This past Thursday we delved into a puzzler in “The Garden of Emuna” by R. Arush – we must turn off the intellect to see God’s hand and wisdom in a tough situation, like a difficult boss.  By walking through the boss example, it became apparent that:

– Yes, we must simply accept that God is using the boss as a means for making us grow – we can’t logically convince ourselves to accept that perspective.  

– Once we have truly accepted that fact, the intellect then can be used for meaningful discussion with God to determine how we best perceive and approach the situation. 

“Do not rely on nobles, nor on a human being, for he holds no salvation.  When his spirit departs he returns to the earth, on that day his plans all perish.  Praiseworthy is the one whose help is Jacob’s God, whose hope is in Hashem, his God.” – Psalm 146

If we have discussed the issue sufficiently with God, we realize that:

– We should not appeal to the boss for relief – but God instead

– We have options other than indefinitely enduring the abuse

– We are empowered to courageously determine how we have contributed to the behavior and make changes; how we might adjust conditions we can control; and under what conditions we might leave the company or move to another place in the company.