1 To know that there is a G-d, and that He created all that exist.
Believe in G-d is essential for a person who wants to observe and respect the Torah and the Rambam stresses the importance of believe and emphasises this by making “believe in G-d” the first positive mitzvah in Sefer HaMitzvot:
That is the command that He commands us to believe in G-d. And that is that we believe that there is an Origin and Cause, that He is the power of all that exists. And [the source of the command] is His saying (Exodus 20:2): “I am the L-rd your G-d.”
The term ” believe ” is sometimes confused with the term ” conviction “. But believe is not the same as having a conviction. You can refute a conviction with evidence. Someone can believe/have a conviction that all birds can fly. But a simple visit to the zoo to the penguins or ostriches will be able to change the conviction with ease.
So believe is not an opinion, but it is about knowledge and understanding. [1] So the only way to (start) believing in G-d is by gaining knowledge and understanding about Him. The first in this is to be open, that is, to at least have the will to try to get to know Him.
G-d reveals Himself in two different ways, in a hidden way and in a revealed way. The revealed way is the easiest for people who want to search, but know that the revealed form also requires an active searching attitude.
Every person has experiences in nature that give them that special feeling of “overwhelm”. For some, it is an amazing mountain, for others, the huge waves of the ocean, and for still others, the immense beauty of the stars in the night sky.That is the starting point of the search. The question of how did all this come into existence and perhaps and more importantly question “why did this come into existence?”
The world is made absolutely perfect. Just the right distance from the sun, just the right amount of oxygen, just the right amount of black power. Look at all life forms how perfectly they are made up of atoms and molecules and how all those mini puzzle pieces fit together exactly and make it work perfectly.[2]
That is the starting point, a starting point that goes by trial and error.
Look at the Jewish people, they had experienced so many miracles in Egypt and went out full of faith. However when they arrived at the Reed Sea, the sea in front of them, the Egyptian army behind them, faith was still very difficult. They were terribly afraid. Hashem told them not to be afraid because He would save them.
Through the faith of Nachson, who dared to step into the water, the rest of the people also followed after the sea split. Thus, the people were saved. After the passage, it is said: and the people believed in Hashem (and in Moses).
In Egypt they had believed, by the sea they had doubted, after the passage they believed. This was a deeper sense of faith. Which would become even stronger at Mount Sinai.ai
Faith was strengthened after the passage because it was linked to the heart. In this case, to the emotion of fear. That is the second step in developing faith in G-d. That you realise that events in your life are miracles He gives.
Who has not experienced in his life that someone was saved in an accident. We then say – here in the Netherlands – that person had an angel on his shoulder. Those are the moments when people experience G-d in their personal lives.
Let us be the Nachsons in people’s lives when they experience the greatness of creation or a personal miracle in their lives.
By Angelique Sijbolts
Sources: [1] Rabbi Tzi Freedman, in Bringing heaven down to earth, [2]emunhttp://www.cgiboston.com/media/pdf/969/hVZc9692030.pdf , Het Heilige in het Alledaagse by Alan Morinis, Entrance to the Gate of Beit Yaakov 14: 2, Parting of the Red Sea
© Copyright, all rights reserved. If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further.
