Q:
How does one fulfill bechinah, the study of Hashem in nature?From one’s own abilities or from outside sources?
A:
I’ll answer this question – but first an introduction. Bechinah is the study of nature; a study of the world around us that we undertake in order to recognize the wisdom of Hashem and the kindliness of Hashem. And according to the Chovos Halevovos in Sha’ar HaBechinah it’s a very important function of our lives
When you eat an orange, so you’re expected to look at the orange and say, “Look at this; why is it that the outside of the peel is so beautifully colored, while the underside of the peel has no color? Why doesn’t it happen that some oranges by accident should be beautifully golden colored on the inside of the peel and on the outside it should be plain, without any color?” It never happens however. Always the beautiful color is on the outside.
Why is it that a watermelon is a beautiful deep green on the outside, and on the underside it has no color? Why is it that the nut – the filbert – is a beautiful mahogany polish on the outside, and inside, the filbert shell is rough and uncolored?
So we see the purpose is, in order to attract people. The color makes you more interested in eating them. It advertises that it’s ripe. You see a wonderful thing here – it’s the hand.of Hashem; the chochmas Hashem, the wisdom of Hashem, and the chesed Hashem, thekindliness of Hashem.
It’s more of a pleasure to eat an orange that’s brightly colored than an orange that has no color at all. Suppose all oranges looked like potatoes or all apples looked like potatoes. You might not want to eat them. So Hakodosh Boruch Hu made fruit beautifully colored so that they should attract your attention and so that you should enjoy them more.
But potatoes? Hakodosh Boruch Hu didn’t color potatoes because if potatoes were beautifully colored you might eat them raw and become sick. So therefore, potatoes are a bland plain color; so you’re patient and you have time to cook them. But apples have a beautiful color, which means, “Eat me immediately. I’m ready for you to enjoy.”
Now when you see that, that’s bechina. It’s looking at the world around you and seeing Hashem everywhere. That’s one of our most important functions in this world.
So this gentleman asked a question. Should we study bechina from our own minds or do we have to go to the libraries to read books, or maybe other places, to get information on ways to study bechina?
And the answer is, the best source of bechina is your own two eyes, your own common sense. The world is full of good things to testify to Hakodosh Boruch Hu. טוב יצר כבוד לשמו – the Good One created all this glory for His name. הכל יודוך – everything praises you, הכל ישבחוך – everything increases the honor of Hashem. Only that you have to open your eyes. If you do, wherever you turn, you’ll find food for thought for this subject of bechina.
Even look at your own hands and you’ll marvel at the arrangement of your joints on the fingers. When you bend your fingers inwards, do you feel any creaking of the bones as they rub against each other? No sound at all. That’s a perfect job. It’s lubricated in such a way that the bones are not wearing each other out by friction.
And how is it the fingers can only turn in and not out. Fingers can’t bend outwards, only this way. Isn’t that a remarkable thing? Because when you put a load on your fingers, if your fingers could bend the other way, it would drop down. But now you can hold your fingers stiff; it locks in place and it can’t turn in any direction except up. You study that and you begin to see wonders and wonders.
You don’t need any books for that. The world is full of wisdom. Use your eyes and you’ll be able to discover Hakodosh Boruch Hu like Avraham Avinu did. He didn’t go to the library. Avraham looked at the world and he recognized Hakodosh Boruch Hu by means of his eyes and common sense. הכיר את בוראו – He recognized Hashem without any libraries and that made him great. And everybody can do the same.
TAPE # 639
