The Shefah Is Surrounded by “Coverings,” Barriers
When a person encounters difficulties in the course of his life, when things don’t go as he would want them to—through barriers large or small—Hashem is conducting Himself with him with the method of withholding the shefah, the plenty.
Sometimes, a person tries, again and again... and things just don’t work out. He tries everything, and it just doesn’t go. This means that the shefah that was sent to him by Hashem is accompanied and surrounded by levushim, coverings, that block the shefah from reaching him properly.
Ordinarily, shefah is meant to reach the person in a direct way, with ease and sweetness. When this doesn’t happen, it is because of the levushim that stand in the way, holding it back from reaching him.
Emunah Removes All Obstacles
The moment a person proclaims, “I know that it is the Ribbono shel Olam Who has put these obstacles in place, I know that this is the way Hashem has chosen to conduct my life at this moment, I know it is the Ribbono shel Olam Who has made it to be this way, and He is always good to me! Any barriers and blockages in the way of my receiving my needs are the best thing for me”—by this proclamation he removes these very coverings and obstacles. That is what he has effected through his emunah!
When a person accepts the yissurim, declaring, “It is the Ribbono shel Olam Who has chosen to speak with me in this way, at this time, using this language.... I know that it is all from Him, and He wants me to recognize His Presence in all of this”—through this, he has removed all the levushim. He has revealed that it is all the Ribbono shel Olam, and when a Yid removes the levushim, then Hashem reveals Himself and removes the obstacles completely. This is an avodah that is done not only with our lips, but, more importantly, in our hearts.
This is the way Hashem created the world: Our efforts down below awaken Hashem to make miracles Above. We know the famous principle of ה' צלך, Hashem is our Shadow, and He behaves with us in the same manner as we behave toward him. Therefore, if we reveal Hashem within the levushim, He will in turn reveal Himself to us! He will indeed remove the barriers and enable the shefah to reach us. This is the promise of הבוטח בה’ חסד יסובבנו, one who trusts in Hashem will be surrounded by loving-kindness.
Why Yehudah Reviewed the Entire Episode
The Sfas Emes (Parashas Vayigash) underscores this point as he addresses a question of the Rishonim: Why did Yehudah—in addressing his brother Yosef—review the entire episode of how the Shevatim came to Mitzrayim, and “we said to my master... and you said to your servant...” and then Binyamin was taken, etc.? —He could have just come out and said what he wanted! Why repeat these details that were already known to all involved?
Why Did This Happen to Us?
The Sfas Emes explains that when they saw that they were encountering so many difficulties, the Shevatim wondered, “Why is all of this happening to us? Why is it going with such difficulty? Scores of people are coming to Mitzrayim. They receive their food, and they return home without incident. But when we come, the Egyptians suspect us of being spies, and they arrest our brother Shimon, and later Binyamin, and things become continuously more complicated.”
When they saw how difficult their situation became, they immediately began to ponder, “Why does Hashem want things this way? Why is it so difficult for us? Why did Hashem ordain for our task to be so challenging?”
Recognizing That It’s All from Above
Explains the Sfas Emes: When they saw how difficult things became, they understood that there are levushim, barriers surrounding their shefah. Therefore, Yehudah repeated the entire saga—this time adding at each step the fact that it is Hashem Who ordained this. The Shevatim understood that they must recalibrate the facts in their minds, adding the recognition that it was Hashem all along—and that the Ribbono shel Olam is right.
When a Yid sees that things are difficult for him, he is stuck, and nothing seems to be moving his way, he wonders: Why must everything be so difficult?
The remedy is to go back to the beginning and recognize that all the challenges were placed there by Hashem. This is the way it has to be! “HaKadosh Baruch Hu arranged that I should experience these difficulties. I didn’t realize that Hashem was talking to me, and I told myself that if only I would do such-and-such, I will find my way out of this mess. And it still didn’t work, and I once again forgot about Hashem. And then Hashem showed me: ‘Why do you move away from Me? Come closer and remember that it was I Who was responsible all along. Repeat the entire episode once again!’”
When We See Hashem, the Yeshuah Is Around the Corner
Returning to the story of Yehudah, the Sfas Emes continues, “What happened the moment Yehudah repeated the story with the right mindset? ולא יכול יוסף להתאפק, Yosef could no longer restrain himself. Immediately after Yehudah recognized Hashem’s Presence in his troubles, the shefah was revealed, and all the levushim and barriers fell away.
The Correct Way of Accepting Yissurim b’Ahavah
This is the way HaKadosh Baruch Hu has programmed the world: When shefah is meant to come to a person, yet it comes with difficulty, the remedy is to recognize that it’s all from Hashem and to accept the challenges b’ahavah, knowing “This is what is meant for me, and this is what is good for me.”
When saying “I deserve this,” the idea is not to begin an entire cheshbon hanefesh of why one deserves it, and to become angry with himself. When we say that when yissurim come to a person, they must examine their deeds, we don’t mean in the heat of the moment, when they’re feeling pain. As we have discussed in the past (shiur #6), cheshbon hanefesh must be done when a person is serene and joyful, for teshuvah can happen only when a person is b’simchah.
But in the moment of pain and suffering, one must remember one thing—to thank Hashem: “Thank You, Hashem, for giving me these challenges; they are surely the best thing for me.”
If a person does this avodah of קבלת יסורים באהבה as prescribed here, then automatically ולא יכול יוסף להתאפק, the shefah is revealed and all the barriers and obstacles fall away.
