We must appreciate the things that HaKadosh Baruch Hu does for us to assist us in remaining humble—for they are tremendous kindnesses. The moment a person loses his humility, he loses everything, R”l; he is no longer a vessel for Heavenly shefah, spiritual or material.
Sometimes we see this clearly: People who have a laundry list of things that aren’t working for them. This isn’t going, and that isn’t moving, and he comes to every tefillah with his list of requests in hand. For every brachah, he has in mind himself and all those close to him who need the yeshuah so direly. He is relying on the Ribbono shel Olam and crying out to Him, because things aren’t going well.... But it is so good to be close, to be reliant on Hashem.
It doesn’t need to be the worst tzarah, ch”v (only when a person received twenty smaller wake-up calls but he didn’t get the message does Hashem find it necessary to send a more resounding message, R”l)—as the Ba’al Shem Tov quotes from the Gemara in Erachin; Yissurim can be when a person places his hand in his pocket and brings up the wrong coin—Hashem can give us smaller and easier reminders— but it is so good to be humble and close and reliant.
Humility protects us from so much: A person reminds himself again and again, “I deserve nothing. I give thanks for everything that I have. I can’t do anything on my own, and my sustenance can only come from being close to the Ribbono shel Olam.” Afterward, when he sees mosros, he runs from them as from a fire. “This will distance me from relying on the Ribbono shel Olam! This will rob me of the pipeline of shefah!” There is nothing sweeter that being humble and being reliant on Hashem for all of our needs with true emunah. HaKadosh Baruch Hu knows exactly what we need. Relying on him, with humility and with the knowledge that we can do nothing without Him, is the sure way to a happy and blissful life.
