"My God, before I was formed, I was of no worth. And now that I have been formed, it is as if I was not formed."
(The Talmud (Berachot 17a) records that fourth-century scholar Rava composed this prayer).
I really believe that verse is an invitation to support freedom and dignity of people. It encourages us to be aware of the importance that our decisions on our destiny. It connects our individuality with the evolution of the world. It helps us to be stronger and to develop a meaningful self-concept.
When I read this verse I interpret that it urges teachers, students and people around the world to reborn under an authentic life that allows to be free, each one according its responsibilities, each person related to his or her commitment, every individual connected with their own culture and customs. Up to a certain extent, we all are different, like the pieces of a puzzle, and we need to live together inside a whole, like the pieces of a puzzle.
I really like this line from The Talmud, because it shows the beauty of the real wisdom that speaks to everybody by saying more than what is written, it can be recognized for everybody, no matter the religion or the type of spiritually.
That verse gives importance to the individuality of people. Nobody can choose for us. Each person should choose its destiny, its commitment. No one can choose for us. It is an invitation to be free and to reject all types of bigotry or fanaticism, because our commitment depends on our decision, and our decision depends on ourselves. That is the key to understand our identity as humans, nobody can force us to recognize what we can only recognize. No one can make us understand what we can only understand by ourselves.
The best masters, like scholar Rava, teach us by inviting us to understand what we only can understand by ourselves. In opposition to that, there are people who use bigotry or fanaticism in order to force others by threatens, tortures, discrimination and so on.
I think the following lines are very interesting, we all can learn from it, no mater your religion, age or profession.
"My God, before I was formed, I was of no worth. And now that I have been formed, it is as if I was not formed."
The Talmud (Berachot 17a) records that fourth-century scholar Rava composed thisprayer, but its meaning is unclear. Before I was formed, of course I was of no worth - I did not exist yet! And after I was formed - why does it say that 'it is as if I was not formed'? Do I exist or not?
My Life's Goal
This short prayer gives us an important insight into the meaning of our existence.
"Before I was formed, I was of no worth." Clearly, before I was born I was not needed in this world. 'I was of no worth' - nothing required my existence, there was no mission for me to fulfill. Since I was not yet needed in the world, I was not born in an earlier generation.
"And now that I have been formed" - since my soul has entered the world at this point in time, it must be that now there is some mission for me to accomplish. I am needed to repair and complete some aspect of the world.
And yet, "it is as if I was not formed." Were I to dedicate my life to fulfilling the purpose for which I was brought into the world, this would confirm and justify my existence. But since my actions are not in accordance with my true goal, I am not accomplishing my life's mission. And if I fail to fulfill my purpose in life, my very existence is called into question.
If I do not accomplish the mission for which I was placed in this world, then the situation has reverted back to its state before my birth, when, since I was not needed in the world, I was not yet formed. Thus, even now that I have been formed, it is regrettably 'as if I was not formed.'
The Message for Yom Kippur
It is highly significant that this prayer was added to the Yom Kippur confession. After we have recognized and admitted our many faults and mistakes, we could conclude that we cause more harm than good, and would be better off retiring to the privacy of our homes. Rava's prayerteaches that we have a mission to accomplish, and it is critical that we discover this mission and work toward fulfilling it. Otherwise, tragically, "it is as if I was not formed."
(Silver from the Land of Israel, pp. 77-78. Adapted from Olat Re'iyah vol. II, p. 356, sent to Arutz Sheva by Rabbi Chanan Morrison, RavKookTorah.org)
