Is G-D Perfect?

As I drove home tonight, I reflected on a moment from the past week that made me feel like I had accomplished enough to stop my many projects. Over the past few years, I've dedicated myself to writing, and for nearly two years, I've been involved with Kadimah (a group on spirituality and mental health). I asked myself, why do I still pursue these activities? What more can I share? Interestingly, as I pondered this, I realized I had been undermining my self-esteem, perhaps to justify avoiding the hard work required for each activity. It's often easier to give up than to put in the effort.

When I thought I had reached a conclusion of writing and doing groups, during today's Kadimah session, someone posed a thought-provoking question: is G-D perfect or imperfect? While they argued for G-D's perfection, they also questioned how a perfect being could create a world of imperfections. This discussion led us to talking about perception. We talked about perception regarding positive and negative situations, as well as concepts like perfection and imperfection. I shared that each of these concepts can be highly subjective. For instance, while I might perceive rain as beneficial, others might see it as a nuisance. In a different example, from my perspective, perfection implies stagnation; it suggests no room for personal growth or evolution. On the other hand, imperfection, especially when it brings repeated challenges, seems unnecessarily harsh, denying individuals the opportunity for relief. However, perspective is different for everyone; therefore, everyone is entitled to it!

Many in the group concluded that G-D is perfect, and the imperfect world serves as a canvas for experiencing positivity and negativity. They also concluded that while G-D is perfect, He created us to be imperfect. However, this begs the question: if G-D is perfect within this framework, does that mean He is not evolving? In last week's Parsha, Hashem intended to unleash His anger upon the Yidden, but Moshe persuaded Him otherwise. This suggests a potential evolution. I thought that a truly perfect being wouldn't change their mind and if they did, wouldn't that be considered an evolution?

My last thought was that when Moshe "convinced" Him, it was part of a greater plan, only to cause someone like Moshe to fight for his people. On a practical level, while I may initially resent the imperfections in my life, I've realized that they often serve a purpose that I may not immediately comprehend—a bit like a supervisor making decisions without divulging the whole picture. While only later finding out that what seemed imperfect initially contributed to a greater good. For the first time, I'm leaving this discussion open-ended to continue throughout the week. I'm eager to hear your perspective. Feel free to let me know your thoughts!

Good Shabbos

All the best

Avroham Yehudah Ross