3 Levels of Faith
The quicker, and more efficiently we begin to progress through these Levels of Faith, the more attuned to the ways of G_d we will become.
As covered in a separate article, what people call 'faith' is not the same concept as 'emunah'. In Hebrew, emunah derives from the word "Uman" which means a 'craft'. In this sense, emunah is something that we must continually work at, daily, weekly, continually, over the course of a lifetime.
Another popular Hebrew word, Amen, is connected to emunah. The Sages teach that Amen is an acronym for G_D is a faithful King¹. This simple declaration helps the mind quickly reframe anything we might experience, reminding us that everything is, ultimately, for G_D's good.
3 Levels of Emunah
Among the series of remarkably accessible, and profoundly deep books written by Rabbi Shalom Arush, we learn a critical lesson for spiritual development. From his book, The Garden of Peace, I have adapted his framework for (3) Levels of Emunah. They are as follows;
Level 1: Knowing that everything that happens is from G_D
While this seems simple enough, the challenge will be to bring this realization into our lives in real-time. The goal is to build a kind of ever-present trust that everything that happens is from G_D.
Level 2: Knowing that whatever G_D does, it is for the best
Assuming we've managed to progress through level one, level two brings the awareness that negative outcomes are not necessarily punishments. It might simply be the quickest route to your next level.
It is often easier to accept negative outcomes when we know we have done something wrong, but what if things are generally going well? You have been growing in prayer, giving charity, etc. Are you able to accept loss of money, status, or valuable possessions in this context?
For instance, say you lost your job. Initially you may be (rightfully) upset, angry, sad, full of anxiety. At this point in time, it may be difficult to accept that it is from G_D, but fast-forward a few months. You have a new job with better pay, better work-life balance, and a new-found passion for work. What was once a negative situation has been transformed to a positive. Sure, time gave us the perspective to see this, but can we learn to accept that everything G_D does is ultimately going to be for the best in the end?
Level 3: Ask, "What does G_D want from me?"
Building upon the prior levels, now we are to pause and take an inventory of what might have led us to a seemingly negative outcome. Is this a storm of correction? Have we missed any warning signals from G_D to change our ways? Have we forgotten to repent of something? Or, is this simply a recalculation? Perhaps it is a pause in our plans; not a 'no', but a 'not yet'.
Once we are sure we have done our part and have made any corrections we need to make, we must simply carry on with the faith that G_D is in control and that we may see things more clearly down the road.
The quicker, and more efficiently we begin to progress through these Levels, the more attuned to the ways of G_d we will become.
Notes:
¹ Shabbat 119b - What is the allusion of the word amen? Rabbi Ḥanina said: It is an acronym of the words: God, faithful King [El Melekh ne’eman].
