A person can receive God’s word only if he looks upon life with hopeful optimism, as a field filled with opportunities, rather than disappointment. God calls to people who are prepared to listen and eagerly embrace the opportunities He gives them for personal growth and for enhancing the world.
The Torah in Parashat Vayigash presents the following description of Yaakov’s response upon hearing that his beloved son, Yosef, was alive: “ve-techi ru’ach Yaakov” – “Yaakov’s spirit was revived” (45:27). A number of sources, including Targum Onkelos and the Midrash Tanchuma, explain this phrase to mean that Yaakov regained his prophetic capabilities. God withdrew prophecy from Yaakov during the twenty-two years he spent in bereavement, and it was restored once Yaakov learned that Yosef was alive. The Rambam mentions this understanding of the verse in the seventh chapter of his Shemoneh Perakim, viewing it as proof to the fact that despondency precludes the possibility of experiencing prophecy. Although a prophet can experience prophecy in a state of spiritual imperfection, the Rambam writes, prophecy is not possible in a state of unhappiness or grief.
The simplest explanation for the indispensability of joy and contentment in achieving prophecy, perhaps, is that it denies a person the peace of mind and clarity of thought that prophecy demands. Intense concentration is among the critical prerequisites to the experience of prophecy, and despondent people are generally incapable of this level of concentration, preoccupied as they are with their distress. It is for this reason, perhaps, that a prophet can only experience prophecy in a state of general contentment and while in good spirits.
There may, however, be another reason for why a prophet cannot behold a prophetic vision while experiencing sorrow. Namely, one is not receptive to the divine word if he looks negatively upon life, or upon the world. God’s instructions can be heard only if one feels encouraged by the opportunities that life presents, and by the possibility of improving it and infusing it with meaning and purpose. The sense of disillusionment and cynicism that generally accompanies sorrow and grief is inherently incompatible with prophecy, with accepting God’s commands. A person can receive God’s word only if he looks upon life with hopeful optimism, as a field filled with opportunities, rather than disappointment. God calls to people who are prepared to listen and eagerly embrace the opportunities He gives them for personal growth and for enhancing the world.
In this same chapter of Shemona Perakim, the Rambam notes that anger, like unhappiness, also denies a prophet the possibility of experiencing prophecy. He cites as an example the story told (Melakhim II 3) of the prophet Elisha, who had a musician play music for him so he could experience prophecy. The Sages explain that Elisha required music to alleviate the anger he experienced upon seeing the idolatrous king Yehoram, which precluded the possibility of achieving prophecy.
Anger, like grief, makes one unreceptive to the divine word because he resents the world’s imperfections, rather than embracing the challenge they pose. The ideal response to the sight of evil is not anger, but rather the determination to act to improve the world in whichever way one can. A technician does not grow angry and resentful upon being presented with a malfunctioning appliance; he happily welcomes the opportunity to put his skills to productive use, to make his small contribution to the world. Ideally, this should be our response to the evils and evildoers of the world. Rather than become despondent, angry or embittered, we should welcome the invitation God extends to us to take part in the world’s development by making whatever small improvements we can. Accepting the divine command presumes an eager willingness to engage the world in its current state of imperfection, rather than resenting or lamenting its current state of imperfection. The experiences of Yaakov and Elisha demonstrate the importance of remaining upbeat and retaining a positive outlook upon life despite its problems and challenges, and being prepared to accept God’s instructions for making the world a better place.