BS’D
The emotional wellness of the Jew is intimately connected to the level of emuna he/she holds. Emuna comprises of four different aspects according to the Radak in his book ‘Sefer HaShorashim’:
• Strength: Hashem’s ability to carry out that which He has promised to the Jewish nation
• Faith: Hashem has always taken care of His beloved children, thus we should have faith in Him as a result of such nurturing
• Nurturing: This interlocks with the previous implication; due to the fact that the Jewish people rely on Hashem and have faith that He will support them Hashem continues to do so, based on their emuna in Him.
• Creativity: This calls for a more in-depth explanation which we shall begin to explore and continue in the coming days.
Hashem created the world from nothingness. Yet, according to Kabbalistic tradition this state of oblivion did in fact contain aspects of chaos (according to the Mystics left over from the world that preceded this world). Following this unruly state Hashem designed our world as the world of rectification. Keep in mind that the word barah (to create) is rooted in the Hebrew word b’riut (health).
Therefore, as there is a connection between words that share the same Hebrew root, creation takes on a therapeutic form. As we create and weave our lives into order, we cultivate emuna and develop an overall sense of wellness and happiness.