Parshat Emor: Does God Like You?
Who does God like? And is that even a question? Meaning, doesn’t God love everyone? If we are all created by God and also created in His image, then wouldn’t God by definition not only like but love everyone?
But what about nasty and evil people? Can it be that God loves or likes those people as much as He loves those who are righteous and good? And finally, should we even try to figure this out? And is there any way of even knowing?
Well there happens to be a Mishna in Pirkei Avot that indeed addresses this issue. Chapter 3 Mishna 10 says:
כָּל שֶׁרוּחַ הַבְּרִיּוֹת נוֹחָה הֵימֶנּוּ, רוּחַ הַמָּקוֹם נוֹחָה הֵימֶנּוּ. וְכָל שֶׁאֵין רוּחַ הַבְּרִיּוֹת נוֹחָה הֵימֶנּוּ, אֵין רוּחַ הַמָּקוֹם נוֹחָה הֵימֶנּוּ.
One who is pleasing to others (literally, the world), is pleasing to God. But one who is not pleasing to others, is not pleasing to God.
Apparently the Mishna is saying that the key to knowing who God likes is not found by trying to scale the heavens and asking Him. No, we need not go anywhere. We merely have to take note of which people are pleasing to others and which are not and then we will know whom God really likes.
What the Mishna is getting at is that we need to recognize that our world is a reflection of God. Many things in creation are an expression of Him. Things down here in our world are a parallel universe so to speak in the spiritual world. They reflect one another. So if people are well-liked by others, then that is a sign that it’s the same for God – He likes them too.
Let’s be clear that when the Mishna speaks of someone who is “pleasing to others”, we are not talking about popular people. This has nothing to do with how many followers on your Instagram account in your goal to be an “Influencer.” We also aren’t speaking about powerful, political or famous people who have a bunch of sycophants hanging onto them. For in reality the people who pretend to like these type are really self-serving. They are merely trying to gain respectability and credibility by showing that they have famous and powerful “friends”. It’s not an authentic relationship of giving and caring for another, but solely of feeding the ego. This prestigious person makes me feel important in my eyes and, more importantly, in the eyes of others.
Influencers and the Rich and Famous are not what the Mishna is talking about. Rather, if someone is a good and honest person, considerate of others, humble, and makes others feel good, and has the qualities of loyalty and integrity – these are the type of people that are “pleasing to others.” We want to be around such people. We like to be around such people.
They aren’t judgmental, petty, mean-spirited and selfish. They see the bigger picture of what is important and meaningful and don’t nit-pick and put others down. They are generous with their time, with their money, and with their care for another. It’s no accident that these are the people that are attractive in the trues sense of the word and that others like to be around… and that God too really likes.
As for the issue of, “But doesn’t God love everyone?” Yes he loves all. But just as a parent may love each and every one of their children, it doesn’t mean that the parent is equally pleased by them. That depends on the choices that the child makes.
This is why the Mishna uses the Hebrew word, נוֹחָה nocha which means pleasing, likable, affable – and does not say “loved”. God loves all his creations but that is not to say that He is necessarily happy with many of them given the choices they make and the behaviors they have. Yes God might love everyone, even bad people. But at the same time He might dislike them because their actions create pain and strife. A parent always loves their child deep down no matter what they do, but at the same time can find that same child unpleasant because of negative choices they made for themselves that have hurt them and others.
So when you meet people who make you smile, that make you feel good and that you enjoy being with, know that God’s is right there with you in feeling the same. The Shechina – the Presence of God – hangs around such people. Those are the people we need in our lives. And those are the type of people we should strive to become.
Rainy day people always seem to know when it’s time to call
Rainy day people don’t talk, they just listen till they’ve heard it all
Rainy day lovers don’t lie when they tell ‘ya they’ve been down like you
Rainy day people don’t mind if you’re cryin’ a tear or two
–Gordon Lightfoot
