Let me point out that we do not presume to know the ways of Hashem. Humans are incapable of truly comprehending the way Hashem operates in this world. This is a very poigniant idea of the Book of Job (Iyov)... See chapters 36-38...
http://www.ww.w.ouradio.org/torah/article/tisha_bav_and_sefer_iyov#.U8hCRXXhNoUAside from marking the anniversary of the destruction of the Beis Ha-Mikdash and Yerushalayim, as well as the exile of our people, Tisha B'Av represents the commencement of a long-term state of Hester Panim, which means that God "hides His Face" and is not readily perceptible to us in our everyday lives. Thus, inexplicable suffering endures, the righteous seem to be punished and the wicked appear to prosper, and open miracles which demonstrate God's control are almost unheard of anymore. Whereas before the Churban, we were guided by the Nevi'im (Prophets) who explained what Hashem was doing and why it had to be done, and God related to the universe in a manner which humans could comprehend, we are now in a post-Churban state of Hester Panim, unable to understand God's ways and subject to seemingly inexplicable circumstances. We know that Hashem is in control, yet we experience the fate of Hester Panim as originally prophesied by Moshe in the Tochachah (Rebuke) of Parshas Ki Savo and its narration in Parshiyos Vayelech and Ha'azinu.
This is precisely the link of Sefer Iyov to Tisha B'Av. Iyov's suffering was incomprehensible. At the end of the book, God speaks to Iyov and advises him that the ways of the Divine cannot be understood by Man. Hashem's works - whether they appeared to Iyov to be good or evil - are part of God's master plan and are mysterious to earthly beings, and one cannot question their legitimacy or wisdom. Only God, Who set up the cosmos and controls the fate of Man, knows the rationale behind why all things happen, and only He has mastery over all that transpires.
The story of Iyov enables us to understand what Hester Panim is all about. Just as Hashem spoke to Iyov and explained to him the state in which he found himself, Hashem likewise speaks to us through Sefer Iyov and intimates to us the character of Hester Panim, which was precipitated and is epitomized by Tisha B'Av.
1. Then the Lord answered Job from the tempest and said, א. וַיַּעַן יְהֹוָה אֶת אִיּוֹב מִן | הַסְּעָרָה וַיֹּאמַר:
2. "Who is this who gives dark counsel, with words, without knowledge? ב. מִי זֶה | מַחְשִׁיךְ עֵצָה בְמִלִּין בְּלִי דָעַת:
3. Now gird your loins like a man, and I will ask you and [you] tell Me. ג. אֱזָר נָא כְגֶבֶר חֲלָצֶיךָ וְאֶשְׁאָלְךָ וְהוֹדִיעֵנִי:
4. Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell if you know understanding. ד. אֵיפֹה הָיִיתָ בְּיָסְדִי אָרֶץ הַגֵּד אִם יָדַעְתָּ בִינָה:
5. Who placed its measures if you know, or who extended a line over it? ה. מִי שָׂם מְמַדֶּיהָ כִּי תֵדָע אוֹ מִי נָטָה עָלֶיהָ קָּו:
6. On what were its sockets sunk, or who laid its cornerstone? ו. עַל מָה אֲדָנֶיהָ הָטְבָּעוּ אוֹ מִי יָרָה אֶבֶן פִּנָּתָהּ:
7. When the morning stars sing together, and all the angels of God shout? ז. בְּרָן יַחַד כּוֹכְבֵי בֹקֶר וַיָּרִיעוּ כָּל בְּנֵי אֱלֹהִים:
8. And [who] shut up the sea with doors when it broke forth and issued out of the womb? ח. וַיָּסֶךְ בִּדְלָתַיִם יָם בְּגִיחוֹ מֵרֶחֶם יֵצֵא:
9. When I made the cloud its raiment and the dark cloud its wrapping? ט. בְּשׂוּמִי עָנָן לְבֻשׁוֹ וַעֲרָפֶל חֲתֻלָּתוֹ:
10. And broke for it My prescribed limit, and placed a bar and doors? י. וָאֶשְׁבֹּר עָלָיו חֻקִּי וָאָשִׂים בְּרִיחַ וּדְלָתָיִם:
11. And said, 'Until here you may come but no further, and here [your strength] shall place your waves with pride.' יא. וָאֹמַר עַד פֹּה תָבוֹא וְלֹא תֹסִיף וּפֹא יָשִׁית בִּגְאוֹן גַּלֶּיךָ:
12. In [all] your days, did you command the morning? Did you tell the dawn its place? יב. הֲמִיָּמֶיךָ צִוִּיתָ בֹּקֶר יִדַּעְתָּ הַשַּׁחַר מְקוֹמוֹ:
13. To grasp the corners of the earth so that the wicked shall be shaken from it? יג. לֶאֱחֹז בְּכַנְפוֹת הָאָרֶץ וְיִנָּעֲרוּ רְשָׁעִים מִמֶּנָּה:
14. The seal changes like clay and they shall stand like a garment. יד. תִּתְהַפֵּךְ כְּחֹמֶר חוֹתָם וְיִתְיַצְּבוּ כְּמוֹ לְבוּשׁ:
15. And their light shall be withheld from the wicked, and the high arm shall be broken. טו. וְיִמָּנַע מֵרְשָׁעִים אוֹרָם וּזְרוֹעַ רָמָה תִּשָּׁבֵר:
16. Have you come until the locks of the sea, and have you walked in the searching out of the deep? טז. הֲבָאתָ עַד נִבְכֵי יָם וּבְחֵקֶר תְּהוֹם הִתְהַלָּכְתָּ:
17. Have the gates of death been revealed to you, and do you see the gates of the shadow of death? יז. הֲנִגְלוּ לְךָ שַׁעֲרֵי מָוֶת וְשַׁעֲרֵי צַלְמָוֶת תִּרְאֶה:
18. Do you understand [everything] until the breadths of the earth? Tell if you know it all. יח. הִתְבֹּנַנְתָּ עַד רַחֲבֵי אָרֶץ הַגֵּד אִם יָדַעְתָּ כֻלָּהּ:
19. Which is the way to [the place] where the light dwells, and as for darkness-where is its place? יט. אֵי זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁכָּן אוֹר וְחֹשֶׁךְ אֵי זֶה מְקֹמוֹ:
20. That you should take it to its border and that you should understand the paths of its house? כ. כִּי תִקָּחֶנּוּ אֶל גְּבוּלוֹ וְכִי תָבִין נְתִיבוֹת בֵּיתוֹ:
21. You knew- for then you were born, and the number of your days would be many. כא. יָדַעְתָּ כִּי אָז תִּוָּלֵד וּמִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ רַבִּים:
22. Have you come to the treasures of snow, and did you see the treasures of hail? כב. הֲבָאתָ אֶל אֹצְרוֹת שָׁלֶג וְאוֹצְרוֹת בָּרָד תִּרְאֶה:
23. That I saved for a time of trouble, for a day of battle and war? כג. אֲשֶׁר חָשַׂכְתִּי לְעֶת צָר לְיוֹם קְרָב וּמִלְחָמָה:
24. Which way is the light parted, [which way] does the eastern one spread it over the earth? כד. אֵי זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ יֵחָלֶק אוֹר יָפֵץ קָדִים עֲלֵי אָרֶץ:
25. Who has separated a place for the hair and a way for the cloud of the thunderclaps? כה. מִי פִלַּג לַשֶּׁטֶף תְּעָלָה וְדֶרֶךְ לַחֲזִיז קֹלוֹת:
26. To rain on the earth where no man is; a desert in which there is no man. כו. לְהַמְטִיר עַל אֶרֶץ לֹא אִישׁ מִדְבָּר לֹא אָדָם בּוֹ:
27. To sate darkness and desolation and to cause a source of grass to sprout. כז. לְהַשְׂבִּיעַ שֹׁאָה וּמְשֹׁאָה וּלְהַצְמִיחַ מֹצָא דֶשֶׁא:
28. Has the rain a father, or who begot the waves of dew? כח. הֲיֵשׁ לַמָּטָר אָב אוֹ מִי הוֹלִיד אֶגְלֵי טָל:
29. From whose womb did the ice emerge, and the frost of the heaven-who bore it? כט. מִבֶּטֶן מִי יָצָא הַקָּרַח וּכְפֹר שָׁמַיִם מִי יְלָדוֹ:
30. Like a stone, the water hides, and the face of the deep is caught. ל. כָּאֶבֶן מַיִם יִתְחַבָּאוּ וּפְנֵי תְהוֹם יִתְלַכָּדוּ:
31. Can you tie the chains of the Pleiades or loose the straps of Orion? לא. הַתְקַשֵּׁר מַעֲדַנּוֹת כִּימָה אוֹ מוֹשְׁכוֹת כְּסִיל תְּפַתֵּחַ:
32. Can you take out the constellations each in its time, and can you console Ayish for her children? לב. הֲתֹצִיא מַזָּרוֹת בְּעִתּוֹ וְעַיִשׁ עַל בָּנֶיהָ תַנְחֵם:
33. Do you know the ordinances of heaven; can you place his dominion upon the earth? לג. הֲיָדַעְתָּ חֻקּוֹת שָׁמָיִם אִם תָּשִׂים מִשְׁטָרוֹ בָאָרֶץ:
34. Can you lift up your voice to the cloud, or will an abundance of water cover you? לד. הֲתָרִים לָעָב קוֹלֶךָ וְשִׁפְעַת מַיִם תְּכַסֶּךָּ:
35. Will you send forth lightning bolts so that they should go and say to you, 'Here we are'? לה. הַתְשַׁלַּח בְּרָקִים וְיֵלֵכוּ וְיֹאמְרוּ לְךָ הִנֵּנוּ:
36. Who placed wisdom in the inward parts or who gave the rooster understanding? לו. מִי שָׁת בַּטֻּחוֹת חָכְמָה אוֹ מִי נָתַן לַשֶּׂכְוִי בִינָה:
37. Who charges the skies with wisdom, and who brings down the bottles of heaven? לז. מִי יְסַפֵּר שְׁחָקִים בְּחָכְמָה וְנִבְלֵי שָׁמַיִם מִי יַשְׁכִּיב:
38. When the dust was poured into a mass and the clods cleaved together? לח. בְּצֶקֶת עָפָר לַמּוּצָק וּרְגָבִים יְדֻבָּקוּ:
39. Do you hunt the prey for the old lion, or do you fill the appetite of the young lions? לט. הֲתָצוּד לְלָבִיא טָרֶף וְחַיַּת כְּפִירִים תְּמַלֵּא:
40. When they crouch in their dens, they abide in the covert to lie in wait? מ. כִּי יָשֹׁחוּ בַמְּעוֹנוֹת יֵשְׁבוּ בַסֻּכָּה לְמוֹ אָרֶב:
41. Who prepares for the raven his prey, when his young cry out to God, they wander for lack of food? מא. מִי יָכִין לָעֹרֵב צֵידוֹ כִּי יְלָדָיו אֶל אֵל יְשַׁוֵּעוּ יִתְעוּ לִבְלִי אֹכֶל:
We have a dialog with Hashem through our davening (Tefillah/prayer)... But when we daven we do not change the intrinsic nature of Hashem rather we change the intrinsic nature of who we are in the eyes of Hashem. Our prayers are not 'Dialog' in the traditional sense (we ask, he replies) but rather we are required to see signs of our prayers being answered.
Topic: 6 Levels of Dialog with God (Read 4173 times)