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This week's Torah portion is actually a song that Moses told to the Jewish people. In one of its verses, Moses fortold the future and warned the Jews that they would:
"become fat ... and ... desert God..." (Deuteronomy, 32:15 )
A LIFE LESSON
Why does becoming fat - or having material success - lead to deserting God? The answer lies in a powerful human nature reality. This universal truism states that ego and success go hand in hand. When a person has success of any kind it can cause his ego to become instantly inflated.
Let's walk through a typical cycle. If a person is down on his luck and believes in God, he'll ask Him to make things better. When God turns things around, this person is certainly connected and appreciative to the One who did it.
Once someone has success in a particular area of his lives, the Law of Attraction then comes into play. This Law, put simply, is that you will attract more of what you already have. So, when someone is successful it almost inevitably "attracts" and leads to more success. Success does beget success. This Law is at work in countless different areas of your life.
And when the Law of Attraction kicks in, something fascinating happens: A person's ego springs into action. When the initial success that God gave to a person attracts more success, this person has a natural tendency to believe that it was he - not God - who got him the increased amount of success. His thinking - either consciously or sub-consciously - is that while God got him out of the starting gate, it was he who took the ball and made the most of the initial success.
While this might be true, there's one key and crucial element missing in the thought process. Yes, you did work hard and you did make the most of the opportunities you had BUT it was God that allowed the success to come to you.
This last part is counter-intuitive and it's the exact thing that God is warning us against. Most people can see God's hand in their lives when they "catch a break" and something quickly changes and goes their way. But when they begin to ride their new found success to higher levels, they completely believe that it was their effort making the results happen.
While a person must put forth effort, it's only because of God's desire as to whether or not he'll be successful. (An even more enlightened person takes this one step further and understands that even a person's own effort was made possible only because God allowed him to have the desire, strength, and ability to put forth this effort.)
When you live with the truism that God controls everything, it becomes incredibly liberating. This is because if you put forth the effort and don't get the "success" you desired it was only because God knows that at this point it's the perfect and precise outcome that's tailor-made for you.
Just as you don't beat yourself up over the color of your eyes, the time the sun sets, or the temperature of the Atlantic Ocean, so too, you don't beat yourself up if you don't succeed in a particular endeavor. Put in the necessary effort and then see what God thinks is best. (Therefore, those who live with this reality understand just how silly it is ever to lie, cheat, or steal in business.)
God wants you to be successful and He very much wants you to use your talent and brains to become even more successful. He just also wants you never to look back and realize that you "became fat ... and ... deserted God."
Start off this brand new year knowing Who's really filling in all the numbers on your check - and know that He wants to make it huge.
(14) Anonymous, September 26, 2014 11:15 AM
Excellent!
This is excellent! Thank you so much for posting it!
(13) Anonymous, September 23, 2014 4:49 PM
Disagree
Your analysis that G-d controls all is problematic since it immediately bumps into the problems of free will and why do bad things happen to good people. If G-d controls all than surely G-d is responsible for ill as well as good. And if G-d controls all than people are mere puppets in the celestial puppet show with no agency, defeating the moral imperative.
(12) Scott Granowski, October 10, 2008 3:14 PM
Be Yourself
Your column is filled with insights. As my rabbi told me, "It's all God all the time." Since God controls everything, I am successful (even when it doesn't appear so to me) and reality is perfect (even when it doesn't appear so to me).
jay, September 7, 2013 7:13 AM
Good
Good insight
(11) Al, October 9, 2008 4:34 AM
Psychology & Torah
Since my educational background, among other things, is in psychology, this article really spoke to me. Nice to see something concerning HaShem's perspective on the minds of men, as well as something of a psychological bent that is also G-Dly. Typically, science is devoid of G-D.
(10) Garth, October 8, 2008 4:47 AM
A thought provoking article.
Fundamentally the sole purpose of life is to think, because as we think in the heart so we are, or rather, we are because we think, the power of thought allows us to express ourselves and that has led to all the great discoveries we have made, most importantly the discovery of ourselves. Thought can only reach its potential when plunged into its depth, which is when we realize what constructive thought is. We all think, but few can capture their thoughts and fashion them. A definition of constructive thinking would be when you split open a thought and scrutinize its potential before you utter it, because thoughts lead to words, so then words are only thought taking form, which in turn lead to actions, so then actions are merely thought attempting to express itself in visible form. Think before you speak, yes think before you act, because your ability to think is what affords you the freedom of will, your choice. Win or lose, we choose. The thoughts which take root in our minds must manifest as the fruits of our lives. Surely the ability to think correctly must become of the most vital importance. No One should want to sleep walk through life, being bewildered by numerous unfounded thoughts because we are creatures of development. Have all your thoughts on G-D and by thinking of G-D’S precepts, laws and statutes you will overcome all life’s obstacles, by G-D’S grace. It is well recorded by the prophet Isaiah “Thou shall keep them in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because they trust in thee. So then a imperative condition of well being, is well doing, which can only be accomplished through pure and good thoughts. Thought rules the world because thought is the fire, which creates the steam, which turns the wheel of fortune, leaving nothing beyond the power of human comprehension, enabling us to plan courageously and execute fearlessly. Although knowledge is impartial, sadly it remains partial only to those who learn how to think constructively, because we construct all our tomorrows, out of our todays, for after all as we think, so we are, in other words we are only because we think. Think about it, right here right now, you are an accumulation of all your past thoughts. We can change ourselves, yes improve ourselves and master our own destiny, through pure and good thoughts. For if you wish to change your conditions you must first change your thoughts. Happiness is found when you avoid evil people, and harbor no wicked thoughts, knowing assuredly that there is retribution.
(9) Sandra, September 14, 2007 11:53 PM
To the point!
I liked this article it was straight to the point. We must always remember where our talents and strengths come from and to give thanks and praise for everything in our lives no matter how big or small.
Anonymous, September 7, 2013 7:14 AM
another
good insight
(8) Anonymous, September 12, 2007 8:28 PM
Do not judge your success on your own wits look beyond and feel G-d light leading you, life is not always what you think it is, it just is.
Like the adult or even teenager who becomes successful after praying for a better life. It is similar to a child who does their homework with or without pressure from their mother or father or relative... If they do not do their homework then they don't make the grade and do not enter college. Tonight as in many other times when I get out of my own past pressure box of struggling to read the text in school later due to a lazy eye when I read small print for to long. Guess this is not an excuse it is real.
My daughter did not want to do her homework because several "brattier" kids said she has a bad name and she never gets it right. All she wanted to do was play and avoid the task suddenly I realized that old saying nothing is ever what it seems. Sometimes we have to take a step back and reflect that hard work is one and what defines making the grade putting others down so they can say they did it instead of looking at G. empowers and steers us on course.. Nothing is ever what it seems.
(7) Sidney, September 9, 2007 12:15 PM
"Secret"
This artical remindes me of a secular movie I saw, it is called "Secret" I suggest you see it. It is quite interesting and is most certianly, even though the producers may not know it, is based on Torash
(6) Alberto, June 25, 2007 9:58 AM
Is the Law of atraction related to the luck ?
I wonder if this law is connected to the Mazal of each one. somebody can tell me about it please?
I yes think that the power of the thoughts of the human mind is so strong that can make you loss the center, and like everything in live you need to balance it, you need to look for it, is not only by thoughts also by actions,
regards,
AP
(5) Kevin, January 26, 2007 1:19 AM
The Secret to Law of Attraction Ego?
Nice article! I agree in general but, I have always thought positive thinking can be achieved with out inflated ego.
(4) Debora Xlander, January 21, 2007 8:30 AM
I stumbled across this article because I have been struggling with the possibility of having money and yet being able to stay true to God. This gave me a much greater understanding. Losing an appreciation for God has been my unerlying fear. Thank you for your gift of these words!
(3) Donna, September 29, 2006 6:14 AM
Very true to LIFE
I find such comfort and truth in the spirtual writing I have been reading this past few months..at aish.com. I was raise Catholic....then becam Lutheran for my late Husband. My Late Husband passed away over 2 yrs now. I feel like sometimes I am in LIMBO. Searching for the truth of LIFE. Thinking of how I have a NEW Chapter beginning in my LIFE right now. How I thank GOD everyday for the GIFT..of a new day...good HEALTH...and Friends. We do forget GOD at times when everything is going our ways. But one thing I have realized as the years go by...is you do not forget WHY and HOW you are a success..it is all THRU GOD and only GOD.
Peace
Donna
(2) ScottGranowski, September 28, 2006 6:10 AM
Law of Attraction
Your discussion was full of insight. I, too, fell into the implications of the Law of Attraction. In high school, I gave some effort to good grades. When that effort was abundantly rewarded, I assumed my effort was the cause rather than God's blessings of ability. This caused me to see myself as superior and brought me into the miseries of ego. It has been liberating to understand that God controls the outcome; it's also been liberating to get a more right-sized ego. The verse, for me, could have read "become fat (headed) and desert God.)
(1) Anonymous, September 25, 2006 9:45 PM
Incredibly true
I watched this whole sequence unwind in my own experience...I'm in awe at the correctness of the interpretation.