by Rabbi Hirshel Jaffe

A disciple came to his rabbi and lamented: “Rabbi, I have all these terrible thoughts. I am even afraid to say them. I feel absolutely terrible that I can even think these thoughts. Rabbi, I simply cannot believe. Sometimes I even think that God doesn’t exist.”

“Why not, my son?” the rabbi asked.

“Because I see deceit and corruption in this world.”

The rabbi answered: “So why do you care?

The disciple continued: “I see hunger, poverty, and homelessness in this world.”

And the rabbi once again responded: “So why do you care?”

The disciple protested: “If God is absent, there is no purpose to the entire world. And if there is no purpose to the entire world, then there is no purpose to life – and that troubles my soul greatly.”

Then the rabbi said to his troubled follower: 

“Do not be disturbed. If you care so much, you are a believer!”

When the atheist Stephen Fry is questioned as to what he would say if he met God, he leaves the interviewer at a loss for words when he responds: “if I should meet God I’ll say: “Bone cancer in children? What’s that about? How dare you? How dare you create a world in which there is so much misery that is not our fault? It’s not right. It’s utterly, utterly evil!”

As a rabbi wrote: “it is time to raise the bar in the conversation about religion and faith, with the knowledge that most people, whether religious, agnostic, atheist, or whatever-ish, truly do want to do what is right, to find and express love, to live a life of purpose, and to be in a meaningful relationship with others.”

“It is good to question and challenge those with whom we disagree, but we deserve more than pithy catch phrases, caricatures of those we have defined as our enemy, and the childish need to win. Human beings can be glorious creatures who, through conscious choice, can bring healing to the world, and we all need to do this together.”

In my many years as a rabbi, and especially since my illness, I have come to believe that caring, compassion, and loving kindness are more important than any theology or system of belief. I have evolved spiritually to believe that no matter what we believe or don’t believe, the true heart of our humanity is human goodness and decency.

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Rabbi Hirshel Jaffe serves as Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Beth Jacob in Newburgh, NY.  You can grab a copy of his new book “Why (Not) Me? Searching for God When We Suffer”, which explores the deep wisdom faith offers when facing a medical crisis.  Through Hirshel’s eyes—as not just a patient but also a rabbi tasked with consoling others—you’ll grasp the enduring and transformative power of belief, especially in the darkest times.

This blog was originally posted on The Running Rabbi.