Why is life so tough?

The world of economics talks alout about corrections, going from equilibrium to disequilibrium and back. A world fraught with corrections. 

For the Jewish people, and for all of humanity for that matter, it's no different. 

There really is no roadmap, no clear set of directions that tells an individual, a people or a tribe where they're going, where they're heading, or what has to be done. 

That's simply the way it is, the vicissitudes of life sometimes leaving us on top, sometimes on bottom, and sometimes at a loss for what's going on, and what's happening behind the scenes. 

I think that no where is that more pronounced than in the Parsha of Ki Tisa. The "golden calf" was made by Aharon because of the utter centrality of Moshe Rabbeinu. He equaled GOD to the Jewish people, and so, after the dreadful sin, what happens?! Moshe becomes even more central, Judaism becoming even more particularistic, knowledge in the hands of one and no other. Moshe distances himself from the people, God's presence leaving the camp. 

Moshe goes back up again, comes back, his face radiating in a way that blinded the elders, Aharon, and the masses, and so Moshe needs to wear a mask to hide his face, Judaism becoming increasingly exclusive, almost like the Druze or Bahai faith, much expected of a select few, but far less so of the others. 

Then, there's a huge correction, Moshe realizing and imploring God to take some of the yoke from him: "Did I birth this child?" he says querulously, questioning whether this approach is right, and so Hashem takes from his light and passes it to the 70 elders. 

In essence, our life as individuals very much echoes this pattern. We don't have to be perfect, and our lives - each and every one of us - is a work in process, but we can be guaranteed there is always a guiding light, that will permeate and refract itself in our lives in different ways, as we change, grow and continue to learn.