one day and find it.' One by one, the angels made
suggestions but each one was rejected. Finally the cleverest of the
angels had an idea:' Let us place the Divine Image within the human
heart, within the soul. They'll never find it there.' And so the
angels hid the precious Divine Image within the heart of human beings,
where it lies hidden to this day."

So, what does that midrash have to do with sensing that G-d's presence
is still visible even though we don't have a cloud or a fire that
serve as an indication for us? It means that we need to learn to
recognize the divine spark within ourselves and others. We can sense
G-d's presence when we are creative, caring, comforting, forgiving,
giving, and grateful for life. When we continue to hope for and work
towards a better world while slowing down long enough to recognize the
blessings we already have in our lives we will discover that we can
open ourselves up to experiencing G-d.