Does Everything Have a Reason?

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I was asked whether everything has a reason?"

My Response:

I think for the most part "almost" everything has a reason. I say "almost" because Jewish mysticism seems to also see another possibility, namely, events happening beyond reason. In other words, the Creator decided on some things before the vast logical structure that our universe is based on came into being. It is normal for people to assume the logic and reason are inherent to the fabric of existence - kind of just there. However, Jewish mysticism teaches that this is not the case. Just like there was existence before time and space, there was existence before logic and reason. As part of the tool kit for creating the universe, the Creator brought logic and reason into existence. Though most of creation was crafted with the tool kit of divine logic, some details were left untouched. Their form already pleased their Creator and they required no logical sculpting.

In his talks, the late Lubavitcher Rebbe would often point out examples of this phenomena. Among his examples, are the few Biblical commandments which don't seem rational - like the red heifer or the prohibition on wearing clothing threaded with both wool and linen. This might also extend to difficult to understand historical events, such as the ten martyred sages who were painfully executed by the Romans. 

For those who have a working knowledge of Jewish Mysticism: The explanation of this phenomena is because the realm of Divine Will (the lower half of Adam Kadmon) manifested into reality ahead of the realm of Divine Logic (The world of Briyah). Therefore, cosmically speaking there was an opportunity for the Creator's will to be operative without consulting logic, as logic had not yet manifested. However, such decisions are rare exceptions. Usually, the Creator crafted His creation with logic.

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