5 Levels of Faith

fb - Shmuel Reichman

     What if you lived your WHOLE LIFE only to realize it was WRONG! That you didn't even scrape the surface of your potential?!

There are 5 levels of emunah, faith. The first is Emunah Peshutah:

1- Emunah Peshutah- Simple Faith

When you're a two-year-old child, you just see reality as it is. No questions, no options; everything is just pure, true, beautiful

2- Blind Faith

Then, you learn how to speak: The world suddenly becomes a mystery. You walk around in wonder and confusion; you have questions; you're learning to speak. You're taught to believe in Hashem… and you do. Not because you have any real reason to; only because your parents and teachers tell you that Hashem loves you, that he created you, that he cares about you; that he gave you this delicious cookie as a present.

3- Experiential faith:

As you get older, you want to meet Hashem. You want to talk to him, you want to believe in Him, but it's hard. If only you could See Him… hear Him… touch Him… THEN you'd believe! You just want some indication that He's here… watching… caring… just as you were told.
Every once in a while, a coincidental encounter with the sublime, with Hashem occurs. Maybe your life was saved; Maybe you just made your flight, or just missed it- and later heard it was in an accident; Maybe you found your soul mate, did well on your test, or got the job; Maybe you had your first child, your illness was cured, or you won against all odds; Maybe you were just in the right place, at the right time, where the right thing happened.

Suddenly, you believe. It's real, at least to you. You're convinced, you walk around as if floating on cloud nine. Life is good, pure, true, beautiful.

But somewhere along the line, this isn't enough. You want more. You NEED more. Rational, logical, and philosophical questions come up.
If God exists then…
How can God exist if….
Why would God do….
Maybe your life falls apart, and you cry out: "How can this have happened to ME?!"

4- Rational Knowledge

This 4th stage is the rational stage. You need rational proofs: Logic, philosophy, science; math, algorithms, intellect
You begin to collect proofs.

A- The Big bang explains how the world came about, but where did the big bang come from?

B- The world is so organized and sophisticated, it must have been created

C- Quantum science shows that the world is actually an expression of a Supreme consciousness, Hashem must be the Neshama of the world

D- Einstein showed that time and space are relative, and only appears this way to US. But objectively, there is a dimension that transcends time and space. Hashem! He transcends time and space!

But this 4th stage is limited
You may have proved Hashem exists, but so what? That doesn't help you have a relationship with Him?! It doesn't help you really know Him on the deepest level. As the Ramchal explains, the 10 makkos of Mitzrayim may have proved that Hashem exists and is all-powerful, but it wasn't a marriage, it wasn't a true relationship
This is why we need the 5th level

5- Experiential Knowledge- Truly experiencing and knowing Hashem

Certain things can't be explained rationally, they transcend reason. They can only be experienced. If someone's never eaten chocolate before, you can't explain to them what it tastes like. They need to taste, experience it, themselves
The same is true about spiritual wisdom
A- Love- can't be explained, only experienced
B- Goodness- can only be experienced
C- The fact that you have free will
D- The fact that life has meaning and purpose
E- The fact that you are unique, and were created for a reason, that you have a unique mission in this world

Deeper Torah- requires post-rational experience: Weaving your way into the inner dimensions of Torah

At this stage, you just see reality as it IS. No questions, no options, everything is just pure, true, beautiful.

But then you notice something grand, euphoric, unexplainable: This was the EXACT EXPERIECE YOU HAD DURING THE FIRST STAGE!

Your journey through life was actually the creation of an epic and cosmic circle!
You lost that transcendent connection of oneness so that you could journey through life to rebuild it! Except this time, it's real, it's EARNED, it's YOURS
You CHOSE it!
You BUILT it!
And now, you experience it!

My friends, life is full of ups and downs, light and darkness, clarity and faith
Belief is not a noun, it's a VERB!
Something you must constantly build, mold, and develop.

When in the midst of struggle and darkness, remember how far you've come, remember why you're here, remember your WHY in life, and then push forward, PUSH forward, and take the next leap forward in your journey of emunah!

fb - Shmuel Reichman

Reposted for the purpose of reviews, under: U.S. Fair Use and Canadian Fair Dealing 29.1 and 29.2