Michael Macks

How can I go up to my father and the child is not with me?” (Genesis 44:34). According to Hassidic interpretation, this refers to our inner child. “How can I get to the end of my life and my inner child is not right there with me?”

2 years ago

Something to think about if there’s something you want to do but are scared to do it.

When Moses disobeys the Creator’s instruction to speak to the rock and instead hits the rock, the Creator’s reply (Numbers 20:13) is “because you did not trust me…”, in other words focused on Moses’ omission rather than his commission. Perhaps teaching that we ultimately regret omissions more than commissions.

2 years ago

R. Bahya ibn Paquda (1050-1120) writes there are 7 prerequisites to full 100% trust. they must: 1) love and compassion for you, 2) be attentive to you, 3) be able to take care of you, 4) must know what’s in your best interests, 5) have a history of taking care of you, 6) be the only one who controls what happens to you, 7) be extremely kind to you even if you are undeserving. He says only a higher power can possibly possess all of these. But perhaps this list can help us define what it would take for us to trust someone else.

2 years ago