This morning as I walked to the Kotel and got closer to it I noticed swarms of flying insects and in fact at the Wall itself it was inundated with them and quite bothersome. I had asked a local concerning this and he said it may be a result of all the recent digging they are doing around the Kotel looking for buried ancient artifacts and in the process releasing flying ants from the ground. Hmmm. I thought about this for a moment how many times we often dig into our past through endless endeavors looking for things we think are of value in perhaps giving us answers to the way we act and yet we may really be in fact digging in the wrong spot or worse. When we find nothing there we quickly invent something to ease our minds or give an answer to those who ask “what’s really wrong with you and why do you act the way you do.”
Society is full of “self help” programs whose participants week after week continue to self evaluate and most times coming up with invented reasons for their actions such as blaming you parents, teachers, or past lifestyle. All these things may indeed have had a part in your life, however the “buried” things that cannot be revealed by human inquisition or speculation can only be revealed by one who is an EXPERT in knowing where all the “hidden” stuff is. It is not possible for men to know what’s in his own heart nevertheless someone else’s for who can know it for it is at times “deceptive” and feelings are simply that…feelings.
Listen to what the Holy writings declare: I G-d search the heart and test the mind. Jeremiah 17:10 It is unfortunate and unproductive that even in believing assemblies this “search the past” for “healing of the memories” is continuing to be practiced for the truth of the matter is when you came to Faith your past was dealt with. “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 43:25 G-d chooses not to remember our past. He chooses never to bring it up again. He doesn’t forget because He cannot. But, He doesn’t remember it either; that is, He will never bring it up again. Why? Because it has been taken care of. The person who continues to live in the past will find that it directly affects his present and eventually his future and they will never realize their full potential that G-d has created them for. The person who continues to refer to himself or herself as a former “drug addict, alcoholic, sex pervert etc.” do themselves a great disservice and will forever be digging for things that simply are not there instead of simply trusting the Great Excavator to bring to the surface the real things that need to be uncovered and dealt with. Yes there are things in all of our lives that need “uncovering” so we can be the people He designed us to be but we should be resting in the fact that He is perfectly able to sort out what needs to be and He never does any unnecessary digging. Perhaps the flying ants today were merely reminders that G-d is “digging” somewhere.
Perhaps!!!
Shalom from the Old City
Rabbi Matt