By the Grace of G-d
18th of Adar 2, 5725
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Blessing and Greeting:
Your letter of February 25th reached me with some delay.
Insofar as I have heard about your husband from visitors from London, I am surprised to read your description of his present state of discouragement. Surely he knows that it is not only a matter of world outlook for a Jew, but one of the very foundations of the Jew’s faith, that G-d’s Providence extends to everyone individually, and in every aspect of one’s individual life. How much more so where it is not only an individual matter, but is related to the Parnosso of the whole family. At the same time it should be remembered that G-d’s Providence is a benevolent Providence; that G-d is the Essence of Goodness and desires to do good, for, “It is in the nature of the good to do good.”
Therefore, it is easy to see how right King David was in the holy Tehillim when he said, “G-d is with me, I shall not fear,” “G-d is my shepherd, I shall not want,” etc. It is only necessary to reflect upon this frequently and deeply, and all anxiety and worry would be dispelled at once.
Needless to say, trust in G-d does not mean relying solely on miracles. For the Torah commands the Jew to do everything possible in the natural order of things in matters of Parnosso, etc., except that he should at the same time remember that success and blessing comes from G-d. And so it is written in the Torah, “G-d will bless you in all that you do.”
If the above is true in every case and at all times and places, it should certainly be obvious to Jews in our own time, since every one of us has seen G-d’s kindness, especially Jews who had a miraculous escape from the dangers of the second World War. How can one allow himself to be so confused by the Yetzer Hara, as to be overcome by anxiety or worry?
Of course there are times when things do not seem to go as expected or as desired. But the Torah has already forewarned us to regard such times as temporary trials and tests of one’s faith in G-d. As a matter of fact, the stronger remains one’s faith in G-d even under adverse circumstances, the sooner it will become clear it was all a matter of a test. But this faith should not be merely a matter of lip service, but must have the full force of conviction. And this is not hard to achieve, if one reflects on what has been said above, and frequently, calmly and objectively.
I trust that the above lines will suffice and that you, on your part, will also be a source of encouragement and confidence to your husband. May G-d grant that you should have good news to report in the spirit of Purim, on which we celebrate the reversal of the Jewish position from sadness to gladness and, in the words of the Megillah, “For the Jews there was Light, Joy, Gladness and Honor.”
With blessing,
P.S. You may, of course, show this letter to your husband, if you think it will serve a useful purpose. The important thing is that the message of the letter should be effective, and that you should soon be able to report about an improvement in your husband’s state of mind, to go about his business with confidence and joy, and this will be the first step to an improvement in Parnosso.
