Wednesday, May 26, 2010

"Your staff and your rod they will comfort me"

He believes. He tells himself and tells his child that G-d is good. It's a comforting thought.
Then tragedy strikes.
All of the sudden, despite his intense pain, the believer must try to explain to himself and to his child how to find his G-d, the one that is good.
He tries to get philosophical, rarely is he comforted.
David, the greatest Jewish poet of all times, had a different way of being comforted by G-d.
He told himself and he wrote to us, his spiritual children, "even when I walk in the shadow of the valley of death I will fear no evil for you are with me, your staff and your rod they will comfort me". No mention that G-d is good; only that he is always with me. Yes, even when I walk in the valley of the shadow of death.
David certainly wanted all the goodness he could get. After all, the conclusion of his beautiful song is "only goodness and kindness shall pursue me all the days of my life".
G-d may or may not show him the goodness, yet, he is always comforted by G-d. Because he is "always with me"