Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

The Gemara says that one of the things that constantly needs chizuk is tefillah. We know in the back of our minds how great tefillah is, but when it is not at the forefront, we may unwittingly fail to take full advantage of it. In Pressburg, where the Ketav Sofer served as the rabbi, a non-Jewish worker once stole the wallet of the head of the city in broad daylight. The official was so outraged that he ordered the entire police force to focus on finding the thief. The worker hid the wallet in the home of the Jew he worked for. When the police searched the house, they found the wallet and immediately jailed the Jew. The head of the city ordered the death penalty. When the Ketav Sofer heard that this innocent Jewish family man was suddenly on death row, he did everything in his power to save him. He spoke to leaders and dignitaries, but nothing helped. The evening before the execution, he made one last desperate attempt — again without success. He returned home exhausted and distraught and eventually fell asleep. In his dream, his father, The Chatam Sofer, appeared with an angry expression and asked how he could sleep while an innocent Jew was about to be killed. The Ketav Sofer replied that he had tried everything in his power but could not free him. The Chatam Sofer answered, "What do you mean you tried everything? Why didn't you pray?" At that moment the Ketav Sofer awoke. He immediately gathered the people of the city to the shul, and they spent the entire night crying out in tefillah. The next morning, the authorities decided to re-examine the case. When they questioned the gentile worker again, he confessed — and the Jew was saved. Sometimes we forget the most important hishtadlut we can make: tefillah. A woman told me she had begun saying a special Yehi Ratzon in the berachah of Hashivenu Avinu LeToratecha , praying that her son should grow closer to Hashem. The progress, she said, has been unbelievable. Her son improved in ways she never could have imagined. A man related to me that he was facing severe financial hardship. One of his most urgent problems was an unpaid electric bill of over $15,000. He had already received multiple shut-off notices, and it seemed only a matter of time before the electricity would be cut. Every time he came home, the first thing he did was check whether the power was still on. He tried hinting to relatives for help, but nothing materialized. He applied for a city assistance program and received only $50 a month. Realizing how desperate the situation was, he decided to focus intensely on heartfelt tefillah. He prayed like never before, believing that Hashem could create a salvation he could not foresee. With no real plan, he called the electric company once again — something he had already done many times. The representative repeated what all the others had said: the best she could offer was a 12-month payment plan with a large down payment. He asked if there was anything else possible, explaining how much he was struggling. This time, she did something no other representative had done. She asked a series of detailed questions about his finances and placed him on hold. During those moments, he again poured out his heart to Hashem. When she returned, she told him she could offer a payment plan of $10 a month for the next 125 years — something completely unheard of. His next bill reflected the change, adding only $10 to his regular monthly charge. He had been told repeatedly that they never offer more than a 12-month plan, and suddenly he received a 125-year plan. Tefillah can accomplish wonders. But it is up to us to give it the importance it truly deserves.

As mentioned previously, one of the reasons Hashem may give a person suffering in this world is to save him from something far worse. Sometimes a person endures such hardship that he cannot imagine anything being worse. It is important to remember that there are endless reasons why a person may have to suffer, even if he is completely righteous. The Chovot HaLevavot in Shaar HaBitachon lists several possibilities and then cautions that we will never be able to determine why any individual is experiencing what he is going through. Hashem has a different calculation for every person, and only He knows the true reasons. What we do need to know is that whatever the reason may be, when a person eventually discovers why Hashem dealt with him this way — whether when Mashiach comes or when he reaches the next world — he will be grateful for every moment of the life Hashem gave him. If he can trust in Hashem now and accept it with joy even before understanding, his spiritual level will rise tremendously and his reward will be beyond imagination. One of the explanations given by the Chovot HaLevavot for why a tzaddik may suffer in this world is that through that suffering, Hashem grants him a far greater Olam Haba. We know from Chazal that even the faintest taste of Olam Haba is more pleasurable than all the delights of this world combined. And Olam Haba is eternal, while this world is temporary. But how does suffering here produce a higher Olam Haba? One explanation is based on the teaching of Chazal that one mitzvah performed with difficulty is worth far more than the same mitzvah performed easily. When someone is going through hardship, illness, or pain and still manages to perform a mitzvah, still manages to pray, still manages to learn, everything he does carries infinitely greater value. One minute of his avodah may outweigh hours of effortless service. Two people may be praying in the same shul, learning in the same class, appearing identical in this world. Yet in the next world, one may stand far higher than the other — because the effort required of him was so much greater. For him, getting to shul or opening a sefer demanded real sacrifice, while the other person had it easy. We do not ask for hardship, because we fear we may not accept it properly. But if hardship does come, we must understand that it carries within it a golden opportunity to earn reward beyond anything we can imagine. It may be that someone who appears to be an ordinary Jew in this world is in truth among the greatest of the generation — not because of how much he accomplishes , but because of what he must endure to accomplish whatever he does manage to accomplish. He keeps going with a smile. He keeps doing mitzvot even when it is painfully difficult. He keeps his emunah in Hashem even when life feels unbearably hard. This may also explain the Gemara which tells that when Rav Yosef became ill, his soul briefly departed and then returned. Afterward he said he saw an upside-down world — those who appeared lowly here were elevated there, and those who appeared elevated here were low there. His father told him, "You saw a clear world." A person who looks like a simple Jew down here may occupy the highest place in the upper world because of the enormous difficulty he faces in serving Hashem within the life he was given. There are infinite reasons for suffering in this world. For now, our task is to trust that every one of them is for the best. If a person can accept that Hashem is doing what is best for him and continue to serve Him with joy, he will merit the highest places in Olam Haba for all eternity.

When a person experiences any kind of suffering, he must understand that it comes only from the great love that Hashem has for him. The Tanach as well as Chazal are filled with statements attesting to this truth. When a person internalizes this and wholeheartedly accepts that Hashem is actually helping him when he has a difficulty, it is a wondrous expression of emunah, which is heavily rewarded in the next world. We must remind ourselves of this again and again, because when a person is hurting, he naturally wants to complain and bemoan his fate. There is a story brought down in the introduction to the sefer Divrei Yechezkel Shraga about Rabbi Yosef Teitelbaum, who served as the rav of a large city in Europe before the Holocaust. He took care of all the city's religious needs, and they paid his rent and supported him. One day, his non-Jewish landlord informed him that he was selling their apartment and they would have to vacate within the month. At that time, there were no other apartments available for rent in the city, and this meant the rabbi would not only lose his apartment, but his entire community and life's work, as he would have to move to a new city. A few days later, an argument broke out on a street corner between two women from the community. They were each saying hurtful words to each other. At one point, one of the women said to the other, "You are a difficult and terrible person. Even the rebbetzin said you're a dangerous woman." The other woman, hurt by this accusation, was filled with anger toward the rebbetzin for supposedly saying that. She immediately went to the rebbetzin's house and knocked on her door. The rebbetzin answered with a pleasant smile, but the woman burst out loudly and publicly, "How dare you say I'm a difficult and bad woman? Shame on you. You're a miserable woman yourself." The rebbetzin froze in shock. She had no idea what this woman was talking about. She told the woman she had never said anything of the sort, but the other woman was so swept away by her emotions that she continued mercilessly attacking the rebbetzin with harsh words. The rebbetzin could not bear the shame. She ran to her room, locked the door, and burst into tears. She sobbed bitterly. "Ribono Shel Olam I can't endure all of these hardships. First we find out that we have to leave the kehillah that we invested our entire lives in, from which we earn our livelihood and feed our children. And now this terrible pain and humiliation that is unbearable. Why so much suffering?" The rebbetzin cried until she fell asleep. Suddenly, the image of her holy father, Rav Yechezkel Shraga, appeared to her in a dream. He said, "I am ashamed of you, my daughter. Your crying and complaining is bringing me shame and pain in the upper world. "There was a harsh decree, and you were supposed to pass away. I exerted all of my strength to be an advocate for you and your children to annul the decree and keep you alive. After begging and pleading for mercy, my request was accepted. "It was decided in Shamayim to replace the decree with suffering instead. Your landlord would cause you distress by telling you he was going to sell your apartment so that you would have to leave behind your entire life and livelihood for an unknown future. As well, you would be shamed in public. "This was to give you a new life for years to come. How could you be crying and complaining?" The rebbetzin woke up in a sweat, remembering every detail she had just seen. A few minutes later, the woman returned to apologize. She had found out the other woman made it up, and she felt horrible for the way she acted. The rebbetzin told her not to worry. It was all for her best. A few hours later, the landlord came to say that he had decided not to sell the apartment and they could stay living there. The rebbetzin then shared with her husband all that had happened and felt terrible for not accepting her suffering with love. Rabbi Tzvi Nakar quoted the Baal Shem Tov, who said that every time suffering befalls a Jew and he accepts it without complaining, he builds immeasurable structures for himself in Shamayim. He elevates Hashem's honor and brings tikkunim that could not have been accomplished any other way. We always have to remember that Hashem is acting in our best interests, even if sometimes it hurts.

The pasuk says in this week's parashah Mishpatim, regarding one who injures another, וְרַפֹּא יְרַפֵּא — verapoh yerapeh. Chazal learn from those words that a doctor was given permission to heal. The Gemara explains that one might have thought that since illness comes from Hashem, perhaps people do not have the right to intervene. The Torah therefore explicitly grants permission. The Torah uses a double expression — verapoh yerapeh. One explanation is that although the visible healer may be the doctor, we know that the true healer is HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Hashem commands us to go to doctors because He wants the world to function through teva, through natural means. Therefore, we must take medications, we must follow treatment instructions, and we must do our hishtadlut. At the same time, we must know the entire time that healing will only come if Hashem decrees that it should. There have been times when the greatest specialists gave a grim prognosis and suddenly everything turned around and the patient recovered. There have been times when treatment options appeared limited, yet the body responded far beyond expectations. There have been times when two people received the exact same diagnosis, went to the same doctor, followed the same treatments, and yet their outcomes were completely different. Why? Because Hashem decided that this one would be healed and that one would not. Believing that Hashem is the One who brings the healing is a tremendous zechut which can hasten the process. It is not easy to maintain that clarity when we are sitting in doctors' offices, filling prescriptions, and pursuing every possible avenue to get better. And that is precisely why the zechut of seeing through all of it is so great. We have seen so many times when we thought healing would come through one channel, and in the end it came from somewhere completely different. That is a reminder that it is not the avenue that brings the healing — it is only Hashem. Rabbi Rosen from A-Time shared a story that began in 2017. Their organization had developed an innovative medical machine for couples struggling with infertility who had already exhausted every option. When the rabbi shared the news of the discovery, many childless couples felt renewed hope, especially a man named Binyamin and his wife, who had already been waiting for ten long years. After so many disappointments, this finally seemed promising. As they waited for final approval to use the machine, obstacles began to mount. There were restrictions, safety concerns, and endless regulatory requirements. Before anything could proceed, laboratory testing had to verify that the laser and special dye were safe. Then the hospital stalled. Months turned into years. With every delay, the window of opportunity for Binyamin and his wife was narrowing. In the end, they were forced to confront the painful reality that this path was no longer viable. A-Time then attempted to pursue a similar approach in Israel, where regulations were somewhat more flexible and innovation could move faster. They acquired another machine and began testing there. Hope was renewed. Then COVID struck, and everything came to a halt. When the world gradually reopened, they resumed where they had left off. They sent samples to one of the most advanced genetic teams in the world. The results that came back were devastating. The project would not succeed. Binyamin and his wife felt their hope drain away once more. It seemed that nothing else could be done, that the road had ended. Yet with Hashem running the world, there is always hope. Out of nowhere, a group of infertility specialists discovered a new technique utilizing modern technology. The Borei Refu'ot revealed yet another pathway for healing. Baruch Hashem, after nineteen long years of waiting, just a few months ago, Binyamin and his wife were blessed with their own baby. Hashem is the only Healer. We must place our bitachon in Him. With Hashem's help, He will open our eyes to see the cures He has already created for every illness in the world. Shabbat Shalom.

There are people who have to face overwhelming challenges in life. A potentially fatal illness that turns their world upside down. Suddenly, the entire focus of their lives changes. What was once taken for granted is now put into question. Some people have to endure great difficulties when it comes to shidduchim. Rejection, disappointment, and loneliness are just some of the issues they have to confront. Others face the test of infertility. Their dream of raising a family is thrown into doubt, and they find it difficult to focus on anything else. To go through even one of these challenges is a daunting task that requires enormous strength and perseverance. One of the hardest parts of any challenge is the feeling that it may never end. What if the illness cannot be cured? What if I never find my zivug? What if I never have a child? Those thoughts can slowly eat away at a person. But for this, Hashem gave us a precious gift. The gift of emunah—an understanding that there is always hope. Even if the doctors do not have a cure, Hashem can create one. Even if the shadchanim have not called for years, Hashem can still send a shidduch. And even if there seems to be no natural path to having a child, Hashem can still make it happen. The length of time that has passed is irrelevant. The moment Hashem decides that salvation should come, it will come. For someone striving to live with emunah, hearing stories of others with similar challenges who were helped brings tremendous chizuk. The proper attitude is not to feel left out and wonder why others were helped while I was not. Rather, it is to say: Just as Hashem helped them, He can help me. These stories are meant to instill strength and hope, to reinforce the belief that salvation can arrive in the blink of an eye. Recently, at the ATIME Shasathon, a man named Yosef Chaim shared how he faced not just one of the challenges mentioned above, but all three: battling a potentially fatal illness, struggling with shidduchim, and confronting infertility. The odds were stacked against him on every front, yet his emunah and inner strength allowed him to grow through them. He was diagnosed with a tumor. After a ten-hour surgery to remove it, his brain had forgotten how to walk. He was left immobile. After enduring infections and additional surgeries, he relearned how to walk—but then the tumor returned. Again and again it came back. He underwent five surgeries and extensive chemotherapy. As a side effect of the multiple operations, doctors told him he would never be able to walk again. When the tumor returned once more, they decided to try something new—a medication recently developed for a different form of cancer. Miraculously, it worked. Against all odds, the Borei Refu'ot granted him a new lease on life. During that same period, his mother was diagnosed with a similar form of cancer, and lo aleinu, she passed away from it. After losing his ability to walk and then losing his mother, Yosef Chaim went to receive chizuk from Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky. He asked how we can say that Hashem is malei rachamim—filled with mercy—when his life felt like the opposite of mercy. After a few minutes of silence, the Rav answered gently: Hashem being merciful is a reality. That is who He is. There is nothing but mercy when it comes to Hashem. If we do not see it, it is only because we are unable to understand Him. Those words gave Yosef Chaim tremendous chizuk. Shidduchim were naturally difficult for someone confined to a wheelchair. To make matters even harder, doctors told him that in all probability he would not be able to have children. But the Mezaveg Zivugim has already prepared a match for every person, and when Hashem wants it to happen, it will happen. Yosef Chaim was set up on a shidduch, and it progressed beautifully. His rabbi advised him to disclose the infertility concern on the fourth date. Remarkably, she agreed to continue. Baruch Hashem, they were married. Eventually, with Hashem's help—and with ATIME serving as the messenger—against all odds, they became the proud parents of a baby boy. Although Yosef Chaim endured so many struggles, he witnessed miracle after miracle, as Hashem guided him through each one. Everyone can be healed. Everyone can get married. Everyone can have children. We must always maintain hope and continue praying to HaKadosh Baruch Hu to help us through all of our challenges.

There are people who do the right thing, making a difficult decision guided by the Torah, fully expecting to one day see the good that will come from it. Yet sometimes, not only do they fail to see any immediate benefit, but with time it can even appear as though the decision was a mistake. Years pass, and from our limited vantage point it may look as if the person actually lost by doing what Hashem wanted. But Hashem does not test a person only for a week, a month, or even a year. At times, tests in emunah are designed to last for decades. Throughout those years, the Yetzer Hara repeatedly tries to convince the person to regret his decision and to discourage him from making similar choices in the future. But the rule never changes. A person always gains by following Hashem. No one ever fulfilled His will and lost as a result. It may look like a loss, because that is part of the test, but in the end the person will see that he only gained, and that the gain was far greater than he could have ever imagined. The longer the test lasts, the greater the reward. When a person must hold on to his emunah for many years, continuing to trust that choosing correctly will ultimately bring blessing, the reward becomes exponentially greater. Eventually, he will see not only how much he gained in this world, but even more so how much he gained in the next. The Be'er HaParashah related a story of a man from Israel, whom we will call Shemuel. Shortly after his marriage, Shemuel received a very large inheritance, enough at the time to purchase two apartments outright, without any mortgage. He planned to invest the money in real estate so that one day he could give apartments to his children when they married. Before doing anything, he went to ask a rabbi for guidance. The rabbi advised him to invest the money in a loan gemach instead. The funds would help many people over the years, and when the time came, the money would still be there. This, the rabbi said, would be a far better investment. Shemuel accepted the advice. Twenty years later, when his first son was ready to get married, he withdrew the money from the gemach. By then, housing prices had skyrocketed, and the amount was no longer enough to buy even one standard apartment. He began questioning himself: Why did I ask the rabbi? Friends added to the pain, telling him that when it comes to investing money, one should consult financial experts, not rabbis. But the story did not end there. Several years later, after Shemuel merited, with Hashem's help, to marry off all eight of his children, he reflected on the entire shidduch process and realized something remarkable. Six of his children received full apartments from their in-laws. Two received only partial help. At that moment, Hashem illuminated his mind with a powerful insight. According to his own calculations, the inheritance should have been enough to easily take care of two children, while for the remaining six he would have had to struggle mightily to raise the necessary funds. In reality, Hashem reversed the picture entirely. The six children for whom he had no plan and no money were completely taken care of from Heaven. The two children he thought he was financially prepared for were the ones for whom he had to contribute significantly from his own pocket. It took many years for him to recognize the good hidden within his decision, and throughout that time the Yetzer Hara tried to convince him to regret it. In the end, as always, he gained far more than he could have ever dreamed of. And that is only what was visible. The true gains are infinitely greater. When a person can hold on to his emunah for years, trusting in Hashem's system even when the results are delayed, he will see that he did not only gain in this world. His greatest reward is preserved for all eternity.

When people are in need of a yeshuah and are looking to gain extra zechuyot, they naturally want to know what they can do to earn them. In general, every person knows his own shortcomings, and correcting something that a person is doing wrong is itself a great zechut. In addition, strengthening the belief that Hashem alone is in charge of giving a person what he needs is also a tremendous zechut. The pasuk says, ברוך הגבר אשר יבטח בה׳ והיה ה׳ מבטחו — "Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem, and Hashem will be his security." When we truly believe that Hashem alone controls what we need, He shows us that by providing it. The Chovot HaLevavot writes in Shaar HaBitachon that one of the criteria for being considered someone who truly has bitachon in Hashem is knowing that Hashem is fully aware of our thoughts and the feelings in our heart. Therefore, it is not proper for a person to tell others that he has bitachon if, in truth, his heart is not there yet. If a person presents himself as someone who has bitachon while internally relying on other things, that creates a desecration of Hashem's honor if the salvation does not come, because people will think that someone who trusts in Hashem was not helped. A person might act outwardly like someone with bitachon, but in his heart he may still be trusting in people, effort, or natural systems. The Chovot HaLevavot compares this to the pasuk בְּפִיו וּבִשְׂפָתָיו כִּבְּדוּנִי וְלִבּוֹ רִחַק מִמֶּנִּי -describing how the Jewish people sometimes honored Hashem with their mouths, while their hearts were distant from Him. When a person truly has bitachon in Hashem, it is considered a great honor to Him. When we believe that no person and no effort has independent power over what happens, and that only Hashem controls outcomes, that itself is a form of honoring Hashem, and that is a tremendous zechut. But it is something that cannot be faked. Hashem knows whether our hearts truly believe what we are saying. When they do, in the zechut of the honor we give Hashem through our bitachon, He, so to speak, honors the person by bringing his salvation. The pasuk tells us in Divrei HaYamim that King Asa placed his trust in doctors when he became ill, and not in Hashem, and as a result he did not receive the salvation he hoped for. In every area of life, we need to do the inner work and truly believe that only Hashem can help us. If we can bring our hearts to feel that way, it is a great honor to Hashem, and Hashem rewards that. It is possible that a person was not originally destined to receive a certain salvation, but in the merit of his bitachon, he receives it anyway. Bitachon is a tremendous zechut, aside from the fact that it is a major part of serving Hashem and is a mitzvah in its own right. One of our main jobs in this world is to see past nature and truly believe that Hashem is controlling everything. I read a story about a man who needed a very large sum of money and had no natural way of obtaining it. Instead of praying for the money itself, he prayed to Hashem to help him have proper bitachon. He asked Hashem to strengthen his bitachon and give him an unwavering feeling in his heart that Hashem, and only Hashem, would be the One to provide the money, and that Hashem is full of chesed and wants to help us. He later said that when he needed the money, Baruch Hashem, it came. There is nothing that compares to true feelings of bitachon in Hashem.

The Chovot HaLevavot writes that one of the reasons Hashem created us with the need to eat and drink, and with the need to earn a livelihood to provide for all of our other needs, is because we must pass tests in this world in order to gain Olam Haba. The wisdom of Hashem saw that tests in these areas would reveal whether we are truly servants of Hashem, because these needs are so vital to our very existence and therefore feel so critical in our eyes. Hashem wants us to make efforts in these areas in the ways He instructed us, and He wants us to trust that He is the One who is in charge of the results. When the Jewish people followed Hashem into the desert, trusting that He would provide for all their needs, it was so precious to Him that we are still benefiting today from that zechut. The Torah tells us that in the desert, the Jewish people went three days without water, and when they finally found water, it was bitter. The pasuk tells us explicitly that this was a test, to see if they would complain or trust in Hashem, and unfortunately they failed. Before Hashem sent the mann , the Jewish people first ran out of food. That too was a test, to see if they would complain or trust in Him. Then when Hashem did give the mann , He gave it in a way that tested them daily, and He even told them in advance that it was going to be a test. Throughout the forty years in the desert, they always ended up receiving whatever they needed. The delays and the process were all part of Hashem's plan to test them, and the same is true for us. Hashem provides for everyone. The process may sometimes be difficult, but we must recognize that we are being called upon to overcome a test in that area. Hashem wants us to show Him that we trust Him. We never abandon mitzvot because of struggle. It should be just the opposite. When we are struggling, that is when we are meant to strengthen ourselves and serve Hashem even better. In the end, we will see how every moment of our lives was calculated and what we were meant to gain spiritually from each moment. We never want to look back and regret how we reacted. Hashem will get a person through all of his struggles, but our job is to maintain our emunah throughout. A man told me that he was struggling in business, and it caused him to turn away from Hashem. He complained and became bitter about his life. Recently, things turned around for him, and he now feels terrible about how he behaved. He wishes he could go back and react differently, but those months are gone forever. Another man told me that he began listening to emunah classes this past year, and it transformed his life in many positive ways. Recently, he faced a situation at work that put his emunah to the test. He manages many accounts, and he received an email from his largest client instructing him to change their bank information and deposit their money into a new account. He followed the instructions. Only afterward did he discover that the client had never sent that email. It was fraud. It appeared that he had just lost half a million dollars. The money had already been transferred, and since it was his responsibility, he was expected to reimburse the account. He tried contacting many important and influential people to reverse the transaction, but no one was able to help. This all happened on a Friday morning. When his wife found out, she warned the children to be careful how they spoke to their father that Shabbat, because she expected him to be extremely stressed and possibly short-tempered. That Shabbat, however, they could not believe what they saw. He was calm, composed, and even happy, just as usual. They asked him how he could possibly be so calm at a time like that. He told them that he fully believed it was all from Hashem and for his good. He said, "We received eight emails throughout the week about this, and it never even crossed our minds that it might be fraud. Hashem could have opened my eyes to see it, but He didn't. There is nothing to be upset about." His family was deeply inspired by his reaction. It made a lifelong impression on them. Baruch Hashem, on Monday morning he received word that the money was recovered and nothing was lost. It was all a test, one that he passed, and one that will benefit him for all eternity. One of our primary missions in this world is to trust in Hashem in everything that happens, especially in the area of parnassah.

Living Emunah 2891 The Power of a Simple Word of Praise When Yitro heard about how Hashem saved the Jewish people from Mitzrayim, he immediately exclaimed, "Baruch Hashem asher hitzil etchem." Baruch Hashem for saving you. As the pasuk says: וַיֹּאמֶר יִתְרוֹ בָּרוּךְ ה' אֲשֶׁר הִצִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וּמִיַּד פַּרְעֹה The Gemara says that the Jewish people were held accountable for not saying "Baruch Hashem" before Yitro did. Although they did sing the Az Yashir, the Be'er Yosef explains that they did not praise Hashem specifically for saving them from the dangers of Egypt and Pharaoh. Furthermore, they sang as a group with ruach hakodesh, whereas Yitro said his praise on his own. We have no idea how valuable it is when an individual says even one word of praise to Hashem. The Chachmei Kabbalah, who understand what takes place in the upper worlds, teach us that praising Hashem creates a massive impact in Shamayim. When Hashem is praised here, all the angels gather and praise Him above, and the honor of Hashem becomes glorified in both the upper and lower worlds. In Birkat Hamazon we say, "Ve'al hakol Hashem Elokeinu anachnu modim lach u'mevarchim et shemecha," and the Chesed La'alafim explains these words based on how the Alshich explains the pasuk: כִּי טוֹב חַסְדְּךָ מֵחַיִּים שְׂפָתַי יְשַׁבְּחוּנֶךָּ (תהלים ס״ג:ד)׳ There is a kindness that Hashem does for us that is greater than life itself. What is that kindness? That Hashem gives us the zechut to say His praises. The angels in Heaven wish they could say even one word of praise to Hashem in this world. In Shamayim, Hashem is revealed, and it is obvious that He should be praised. But in this world, Hashem is hidden, and we do not understand His ways. If someone in this world can say one word of praise, it is the greatest zechut. Those who have passed on and now see the glory of Hashem and the value of praising Him wish they could return to this world for just one moment to say one word of praise. This is the meaning of what we say in Birkat Hamazon "Ve'al hakol Hashem Elokeinu anachnu modim lach.... Above all, we thank You, Hashem, for the mitzvah of Birkat Hamazon that You gave us, which consists of praises and thanks for the food we ate, as the Torah commands: וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ Through this, Hashem shows us His great love for us. He knows how valuable mitzvot are in this world, and He gives them to us so that He can reward us for all eternity for performing them. A person can give praise to Hashem at any moment, in any language, and in any way he wants. When people are enjoying blessing and goodness, their praises are extremely valuable. But even more so is when a person is going through difficulties or struggles and nevertheless rises up and praises Hashem despite what he is experiencing. Those praises are infinitely greater. Every time we say the words "Baruch Hashem," we are praising Hashem. The Zohar says that the Jewish people could not receive the Torah until Yitro said those words, "Baruch Hashem." How fortunate we are that we can say them at any time. Even if we do not understand the true value of praising Hashem, we should make use of the opportunity to do so as much as we can. Shabbat Shalom

It is so comforting to know that no matter what situation we are going through, help is always possible. There is nothing beyond Hashem, and salvation can always come in the blink of an eye. Sometimes what is needed is deeper, more heartfelt prayer. Sometimes what is needed is a heroic act. And sometimes it is a combination of both. We do not know what else we need to do to be zocheh to the yeshuah we are waiting for, but Hashem knows. And we are able to ask Him to please place before us the opportunity to do the deed that will merit us the salvation we are hoping for. We can also ask Hashem to help us recognize that opportunity when it comes, and to give us the strength to rise to it. Everything is possible. Even the hope and belief we place in Hashem is, in itself, a great zechut. Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein related the following story, as it was told to him by the person to whom it happened. A man we will call Yosef shared that his daughter got married two years ago, at the beginning of the month of Nisan. The Shabbat Sheva Berachot was scheduled to take place in a hall in Kiryat Sefer. There were ninety people attending, which meant extensive planning for meals and sleeping arrangements. Finally, Shabbat arrived. While the tables were still being set, the generator suddenly failed and the entire hall went dark. Aside from a few candles, there was complete darkness. The hot plates warming the food shut off, and the refrigerators storing the upcoming meals also stopped working. The men were praying in total darkness, and the person in charge of the hall was running around desperately trying to find a solution. He attempted to locate a non-Jew, relying on a leniency brought in the Rama in cases of great need, but he was unable to find anyone. People nearby arranged for the food to be transferred to functioning refrigerators and hot plates, while everyone worked on strengthening their emunah and accepting that this too was for the best. Suddenly, a young man approached Yosef with an idea. He explained that he lived in the building across from the hall and had a large, beautiful living room with an attached yard. He happily offered to host all ninety guests in his home. Yosef hesitated. "It's only a few days before Pesach," he said. "Your house is surely already cleaned. How can you host ninety men, women, and little children? We would need to bring over all the tables and chairs and set everything up. Your furniture would have to be moved. Things could get damaged. Children will be running around eating chametz. And your own family is about to eat their Shabbat meal. We would be disturbing you tremendously." But the man, like an angel, pleaded again and again. Yosef was still reluctant, until the man finally said, "If you come, our joy will be even greater than yours." Seeing that there was no other viable option, Yosef agreed. Very quickly, everyone pitched in and transferred everything from the hall to the man's home. What followed was an extraordinary evening, far more beautiful than it would have been in the hall. The baal habayit was unbelievably gracious. He moved his own family elsewhere to eat and gave the wedding party full use of his home. Only once during the meal did he come in, and the guests seized the opportunity to thank him and ask how they could ever repay such an incredible kindness. He answered that he had a daughter who was still waiting for a shidduch, and he asked everyone to please give her a berachah that she should find her zivug soon. The entire crowd responded with a heartfelt berachah, filled with deep gratitude. Just a few weeks later, the man called Yosef with wonderful news. His daughter had gotten engaged. The day after the Sheva Berachot, they had received a positive response from a shidduch they were hoping for, and Baruch Hashem, it worked out. They later discovered that the young man had many offers, but when he heard about how this family had taken in ninety guests for a Sheva Berachot just days before Pesach, he chose to say yes. This man performed a heroic act by opening his already Pesach-cleaned home to so many people. That act became the catalyst for the yeshuah he had been longing for, his daughter's engagement. Hashem can always bring salvation. Our role is to pray, to seek out zechuyot, and to ask Hashem to give us the opportunities we need to get them

Sometimes the salvation of Hashem comes right away, and sometimes the salvation comes at the very last possible moment. A situation may look like it has reached its breaking point. Every option appears exhausted. Every door seems firmly shut. And then, at the last possible second, the salvation arrives. Both kinds of salvations are exhilarating. Hashem is never late when He waits, and He is never random when He acts suddenly. Each form of salvation is perfectly calculated according to the needs of the person experiencing it. We must always hope for Hashem's help. We must believe that it can come in an instant, and we must also believe that no matter how long it has been delayed, it can still come. I read a story about a man named Reuven from Lakewood who, Baruch Hashem, had a large family but was living in a very small house. He did not want to move, because he lived in an excellent location. He had a non-Jewish neighbor whom he had asked several times if she would be willing to sell her house. She had agreed in principle, but the price was far too high for him, eight hundred thousand dollars. Not to mention that the house itself was small and would only be useful as part of an expansion to his own home. One Chol HaMoed, Reuven traveled to Eretz Yisrael with his family for a week. On Shabbat afternoon, the family walked to the Kotel to pray Arbit, while his wife stayed back at the apartment where they were staying. The entire family was excited to pour out their hearts to Hashem and ask Him for larger living quarters. They prayed at the Kotel sincerely, from the depths of their hearts, entreating the Borei Olam. On Motzaei Shabbat, before they even returned to the apartment, Reuven's wife's phone rang. It was the neighbor calling to say that she was ready to sell the house for a lower price, because she had decided to move into an assisted living facility. She told them the new price would be five hundred thousand dollars. Reuven was overjoyed. When they returned to Lakewood, they discovered certain technical issues with the house, and in the end, she sold it to them for just three hundred thousand dollars. They were able to renovate and move into a much larger home, exactly what they had been hoping for. Hashem answered their prayers at the Kotel instantly. A woman told me another story, one where the salvation came at the very last moment. She and her husband had bought a new home to meet the needs of their growing family. They planned to help pay the mortgage by renting out the house they had been living in. However, month after month passed, and they were unable to find a renter. They were under tremendous pressure, because this rental income was the only way, b'derech hateva, they could afford the new mortgage payments. For the first three months, they managed to make the payments using money from a loan they had taken for renovations. The stress was overwhelming. She said she could not sleep at night and could barely function during the day. She tried very hard to strengthen her emunah, but it felt as though it just was not sinking in. She asked Hashem to send them opportunities to do chesed with their new home as a zechut to find a renter for their old one. Indeed, Hashem sent them many chesed opportunities, but still no renter appeared. They gladly embraced every opportunity and continued begging Hashem for salvation. Eventually, it came to the point where their next mortgage payment was due on January fifteenth, and they had absolutely no way to make the payment. It would have been extremely embarrassing for them to miss it. On January fourteenth, the very last day, Baruch Hashem, they found a renter who paid the first month's rent on the spot. On that same day, her husband unexpectedly received an insurance refund check. Also that very day, they temporarily rented out part of their new home, and that person paid as well. Together, they received the exact amount needed for the mortgage, without her husband having to dip into any of his regular income. It all came together literally at ten o'clock at night, just hours before the payment was due the next day. Hashem sent them the yeshuah at the last possible moment. The salvations of Hashem are truly amazing. Our job is to believe, always, that they can come at any moment.

Chazal tell us in Masechet Kallah Rabati that a Heavenly voice proclaims בית של פלוני לפלוני , which means the house that each person is destined to live in is min haShamayim , just like a person's spouse. Sometimes a person tries very hard to buy a certain house or live in a certain location, but things just don't seem to work out for him. It is because min haShamayim that is not the place he is supposed to live. Sometimes a person discovers suddenly that he has to leave his current residence. That is also min haShamayim . This understanding should make it easier for a person to handle all the ups and downs that come with trying to find a place to live. A woman told me she was informed by her landlord that she would be doing renovations and eventually she would have to move out. A month later, the landlord called her back apologizing that the renovations were going to take place much sooner then she originally planned, and she had until Monday morning to leave. Her immediate response was, must be that Hashem has a better place for me to live. She tried hard to find an apartment over the next few days, but there was nothing available that soon. She remained calm and trusted that Hashem had the perfect place for her to live. She said Tehillim for hours upon hours. Her friends couldn't believe how calm she was. On Sunday, just one day before she had to leave, she was singing to Hashem the most beautiful words, trusting that He was doing what was best for her. When she finished, she got a call from a nephew of hers saying he just saw an ad for an apartment which might be an option for her. She called the number and the owner expressed regret for putting the ad in so soon, being that the current tenants were not ready to leave. The owner then told her she would be the first one to see the apartment when it did become available. Just a few days later, on Wednesday, she got a call back saying the tenants decided to leave and the apartment was available. She went to see it and it was exactly what she wanted. It was just one block from where she had been living, and it was even nicer than her previous apartment. She signed on the spot and moved in that day. She thanked Hashem for the yeshua and then asked Him if He could show her that He is with her in this move. Moments later, the new landlord gave her the combination to the front door. As she dictated the numbers, the woman froze, the new combination was the exact same combination as her old one. She felt a true embrace from Hashem. A newly married couple was hoping to find an apartment in Israel just for a few months until Pesach. They were nervous about having to buy all new dishes and pots, as well as how they were going to earn parnasa during those months, not to mention how difficult it would be to find an apartment for just that amount of time. They began asking around and, lo and behold, an acquaintance of the girl who currently lives in Israel told her that they were going to live elsewhere until right after Pesach and their apartment was available. Since they knew each other, she allowed them to use all her dishes and pots and pans. They were also involved in the exact same field of earning parnasa, so the woman told her, "You can have all of my clients until I return." Hashem found this couple the exact people they needed to find in order to live in the place they were destined to live in. We have to appreciate the apartments or houses that Hashem gives us and thank Him all the time. I read a story of an avrech who said Hashem gave him the opportunity of a lifetime to buy an apartment in his dream location in Israel for a very low price. As hakarat hatov , he wanted to purchase the best mezuzot he could possibly find. This man's father-in-law was an expert in that field and so he asked for his opinion each time he found what he thought were the best mezuzot . His father-in-law kept saying, "No, there are better ones out there." Finally, he found the most mehudar mezuzot which his father-in-law loved. They were very expensive totaling 5600 shekel, but he would pay any price to thank Hashem for giving him this apartment. When the time came to pay, the mezuzah dealer told the man, "Hashem paid for you already," and he explained. He was driving, and a man from America was waiting on the side of the road hoping for a ride. He picked him up and they made conversation. When he told him about his job dealing in mezuzot , the man said he wanted to have a share in the mitzvah of mezuzah . He told him he was on his way to deliver mezuzot to an avrech who spends his days and nights learning Torah. That man said he wanted to pay for them. And indeed he did. Hashem loves when we appreciate His gifts. Wherever we are living, it's a gift from Hashem.

If a person is going through a hard time and his evil inclination is trying to get him to complain and question the way Hashem is dealing with him, he needs to give himself chizuk to accept what Hashem is doing with love. Besides the enormous spiritual value of having emunah during difficult times, this acceptance itself is a great zechut, one that may very well take the place of any further suffering. The Midrash Rabbah in Parashat Vayikra tells a powerful story. The great Tannaim, Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, and Rabbi Akiva, once went traveling to collect funds to support talmidei chachamim who were learning Torah. In one of the cities they visited lived a very wealthy philanthropist named Abba Yudin. At that time, however, he had just lost all of his wealth and felt deep shame that he was unable to give anything to the rabbis. His wife said to him that he still owned one field and asked why he did not sell half of it and give the proceeds to support the Torah scholars. Abba Yudin could have responded, "Hashem already took away all my money, and now I should give away half of what is left?" Instead, with joy and Emunah, he sold half the field and gave the money to support talmidei chachamim. The rabbis gave him a berachah for success and continued on their way. Abba Yudin then went out with his cow to plow the remaining half of the field. As he was working, the cow slipped into a hole in the ground, and its leg sank deep into it. It appeared that the leg was certainly broken. Abba Yudin did not complain. He did not say, "After such a heroic act of tzedakah, this is how Hashem repays me?" Instead, he accepted the situation wholeheartedly and began trying to pull the cow out of the ditch. At that moment, he noticed something buried in the ground: a hidden treasure filled with gold and pearls. Through this, he became wealthy once again. The difficulty of his cow's fall actually led him to the treasure, but the true source of the berachah was his acceptance of how Hashem dealt with him. Accepting difficulties with love is extremely hard, especially when a person is genuinely trying to do good and it seems that everything is going wrong. At those moments, we need to use our minds and hearts to look for ways to understand how what Hashem is doing is truly a chesed for us. If we can think of possible reasons and honestly internalize them, the merits that result are enormous. A man told me that about two years ago he had changed jobs after being promised a great opportunity with significant additional pay. After a few months, it became clear that he had been misled, and on top of that, the work environment was extremely hostile. Going to work each day was very painful, yet he continued to go with a smile, accepting that Hashem was doing what was best for him. As an aside, if someone is unhappy at a job for legitimate reasons, there is nothing wrong with trying to find another one. During that period, he and his wife had a child with a very complex medical condition that required two dangerous surgeries. They were warned that serious and unavoidable side effects were going to take place. Baruch Hashem, both surgeries went extremely well, with no side effects at all, something the doctors said they had never seen. Throughout that time, the situation at work only worsened, but for reasons he could not explain, he remained stuck there. He kept telling himself that it was all for the best. Eventually, when he was finally able to leave the job, he sent out his résumé, but no one responded. Around that time, his child needed another medical procedure that usually required a hospital stay. Once again, Baruch Hashem, it went so smoothly that the child was released just two hours after the procedure. That night, he said to his wife, "I think the two years of hardship at work were taking the place of the hardships that were meant to come from our child's condition. Baruch Hashem, we received it at work instead of through the child." They went to sleep filled with gratitude and acceptance. The very next day, he received a phone call out of the blue offering him a new job with more than thirty percent higher pay. Now, he could not be happier. Accepting wholeheartedly and honestly the way Hashem is dealing with a person is an enormous zechut.

A young man told me how deeply he had been hurt by a close family member, and how difficult it was for him to move on. He wished he could forgive and let it go, but it felt almost impossible. I told him that perhaps Hashem was giving him an opportunity to do something extremely difficult, and through that, to access an abundance of blessing waiting for him in Shamayim. We then opened the אור החיים in this week's parashah, Beshalach, on the pasuk " מה תצעק אלי ". There, he quotes from the זוהר הקדוש that when the Jewish people were trapped at the edge of the ים סוף , there was a מידת הדין upon them. They were considered unworthy of salvation because they too had been involved in idolatry like the Egyptians. The זוהר explains that to access the mercy needed to overcome מידת הדין , a person requires great merits. Since Hashem wanted the Jewish people to be saved, He gave them an opportunity to perform a heroic act. They were commanded by משה to march into the sea and rely on Hashem to split it. They would be entering the water until it reached their nostrils, placing their lives at risk. The great emunah and bitachon they demonstrated enabled them to overcome the דין and merit salvation. Similarly, the זוהר writes in parashat Vayera on the pasuk describing the destruction of Sedom, that " וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹקים אֶת אַבְרָהָם וַיְשַׁלַּח אֶת לוֹט ". The זוהר explains that when Hashem has a special love for a person, He sends him a "present." What is this present? A poor and needy individual who requires help. If מידת הדין would come upon that person, the act of chesed he performs can provide the merit needed to overcome it. When Hashem was bringing דין upon Sedom, He first gave Avraham a present in the form of the three angels who appeared as ordinary guests. Through Avraham's extraordinary hospitality, Lot would later be saved. This is the meaning of "Hashem remembered Avraham"—He remembered the chesed Avraham did for his guests. The mefarshim point out that in both cases—the Jewish people at the ים סוף and Avraham Avinu—the opportunities Hashem gave were extremely difficult. Avraham was on the third day after his brit milah, in intense pain at age ninety-nine, on the hottest day, yet he ran to serve his guests like royalty. The Jewish people were asked to walk into a raging sea, relying purely on Hashem. These were not simple acts; they required going far beyond normal limits. Yet they were gifts from Hashem that brought salvation. A man once told a rabbi about a relative who had to care for a sick patient around the clock, and how overwhelming it had become. The rabbi immediately shared these words of the זוהר and said that apparently Hashem has a special love for this relative, and is giving him a great gift through this opportunity. When a person is given a very difficult task, it is often a sign of Hashem's great love, granting him a chance to earn enormous merit. Shabbat Shalom.

Hashem is involved in every second of everyone's lives. It is a great avodah when we recognize His hashgachah and attribute events and happenings to His Divine Providence. Aside from the fact that recognizing His involvement in our lives brings us closer to Him, it also gives us tremendous chizuk. It allows us to know that Hashem can always help us, no matter what situation we find ourselves in. It is so clear that He is constantly controlling everything. A woman once told me that her father's flight was recently canceled, and he was unable to get a return flight home for another three days. The problem was that he was taking a very important medication that he could not miss, and he had completely run out. He was unable to obtain more of it in the place where he was stranded. Remarkably, around that same time, someone casually mentioned to her that she was traveling to that very location the next morning. The woman immediately called her, and Baruch Hashem, the medication reached her father exactly when he needed to take his next dose. A man whom we will call Yehudah shared another powerful story. The institution where he worked arranged a special Shabbaton to honor its employees. It was meant to be uplifting and inspiring. Yehudah very much wanted to attend, but he had a minhag to go to the mikveh every morning, and he would only go if there would be a mikveh available. When Yehudah told his boss that he might not come if there was no mikveh, his boss was visibly upset. He told him how important it was that Yehudah attend, and he assured him that he would make sure there would be a mikveh nearby. Yehudah trusted him and decided to go. When they arrived at the hotel before Shabbat, they discovered that many things were operated by automatic electricity that could not be adjusted. It became clear that it would be impossible to stay there over Shabbat. The boss was extremely frustrated. He had the phone number of someone who managed a refugee camp that had been established three years earlier for orphans from Ukraine. He called him, and it turned out that the camp had a completely kosher kitchen, a dining hall, guest rooms, and was ready to host them for Shabbat. At that hectic moment, Yehudah was hesitant to approach his boss about the mikveh. But as they were boarding the buses to travel to the new location, Yehudah gathered the courage to ask whether there would be a mikveh there. His boss answered honestly that he had no idea. Yehudah then said that if that was the case, he really could not join, and asked if he could please have the phone number of someone from the nearest Jewish community so he could stay in a private home instead. His boss replied that they would figure it out when they got there and told him to just get on the bus. With no real choice, Yehudah went along. When they arrived, he tried desperately to find out if there was a mikveh within walking distance, but no one knew of one. With just a little more than an hour before Shabbat, Yehudah learned that there was a nearby matzah bakery owned by a Jew who lived in Eretz Yisrael. At one point, the owner had wanted to build a mikveh next to the bakery so that he would have one available whenever he visited. Yehudah managed to obtain the phone number of Daniel, the bakery manager, and called him. When Yehudah asked whether a mikveh had been built near the bakery, Daniel responded with clear excitement in his voice, saying that there was indeed a mikveh. Daniel then offered to come by on Shabbat morning at six o'clock and bring whoever wanted to go. Yehudah was overjoyed. On Shabbat morning, when Daniel arrived, he asked Yehudah if he knew when the mikveh had been completed. Yehudah replied that he did not. Daniel then revealed something astonishing. That past Monday, they had completed everything necessary to finish the mikveh. On Tuesday, they opened the roof so rainwater could enter. And only the night before, there had been such heavy rain that the pit finally filled with enough water. Now, on Shabbat morning, Yehudah would be the first person ever to use this mikveh. Yehudah said that his entire body trembled when he realized the hashgachah of what Hashem had done, orchestrating everything so precisely just so he could have the mikveh he so desperately wanted. Another man related a different story. Someone had given him a gift of seven hundred and ninety dollars to buy a specific product. He already knew the exact price, and the amount he was given matched it perfectly. He then began to wonder whether he should separate ma'aser from the money. On the one hand, it was a gift meant for a specific purpose. On the other hand, it was still money that had come to him. Without asking a rabbi, he decided to act above the letter of the law and gave eighty dollars as ma'aser. When he arrived at the store and went to pay, the owner told him the price was seven hundred dollars. Surprised, he asked if it was not supposed to be seven hundred and ninety. The owner smiled and asked what was wrong with getting a discount. Hashem is even in charge of the price we pay for the merchandise we buy. He is involved in every detail of our lives, and it is a great avodah each time we recognize it.

If a person was standing to earn a large amount of money and he was planning how he was going to use that money to help many different organizations and needy people. And then all of a sudden the deal turned sour and he did not earn anything from it, he may start to think to himself: I don't understand, I was going to do so many great things with this money. Why didn't Hashem give it to me? Doesn't He want all the poor people to be supported? The first thing this person needs to realize is that Hashem does not need anyone to support the poor. If someone is a major supporter of any type of organization, he should feel so fortunate that Hashem is giving him the merit to support it. However, he must know if he wasn't supporting it, someone else would. If the organization is worthy of being in existence, then Hashem will ensure that it gets the money it needs to survive. A man told me, he was on the verge of earning a large fortune and he was so excited to begin working on opening a much needed Torah center in his community with the profits, as well as funding much needed renovations in his shul. In the end, he lost the deal and was not able to contribute even minimally to those projects. But, a different person in the community did earn a large amount of money and he ended up doing exactly what this person wanted to do. The Torah center is now built and flourishing and the shul has been renovated. The man told me, "When I was planning out what to do with the money, I honestly thought that these projects would only get done if I made this deal, but I now see Hashem has many ways." If a person thought he was going to get money and in the end he didn't, it's a very big kapara , without the person having to actually lose anything. He should thank Hashem for all of the ups and downs that took place during the ordeal and recognize it was all for his good. If he had been praying, every one of his tefilot brought him closer to Hashem and he'll be rewarded for all of them. Furthermore, just because Hashem determined it would not be good for him to have the money he wanted at this time, it does not mean that it will not be good for him to have it in the future. A person should never say, "That was my one chance to finally have some breathing room in life and now that I lost it, it'll never come again." The same way that Hashem gave him this opportunity out of nowhere, He could just as easily give him another, similar opportunity. A man told me he had what he thought was a once in a lifetime opportunity that if it went according to plan it would allow him to quit his job and spend his days learning Torah and doing avodat Hashem. Everything was going perfectly, but then, at the last minute, it all fell apart. He was back to earning a small salary, scrounging to make ends meet each month. He said to himself, "That was my one opportunity and now it's gone." Less than a year later, a totally different opportunity came his way with very similar potential earnings. In the end, that one also fell through, but he said, "What I thought was impossible, Hashem showed me is possible." The opportunities are endless. If a person's time comes for him to be blessed with money, Hashem knows how to find him. Until that time, a person must know he is living with the exact finances that Hashem knows he needs to live with to do his job properly. Nobody has any say in the amount of money a person earns except for Hashem. He should never feel that a circumstance made him lose out on a certain deal, or a comment made by another individual. Everything is always part of Hashem's plan for him and Hashem knows exactly what is best for everyone all of the time.

Hashem wants us to learn about Him from the way He revealed Himself at Yetziat Mitzrayim. The pesukim tell us again and again how we are meant to see that Hashem is the only One who controls everything that happens in this world. There are people who believe that everything that happens to them is from Hashem, yet when they go through prolonged difficulties, they have complaints, feeling that they are being dealt with unfairly. To know that Hashem controls everything is not enough. We also need to know how loving and merciful He is. When Moshe Rabbeinu asked Hashem, "Why are You dealing so harshly with the Jewish people?" Hashem answered him that He is Hashem. The Targum Yonatan explains that Hashem told him, "I am the Hashem who appeared to you at the burning bush." How do we understand this response? How does this explain why He was dealing with the Jewish people so harshly? The Maharal writes that there are different levels of love between people. When it comes to true friends, each one will participate in the happy occasions of the other. But the greatest expression of love is when one friend is in pain because the other one is hurting. It is much easier to celebrate with a friend than to feel hurt when he is hurt. When a person is in pain because his friend is in pain, that shows that his life is not a life without his friend. He cannot enjoy his own life knowing that his friend is in trouble. When Hashem appeared to Moshe at the burning bush, one of the reasons He came to him in a thorn bush was to show Moshe that He was in pain because of the pain that the Jewish people were experiencing. The Midrash says, look at how much Hashem loves us. He calls us His daughter and His sister and His mother. The Maharal says, if it didn't say it, we wouldn't be allowed to say it ourselves. But everyone knows that a child cannot exist without first having a mother. Although Hashem does not need anyone or anything, He calls us His mother to tell us that because of His great love for us, He makes Himself feel as if He needs us to exist. This love is shown most clearly by Hashem feeling the pain of every single Jew when he is in pain. So when Moshe Rabbeinu asked Hashem, "Why are You treating the Jewish people so harshly in Mitzrayim?" Hashem replied to him by reminding him immediately about the vision he had at the burning bush. If a doctor were operating on a patient and causing the patient pain, a relative of that patient might question the doctor and ask why he was operating in such a painful way when perhaps there was a less painful method. But if the doctor were operating on his own child, no one would ask any questions, because they would know that he is doing the surgery in the best possible way. Hashem was telling Moshe that the question of "Why am I hurting My nation?" is invalid, because I am their loving Father. I am treating them in the best possible way for them. When they are hurting, I am hurting. We must understand how much Hashem loves us. The Midrash asks, why did Hashem appear to Moshe in a thorn bush? One of the answers it gives is because a thorn bush is the lowest of all trees in terms of humility. There is no apparent purpose to it. It does not seem to provide any benefit. So too, that is how the Jewish nation looked in Mitzrayim, like people with nothing going for them. They had fallen almost to the forty-ninth level of tumah. They were idol worshippers. They had no zechuyot to be redeemed. Yet Hashem came and showed Moshe that if He could rest His presence in a thorn bush, He could redeem a nation that looked like a thorn bush. Because Hashem's love for us does not depend on our deeds. He loves us more than a parent could ever love a child. Even though Hashem gave us the mitzvah of Milah and Pesach before we left Mitzrayim, that was after He had already performed nine makkot and had everything set for the geulah. He did not first require us to have zechuyot to be saved. He saved us because He loves us. The Shem mishmuel said on the words "raoh raeety" that Hashem told Moshe, even though I see them after Matan Torah worshipping the Eigel, I am still going to redeem them. Hashem's love for us is unfathomable. If a person asks, "Why is Hashem doing bad to me?" it just means that he has not yet comprehended the love that Hashem has for him. Hashem feels his pain more than he does. He is only doing the best possible thing for him. If we could feel even a small part of the true love that Hashem has for us, we would be able to live more happily no matter what we are going through.

If a person is going through a difficult time, it is very easy for him to blame other people and circumstances for it. It may seem that someone was directly responsible for causing the difficulty. It may seem that if certain things were done differently, it could have been avoided. And so the person thinks about all the "what if's" and how things should have been different. It is during these times that a person has a big opportunity to shine, to see through what meets the eye and recognize that it was Hashem who was behind it all. Although what happened might not seem to be fair, it's up to the person to say, "It must be for my best, I will not blame anyone. I will accept that this is from Hashem. I will do my best to maintain loving and peaceful relationships with all of those around me." This avodah is extremely valuable. It could very well be that one of the reasons the difficulty occurred was specifically to give the person the opportunity to go through it with emunah which will then open the door for Hashem to shower him with blessing. I read a story in the Machon Shaar HaBitachon that a man, who we'll call Shimon, related about how he became extremely wealthy. He said he is the youngest in a large family. His father worked hard to provide for them and managed to marry off all of them. All of his brothers got apartments, but when it was his turn, his father had already gotten sick and a short while later he passed away. After the shiva, his brothers sat together to discuss how to divide up the estate. Shimon was sure he was going to get his father's apartment since he was the only one who didn't get one. But not everybody felt the same way and being that there were a total of ten brothers, there were many different opinions. The majority consensus was to sell the apartment and divide the proceeds equally, but that was going to take time. In the meantime, Shimon had to rent his own apartment with no financial help. He was so upset, he went to his rabbi and asked if he could halachically demand the apartment for himself, after all, everyone else got their own apartment and his father was going to get him one too. The rabbi said, "You have a great case, but I have a piece of advice for you that will gain you much more: Shalom is worth millions. Don't fight with them. Accept your lot in order to gain peace and you'll see you'll only gain from it." Shimon took the rabbi's advice. It was not easy, being that his family was growing and he really needed the money. From then on, each time he passed his childhood home he would think of his brothers, living peacefully in their own homes while he had to work day and night to cover his rent. He wished he was able to accept this inwardly with more happiness, but he wasn't on the level yet. Nonetheless, outwardly he was able to maintain shalom and that avodah elevated him greatly. He decided to learn a profession and started advertising a service that he could provide. In the beginning, the customers came in a slight trickle, but after a while they were coming in droves. He had to hire more workers and open more branches and after a few years he was earning millions. Hashem sent His blessing in a way he could never have imagined. At one point, one of his brothers who had been opposed to giving him that apartment, needed a medical procedure that cost a half a million dollars that he couldn't afford. Shimon heroically stepped up and paid for the entire procedure out of his own pocket. He did not take revenge or bear a grudge. And he testified that after that episode, his business success began to hit new levels. His ability to rise above the difficult circumstance he was put in opened the door for Hashem's blessings to come pouring in. While going through any difficulty, it's very hard to do it with emunah. But with a little chizuk, everyone can find within themselves the strength to persevere.

In this week's parashah, Bo, we learn about the final three makkot. Chazal tell us that a large number of Jews passed away during the makkah of Choshech. Rav Shlomo Kluger writes that the people who died in Choshech were those who did not have enough emunah to follow Hashem into the desert. They wanted the others to first go and conquer the land, and only then would they be willing to follow later. The Rav adds that all of those neshamot were destined to come back into the world in the final generation before Mashiach, and their job would be to overcome very difficult tests in the area of emunah. If they succeed, they will make their tikkun and live on for all eternity. One of the most difficult parts of emunah is when a person is harmed by another individual. The natural reaction is to think that the other person used his free will to do wrong and that it was not from Hashem, chas v'shalom. The Sefer HaChinuch, in the mitzvah of lo tikom v'lo titor, as well as other sources, teach us that even though the person who caused the harm did use his free will and is fully accountable for his actions, it was only able to happen because it was the will of Hashem for the person to be affected that way. Nothing can ever happen to a person through a baal bechirah unless Hashem wants it to happen to him first, and always for his best. The Yitev Lev writes that one of the lessons we learn from Yetziat Mitzrayim is that when a person causes harm to another, the one who received the harm must take to heart that it was Hashem who was giving life to the one who harmed him, and that person was only His messenger. The Maggid of Mezritch writes that when a person is causing harm to another and the one who is being harmed fully believes that it is only coming from Hashem and that it is for his absolute best, that belief nullifies all the judgments against him. The Passu says כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ ה', כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ יֹאבֵדוּ. The Yitev Lev explains that when a person knows that his enemies are being sent by Hashem כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ-- ה, then הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ יֹאבֵדוּ, those enemies will stop bothering him. All of the stress and heartache caused by other people is simply Hashem giving a person what he needs in order to fulfill his mission in this world. When a person fully believes that it is really Hashem and not the one who appears to be doing it, that itself can accomplish the tikkun that he needs. It is extremely hard to take the person out of the picture and honestly feel that he is not responsible for the harm. When Yosef HaTzaddik revealed himself to his brothers, he said to them, "I am Yosef, your brother, whom you sold to Egypt." The Or HaChaim HaKadosh explains that Yosef was telling them that even while they were selling him, he still felt close to them like a brother. How could Yosef possibly have felt that way? Because when Shimon and Levi were lowering him into the pit with snakes and scorpions, all he saw was Hashem in control. As he later said, "It was not you who sent me here, but only Hashem." With the proper outlook, we too can live our lives with this emunah, seeing only Hashem in everything that happens. Rabbi Menashe Reizman said to imagine how the newspaper articles would read if the Chafetz Chaim were writing them. Of course, HaKadosh Baruch Hu would be in every headline. It would say: Hashem made it that this person was attacked. Hashem made it that this person was arrested. Hashem made it that this person won the lottery. We hope that we are living in the generation of Mashiach, and if our tikkun is to pass the test of emunah, we must take this message to heart and understand that people cannot harm us or give us anything. Everything happens only by the word of Hashem, and it is always for our best. Shabbat Shalom.

A rabbi was once trying to give chizuk to his student to be mevater regarding an argument he was having with someone else. The student said, "But Rabbi, I'm right on this one." The rabbi answered him, "Vatranut is not when you're ninety-nine percent right and the other person is one percent right. Vatranut is when you're one hundred percent right — and you still give in." Rav Steinman zt"l used to say, "My whole life, I never saw anyone give in and lose as a result." When a person does give in and it appears that he lost, he must know that he has a golden opportunity to capitalize on. When a person maintains his emunah in Hashem at a time when things seem so off, he can rise to great levels and earn endless reward. We need chizuk to be able to hold on and continue trusting in Hashem, especially when it seems that the good person loses while the one who did wrong is gaining. But if we are able to do it, we will gain so much. A man named Yaakov told me that about five years ago, his wife told him it was time for them and their six children to move from an apartment into a house. In the area where they lived, houses were very expensive. He called a real estate agent and said he could afford a total of $1.8 million. If he found something that needed fixing, he would pay $1.2 million and use $600,000 to renovate. Yaakov mentioned to people that he was looking, and one man he knew told him he was planning to sell his home, which was close to where Yaakov was living. Yaakov knew that house well. It was a house he wished he could afford, but he knew it would be far beyond his budget. The man invited him to come see it anyway. The house was spectacular, and the owner told Yaakov that whoever offered closest to three million dollars would get it. Yaakov discussed it with his wife, and they thought of a plan that would enable them to offer more than they originally thought they could afford. He offered $2.675 million, and the man accepted. They closed the deal, signed the contract, and Yaakov made the first payment and placed it in escrow. All that was left was for the lawyer to release the money to the owner. Yaakov assumed he would be moving in very shortly. But when he called the owner to discuss it, he did not answer. Yaakov called every day for four days, with no response. Finally, he received a voicemail from the owner saying that he realized he could get much more for the house and wanted Yaakov to pay $300,000 more. Yaakov called him back and said the deal was already closed. The owner refused to back down, and they ended up in beit din. In Yaakov's mind, it was an open-and-shut case. But the owner's lawyer told Yaakov's lawyer that he knew how to avoid reaching a conclusion in beit din and would never let them win. Yaakov was shocked. He called his rabbi, who said that under those circumstances they would be allowed to go to secular court. As they moved to the next stage of the dispute, Yaakov's wife told him that she no longer wanted that house. She said she did not want to live in a house that came through machloket, even though it was their dream home and even though she desperately wanted to move. Yaakov called his rabbi again, and the rabbi told him that he would definitely see blessing by giving in and avoiding machloket. Yaakov then called the owner, dropped the case, and asked only for his money back. He expected that in the next few weeks the heavens would open and shower him with blessing. But nothing happened. A year and a half went by, and they were still living in the same apartment. One day, a real estate agent called and offered him that same house which was now selling for $3.5 million. Eventually, it sold for $3.8 million. Yaakov called his rabbi again, asking where the blessing was. The man who had backed out had made more than a million dollars, and he was still stuck in his apartment. The rabbi told him, "No Jew was ever mevater and regretted it. You will see blessing." Another year and a half went by. Then a real estate agent called him to see a very nice house for sale. When Yaakov heard which house it was, he immediately said it would be far beyond his budget. The agent encouraged him to look anyway. The house was beyond anything he had ever imagined. He recognized the owner as a cousin of his, and after touring the house, they spoke together. Because they were family, the owner made him a generous offer. The house was selling for five million dollars, but he told Yaakov he would sell it to him for $3.8 million, and allow him to pay the remaining $1.2 million in eighteen months with no interest. They shook hands, overwhelmed with gratitude to Hashem. A few hours later, Yaakov received a call from the owner of the house, who quoted to him a line from the Gemara that when someone gives another person a present, he is obligated to inform him of it. He explained that he had originally been dealing with someone else who wanted to buy the house, but that person wanted to move in before Pesach, and he himself did not want to leave until after Pesach. That buyer had just called back and said he was willing to wait until after Pesach and was now offering six million dollars upfront. The owner told that man, "It looks like Hashem doesn't want you to have this house, because He just sent me someone else a couple of hours ago." Then he said to Yaakov, "The house is yours, because I already agreed to sell it to you, and I will not back out. If you want, you could flip it right now, sell it for six million dollars, and make a profit." Yaakov was floored. He stood there frozen, not believing the words he had just heard. When he told his wife, she had the same reaction. Here Hashem showed him so clearly how giving in was being rewarded. He received the house of his dreams in a wondrous way, and today he is living there happily, Baruch Hashem. In the end, that first house he had been going to buy is still having problems, and the sale was never even completed. A person who is mevater will never regret it. It may take years to see the blessing, but eventually it will come.