Nearness to god - A Shavuot Study

1. God in the World: the Wisdom of the Baal Shem Tov, Nachman of
Breslov and AJ Heschel
Nearness to God
A. In the first sayings, we get a sense of a pathway to nearness
with God. It begins with wonder, moves to awe, turns to reverence,
and ends with a religious understanding of wisdom.
After reading these sayings, we’ll consider these questions: What is
wonder? What is awe? What is reverence? What is wisdom, in our
tradition? How does one progress to the next, and ultimately to
wisdom?
1. “Awe is an act of insight into a meaning greater than ourselves.
The beginning of awe is wonder, and the beginning of wisdom is
awe.” H
2. “We fail to wonder (and) dim all wonder by indifference.” “Life is
routine, and routine is resistance to the wonder.” H
3. “Awe enables us to perceive in the world intimations of the
Divine, to sense in small things the beginning of infinite

2. significance, to sense the ultimate in the common and the simple,
to feel in the rush of the passing the stillness of the eternal.” H
4. “A return to reverence is the first prerequisite for a revival of
wisdom.” H
5. The main goal of all wisdom is to serve God. “Each single day
has within it a unique wisdom…Each day also has its own
barriers…Make the breakthrough today – break down the barriers
and obstacles and draw out the unique goodness which exists only
today.” N
B. Near to God, we observe and inquire about our identity and
God’s. Here are a few of the sages’ reflections.
1. Heschel asks: “What is the meaning of my being?” “Personal
needs come and go, but one anxiety remains. Am I needed?”
His answer: “My quest – man’s quest – is not for theoretical
knowledge about myself…What I look for is…primarily how to live
a life that would deserve and evoke an eternal Amen.”
How do these observations inform our sense of purpose in life and
relationship with God? What does the next saying add?
2. Heschel observes: “Man is not an innocent bystander in the
cosmic drama. There is more kinship with the Divine than we are
able to believe. The souls of man are the candles of the Lord, lit

3. on the cosmic way, and every soul is indispensable to Him. Man is
needed, he is a need of God.”
C. We come away from Divine encounter marked with a sense of
holiness.
1. “Our lives are rooted in holiness, and our souls are elevated. We
tend to forget this when we are weak and have been pushed off
course. When we remember it, we are grateful. Gratitude itself
leads us forward.” N.
2. “When we get very low, there is a concealment of God, where
one may believe there is no hope…But God is in this place, too.
There is always hope. There is an exalted life force in this very
place. One must look for the stirring of this life force and follow
it.” N
What do you think Nachman means by “holiness”? How does it
affect our lives? How does it lift us up when we feel weak or low?
After encountering God, however lonely or helpless we may feel,
what does this wisdom teach about God’s presence in the world?

4. 3. “Envision that the Creator, whose glory fills the earth, He and
His presence are continually with you…Rejoice constantly. Ponder
and believe with complete faith that the Divine Presence is with
you and protecting you…” —The Baal Shem Tov - Tzava’at
Harivash 137
Isn’t this one of the great hopes of Shavuot, this great festival
we’re experiencing today? Discuss.
4. “We must train to “run and return,” to run to the next level on
our journey to serve God and to return when we stray.” N
There’s a lot packed in these few words. They speak to us about a
hunger God intends for us to have in the wake of Divine nearness.
How would you describe it?