In the desert, Hashem showed the nation when to travel, which direction to go, and where they should camp. Hashem directed them with the כבוד ענני, clouds of glory, as it states (9:18-20) יחנו 'ה פי ועל יסעו 'ה פי על, "According to Hashem's word, Bnei Yisrael traveled, and by His word, they encamped."
The Shlah Hakodesh teaches that although today we don't have the הכבוד ענני guiding us, where and when we travel is still in Hashem's hands. And this applies to everything we do. We think we make decisions on our own, but Hashem is directing us. The shidduchim we choose, the parnassah we work with, and millions of other details are all in Hashem's hands. 'ה פי על, according to Hashem's will, that is what we do, and that is what occurs.
We must remember this. We shouldn't think that things happen by chance or through our choices.
Stories Illustrating the Importance of "Im Yirtzeh Hashem"
In year 5685, the Chofetz Chaim informed his community in Radin that he was going to Eretz Yisrael. He was, in a sense, taking leave from his community. When he finished the drashah, one of the baalabatim came over and asked, "Why didn't you say 'im yirzeh Hashem'?" Motzei Shabbos, the Chofetz Chaim's rebbetzin fell ill, and they couldn’t travel. (This story was told by Reb Yechezkel Abramsky zt'l, who heard it from Reb Isser Zalman Melzer zt'l.)
A chassid once told the Rebbe of Kosov zt'l that he would be in Zlatipola for Shabbos. The Rebbe commented, "Do you really think you’ll be in Zlatiploa?" The chasid set out to Zlatipola but encountered many difficulties and obstacles and had to return to Kosov. The chassid asked the Rebbe, "If the Rebbe knew I wouldn’t be in Zlatipola, why didn’t you tell me not to go?" The Rebbe replied, "I wasn't sure you wouldn’t get to Zlatipola. But I heard how certain you were that you’ll be there, and you didn’t even say im yirtzeh Hashem, so I wondered if you would succeed.”
The Chida quotes the following story (Chadrei Beten; sefer Eliyahu HaNavi; Otzar HaMidrashim), which teaches the importance of always saying, "im yirtzeh Hashem." There was a wealthy person who was generous with his money, and he helped the poor, but he thought he earned his wealth on his own. One day, he was going to the marketplace to buy oxen. Eliyahu HaNavi appeared to him disguised as a merchant. [Apparently, although his emunah was lacking, due to his acts of chesed, he merited to see Eliyahu HaNavi, who came to teach him a lesson in emunah.]
Eliyahu asked, "Where are you going?" "To buy oxen." "Say that you are going to buy oxen ,'ה ירצה אם 'if Hashem wills it.'" "Why should I say that? I have money and am going to the market, so I will buy oxen. I don't need Hashem's help. If I didn’t have money, I would say im yirtzeh Hashem. But I am wealthy and can buy the oxen on my own." The wealthy man continued to the market, not realizing that he had dropped his wallet. Eliyahu picked up the wallet and put it on a stone in the forest.
It took the merchant quite some time to find the oxen he wanted to buy. When he was ready to pay, he discovered that he had lost his wallet. He returned home disappointed and without a purchase.
Sometime later, he took money and set off to the marketplace. Once again, he met up with Eliyahu HaNavi. This time, Eliyahu appeared to him like an elderly person. Eliyahu asked him, "Where are you going?" The wealthy man said he was going to buy oxen. Eliyahu HaNavi told him, "You won't be able to buy oxen if it isn't Hashem's will. Say im yirtzeh Hashem!" But the man refused. He didn't think he needed Hashem's help to buy oxen.
The Shlah Hakadosh (Derech Chaim Tochachas Mussar 12) writes, "This teaches us a lesson in mussar: With everything that a person does, he should say im yirtzeh Hashem or b'ezras Hashem. For example, when traveling, he should say, 'I am traveling b'ezras Hashem yisbarach, and I plan to stop at place ploni b'ezras Hashem, im yirtzeh Hashem.' When he gets to that place, he should praise Hashem and say, 'B'ezras Hashem yisbarach (with Hashem's help) I came here, and I plan to travel on day ploni, b'ezras Hashem, im yirtzeh Hashem (with Hashem's help, if Hashem desires it).' When one does so, Hashem's name will always be on his lips."
Eliyahu caused the man to fall asleep, then took the man’s money pouch and placed it on the stone in the forest, next to where the first bundle of money lay. The man awoke, and when he saw the money was gone, he again went home disappointed. At home, he thought over what had occurred and realized he was being punished because he didn't say im yirtzeh Hashem. He made a kabbalah that, from now on, he would say, im yirtzeh Hashem.
He set off to the market to buy oxen a third time. Before he reached the market, he met Eliyahu HaNavi. This time, Eliyahu appeared to him like a young lad seeking work. He spoke with the wealthy merchant, and when the lad heard that he was going to buy oxen, he said, "If you need help bringing the oxen home, you can hire me." The wealthy man replied, "Im yirtzeh Hashem; if Hashem helps me and I buy oxen, I will hire you." With almost no effort, the wealthy merchant found very good oxen at an excellent price. He hired the lad to help him bring the oxen back to his home. As they walked, the oxen suddenly ran into the forest. The merchant chased after them. The oxen stopped next to the stone with his money. The merchant praised Hashem joyously. The merchant and the lad arrived at his home, and then the lad suddenly disappeared. The merchant understood that this was Eliyahu HaNavi and that Hashem's hashgachah was involved in everything that occurred.
The parashah begins with the lighting of the menorah, הנרות את בהעלתך, "When you kindle the lamps..." The Gemara (Shabbos 22:) tells us that all seven lamps of the menorah were filled with the same amount of oil, yet one lamp, the מערבי נר, remained lit for several hours longer than the others lamps, and this occurred daily!
The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabba 15:6) connects הנרות את בהעלתך to the pasuk (Tehillim 34:10) מחסור אין כי קדושיו 'ה את יראו ליראיו, "Fear Hashem, His holy ones; for there is no lack to those who fear Him." The Tiferes Shmuel zt'l explains that the connection between these pasukim is that they teach us that one can work less, and Hashem will support him. Just as the מערבי נר burned longer than the other lamps, so can one work less, and Hashem will support him equally to those who work longer hours.
The Shlah Hakadosh’s lesson is a practice to get accustomed to. We should say b'ezras Hashem and im yirtzeh Hashem with everything we do. Hashem's name should always be on our lips, and the awareness that we can't do anything without Hashem's aid should always be in our hearts.
