Elie Wiesel: Unconditional Love for God and His Creation

It is in my faith that love for Hashem should be unconditional.  Therefore, I look up to Elie Wiesel; the man in the picture.  His love for Hashem was also unconditional. 

I am not a Jew (or a Christian), but I loved Hashem first (see * for explanation below), when I was at my worst, and in return He gave me a wonderful life beyond my wildest dreams as a child**. 

At my lowest, in college, I was an atheist addicted to the opiates gliadorphin and casomorphin.  I probably also had severe sleep apnea, because after college I was given a sleep study, and I slept for 45min having 54 apneas in that 45min.  Just imagine getting 1hr of sleep a day on opium for years on end.  I had also been hospitalized for psychosis, and treated with psychotropic drugs.  I worked at a golf course, where one of my fellows dictated, "Craig is the tiredest human being on earth."  While I was suffering greatly, the idea of G-d was maddening.  Then, Hashem spoke to me, an unlocatable voice out of creation that said, "I am punishing you."  I had faith, and boldly (I had nothing to lose that I know of.) retorted back to Hashem, "Why are you punishing me?"  Hashem responded, "I get everyone sooner or later. (Deuteronomy 31:20 chabad.org - ...Then, they will turn to other deities and serve them, provoking Me and violating My covenant.)" So I believed, not because I assumed or demanded He would shower me with gifts, yet I testify divine reward and punishment are real things.  As an atheist, I received divine punishment.  As a believer in Hashem, I was eventually rewarded.  

It is now absolutely a joy to be alive, and I trust that no matter what, I love Hashem in the way that I love my wife, Meghan, and I believe with trust comes blessing. However, with Hashem, like my pet turtle; I don’t love her because she is smart, or because she does anything. She is a turtle, a reptile, and would eat me alive without knowledge of doing right or wrong if I let her. I love G-d in the way that I love creation, big animals, small animals, plants and beyond. There is nothing about creation that I think is appropriate to hate or judge Hashem for.

The answer to problems is love, not love that says if I do this then Gd will give me such and such, but to accept all of His creation, and to observe His commandments, regardless, as Elie Wiesel put on tefillin, as did many others, during the Holocaust. I think sometimes Hashem tests us to see if we actually do love Him unconditionally with a love dependent on nothing.  That may be the reason behind the Holocaust, I don’t know, but I do know the answer is always to love Hashem with a love similar to the love of David and Jonathan, a love dependent on absolutely nothing at all.
Torah that comes to mind (from chabad.org):

***Ethics of the Fathers 5:16. Any love that is dependent on something--when the thing ceases, the love also ceases. But a love that is not dependent on anything never ceases. What is [an example of] a love that is dependent on something? The love of Amnon for Tamar. And one that is not dependent on anything? The love of David and Jonathan.

****Ethics of the Fathers 1:3. Antignos of Socho received the tradition from Shimon the Righteous. He would say: Do not be as slaves, who serve their master for the sake of reward. Rather, be as slaves who serve their master not for the sake of reward. And the fear of Heaven should be upon you.

This is different from Jesus teaching in his "Sermon on the Mount."  It is different because I believe one should seek Hashem first, not the kingdom, and expect nothing in return.

Matthew 6:33 in the Authorized King James Version of the Bible: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

* "Malachi 1:3 And I hated Esau, and I made his mountains desolate and his heritage into [a habitat for] the jackals of the desert. " - chabad.org

** Rambam - Edut - Chapter 13:2
Converts are not considered as relatives. Even two twin brothers who convert may testify on each others behalf. For a convert is considered as a newborn child.

***This is a comparison of my version of ideal love for Hashem.  It is the way David loved Jonathan, and also the way Elie Wiesel loved Hashem.

****This is another comparison of my ideal version of love for G-d.  Serve the L-rd demanding absolutely nothing in return in the way that a good employee shouldn't serve their boss/manager for the sake of rewards, such as money.

Does Gd Love Women as Much as Men or Is He a Bigoted Bastard?

Firstly, I want for women to know Gd loves all of His people!

Hi!  I am a gentile.  Years ago I got really angry at a Rabbi for letting me know that I am Bnei Noach.  It probably was rude, but forgivable.  However, another Jew told me that he could guarantee the Jewish Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel would never ever act that way, and that helped me feel better.

I once thought similarly like so many women that Jews had placed me in what was essentially in a lower caste.  I thought Jews idealized ideas such as never letting gentile slaves free, feeding people like me things that they found already dead, etc.  However, I didn’t give up my pursuit of Hashem with the Torah as my guide.  From what I found, I can tell women that given enough patience and in depth study, Torah guarantees us the “Thank Gd I am not a woman prayer,” or in my case the “Thank Gd I am not like the other man,” prayer won’t be bothersome.

What I don’t know is how each woman can find peace.  I am not a woman, and even greater; women are not alike.  I don’t claim to know how all men may find peace in Torah either!  Gd created us as individuals, each with something different to offer.  I don’t know how each person may find his or her inner peace from Torah study, but I can say with confidence that Gd loves it when people try to get to know Him better, and that inner peace is findable through unlocking the secrets of Torah.

In study, I too have reached incorrect conclusions.  There is that prayer, “Thank you for not making me like the other man.”  Can anyone empathize with my situation easier now?  Once, I too was angry.  I had misconceptions about how Jews were supposed to act toward gentiles.  Through study I learned that I was wrong about Torah and that G-d never calls for bigotry.  Instead, Jews are called to follow Abraham’s examples of lovingkindness and hospitality, and Moses’ example of compassion for animals.

I, myself, have found happiness as a gentile.  IMHO, Noah is the epitome of the spine of Torah.  The entire world laughed at him, and he had the spine not to assimilate!  God cleansed the world for the sake of one righteous man, Noah.  I won’t look down on him!

Review of Night by Elie Wiesel ***** A heart wrenching story of the mercy of Gd.

A heart wrenching story of the mercy of Gd.

What is mercy then, you may wonder?  Mercy is as the basket that a basketball player shoots at.  As it is with mercy, the width of the basket is greater than the width of the ball.  The forgiveness we know occurs when a shot is less than perfect, but good enough to score a point.  Mercy means that the shot need not be perfect, but that it only needs to be good enough.  If the ball does not go through the hoop, then no point is scored.  The score is restricted according to justice, remaining the same.  Win or lose, the game revolves around how many times the ball goes through the net.  Thus, it is such that where mercy abounds, so does lawlessness.  Shots may be less than perfect, but as a team can win a baseball game despite having fewer hits than the opposing team, it is the same way with mercy.

Gd gave us freewill.  Thus, there is an element of chance in life, and this arises from Gd, that is, freewill is gift of mercy from Gd.  Without mercy, the soul of a human is as that of a golem, an automaton.  In freewill, Gd gave us both the ability to forgive each other, and to forsake.  Consider the mercy of God when you read Night.  Does this mercy cause you to lose faith in Gd or to gain faith Gd?  It causes me to gain faith in Gd for I know that in the Torah, Gd gave me a blueprint of how I should act.  If the mercy of Gd is so great that Night could be true, then, how much more should our fear of Gd be if we do not act according to His ways?

I have also learned that this sort of mercy is the hellish version of mercy.  There is also a mercy that can completely be known as lovingkindness.  Thus, it is such that between justice and lovingkindness, a healthy harmony may be found.