A good friend of God and mine, whose name is Ruel, which literally means "friend of God," wished me a happy new year with these words,
"Greetings Jonah, asking father God to make His face shine upon you and your loved ones and May His favor rest on you throughout the new year."
His choice of words, "His face shine upon," got me thinking. Thinking gets me writing in my journal. Here are my first thoughts on this first day of the new year.
HOW
When God's face shines upon a people they multiply, they are blessed. When God turn's his face, his protection is withdrawn and death and destruction ensue. This is "how" it goes.
Why does this happen? Because of our disobedience to God. God has told us explicitly what things we are not to do. God even wrote them down on two stone tablets.
Our disobedient (sinful) nature was solidified in Genesis 3.9. After Adam ate the Forbidden Fruit, God calls out to Adam:
And the Lord God called to man, and He said to him,"Where are you?" In the Hebrew it is:
וַיִּקְרָ֛א יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־הָֽאָדָ֑ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹ אַיֶּֽכָּה
Of course Hashem, the almighty Lord God (יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים), knows "where" Adam is in a locational sense. God knows where we all are, at all times. That was obvious to Jonah. His disobedience was the deliberate use of the concept of where he was. Jonah channeled the concept of Adam's disobedience in the Garden. Then Jonah willingly went down to the pit of sheol in telling the Sailors to through him overboard. He knew his disobedience was the cause of the perilous seas that were destroying the boat.
The Hebrew word that we see in Genesis 3.9 for the word "where" is אַיֶּֽכָּה. It sounds like "ayeh".
There are two words for "where" in the Hebrew bible. One version is a more generic straightforward request for location. On the other hand, the version of "where" we see in Genesis 3.9, is אַיֶּֽכָּה (Eicha), and it implies a deeper meaning. Here are two other spots this version of "where" is used in the bible:
In Genesis 22:7, when Abraham and Isaac are ascending the mountain on the way to the "Binding of Isaac,"Isaac calls out, Hineh ha'esh...v'ayeh haseh l'olah? -- "Here's the fire, but where is the lamb for the offering?"
Another example of the use of this form is found in The Book of Job verse 14.10. Vayigva adam y'ayamot, v'ayeh? -- "A man dies and then where is he?"
In each of these instances, God is not making a simple request for the location. So we the reader need to ponder for a deeper meaning. This dramatically changes the meaning of God's question. The implication is that something transformative has happened.
In the case of Adam in the Garden, the answer to "where are you" is also the answer for how it happened -- disobedience. By expelling Adam from the Garden, God has in essense withdrawn His face by placing Adam outside of the Garden.
When God shines His face on us, we are blessed. We are multiplied. But when we are disobedient, God may turn His face and withdraw.
We see the Israelites' disobedience throughout the Hebrew bible. The Israelites have suffered greatly. This is a pattern we find in the bible and throughout history. Jews are well aware of it. It even has a date, the 9th day of the month of Av, Tisha'B'Av - the saddest day in the year for spiritual Jews. Scripture has been written for it.
There is a Hebrew book written which expresses the deep lamentations of the prophet Jeremiah. It is noted for it's dark imagery of the devestated city of Jerusalem and the Temple. This scripture is read in Temples by Jews on Tisha B'Av. The book opens in 1.1-2 with the following words:
"O how has the city that was once so populous remained lonely! She has become like a widow! She that was great among the nations, a princess among the provinces, has become tributary.
She weeps, yea, she weeps in the night, and her tears are on her cheek; she has no comforter among all her lovers; all her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies."
Most people know this as the "Book of Lamentations," but that is not the actual Hebrew title of the book. The Hebrew title for this book is אֵיכָ֣ה (Eicha).
Notice how similar אֵיכָ֣ה and אַיֶּֽכָּה are to each other? In fact they are virtually the same. The only difference is a slight difference in the vowels, the little dots and dashes. They alter the pronunciation of אַיֶּֽכָּה (ayeh) which means "where" to אֵיכָ֣ה (Eicha) and means "how."
Thus, the Book of Lamentations in essence asks the great question of "how" could God have allowed great tradegy to befall us. But like the question of "where," we are left to ponder. And the answer that the sages, the prophets and many others conclude, is disobedience.
Here is the interesting thing. There are no vowels, in the actual Torah. So in effect, אַיֶּֽכָּה (where) and אֵיכָ֣ה (how) are in some sense the same thing. That is something to ponder.