INSIGHTS
LETTERS OF THE LUBAVITCHER REBBE
Question: Why do we cover our eyes when we say the Shema prayer?
Response: There are three types of people: realists, dreamers, and believers.
Realists see things for the way they are.
Dreamers imagine the way things should be.
Believers live in the tension between the two, between ideal and reality. A believer knows what is, and strives for what could be.
A believer has high ideals, for themselves and for the world. A believer strives to be a good person even if they are not and to make the world a good place even if it isn't there yet. Our reality need not pin us down, and our dreams shouldn't divert us from the efforts we need to make. We are a work in progress. And we have G-d-given powers to succeed.
Dreamers deny reality and live in an imaginary perfect world. Realists say, “Stop dreaming and get with reality. The world is a mean place, and life is tough.” The believer says, “You are right, life is not always easy and the world is not always a nice place. But it doesn't have to stay that way. We can change it. We can work on ourselves. That's what we are here for. The mess is there for us to clean up and the darkness is there so we should bring light.”
The Shema is our credo, our statement of faith: G-d is our G-d, and G-d is one. The world was created by a loving Creator with a purpose. Ultimately, everything is good. The reality in front of us may not look that way. We don't always see the good with our eyes. So we cover our eyes. Blocking our surface view of reality allows us to see a vision of what can be. Not seeing is believing.
Your life may seem a mess. The world may look bleak and hopeless. Cover your eyes and look with your soul. There is one G-d, behind all that happens. And He gave you the power to make things better. Now uncover your eyes and get to work.
