We all want to know! – O.k.; we believe in a good God, but why would a good God, be so evil?!

The answer is based on a psychological reality – which of course, we can ask, why does this psychological reality need to exist!? but lets assume for whatever reason, it does!

 

God’s ultimate destination is for you and me to be productive; for like a parent – which I think is the ultimate paradigm of God: beyond, yet selflessly interested in the child’s welfare! – God seeks not honor, rather our pride!

 

As it states, God often tells the angels great things about us!

 

But for us to do great things, a number of opposing elements need to be created and most importantly overcome.

 

You see, firstly, we need to have the freedom to choose, ostensibly between similar things, spirituality, and the pleasures of this world.

 

In addition, we each have a personal battle, say laziness, or other passions; so we need to overcome our internal lethargy to be actively good.

 

Now, ironically the biggest problem that there is, is actually when things are good!

 

Ultimately, God seeks not to externally motivate us, rather internally motivate us.

 

The Rebbe was once complaining to someone, “how come the Chassidim were not adhering to his suggestions” – after all a Rebbe communicates a higher wisdom!

 

The eltere chossid – the elder wise chossid said – “the Previous Rebbe would always push people to do his requests.”

 

So the Rebbe replied “I have a different approach, that people must embrace the truth.”

 

A profound statement indeed!

 

God, similarly, desires not to push us into goodness!

 

The following story also illustrates this well.

 

The Rebbe once spoke to the one of the mashpiahs spiritual guides in the yeshivas tomchei temmimim Lubavitch to speak to one of the disciples to wear a beard – today, we take it for granted that chassids wear beards – but when the Rebbe became Rebbe, American norms were the norm, not Chassidic ones – so the person told the individual, – so the Rebbe later asked this person, if he told him that the Rebbe requested  him to, or if he made the suggestion, – so the person explained “well I told him too, however, he was reluctant, so I told him that the Rebbe suggested!” so the Rebbe replied mournfully, “you see, I already have a beard; as he is putting on a beard for me, he is wearing not his, but my beard!”

 

In fact, this is the reason for our generation – which according to one Rebbe, the entire purpose of mankind was for our generation – the generation transitioning between exile and redemption – namely, the creation of a completely free-choice generation – where societies standers, – democracy – etc. – is free-choice, and within this free choice generation, people will seek, find, experience and live by; for the truth.

 

And this is the secret of the occasional suffering we go through; for as Jung says, there is no birth of consciousness, except through pain.

 

In Chassidic terminology, cognitive dissonance, or even more Chassidic terminology, we need to squeeze an olive to get its oil which can then light up the oil!