1. We recently received a letter from a chashuve Yid from chutz l'aretz. He ran into trouble with the tax department, who dealt with him harshly and sent him to prison. The government froze his bank account, and his family had to borrow money just to buy food for his children. He hired the best lawyer and brought in askanim, but nothing helped. Wherever he turned, he failed to escape the quagmire he fell into. One day, he realized that no one could help him other than Hashem. His hishtadlus wasn't accomplishing anything. He turned his eyes to heaven and said, "Father in heaven, no one can help me, but You. Please, save me. Get me out of prison and save me from my troubles."
A day or two afterward, he was released from prison, his bank account was reopened, and the entire case against him was dismissed. Indeed, no one was able to help him, only Hashem. He answers our tefillos, especially when we turn to Him with the realization that only He can help.
2. When a chasan and kallah go to their chuppah, the mechutanim escort them while carrying torches. This is to teach the chasan and kallah that they are never alone. Hashem is always with them, leading them. The "light" of this awareness will illuminate their way, b'gashmiyus and b'ruchniyus, their entire life. Before the Divrei Yoel of Satmar zt'l went to the chuppah, his father, the Kedushas Yom Tov zt'l, told him that a chuppah is conducted outdoors so the chasan and kallah should look up to heaven and remember to rely on Hashem.
The Chidushei HaRim (Imrei HaRim, Shelach, הערות) said, "We follow Hashem Yisbarach like sheep following a shepherd." Hashem is always with us, leading us each step of the way.
The custom in Nadvorna is to sing ומיוחד יחיד אחד when peckelach are thrown on the chasan after his aliyah on the Shabbos before his chasunah. This is because there are three partners in the creation of man: Hakadosh Baruch Hu, the father, and the mother (Kidushin 30:). The bachur was accustomed to eating at his parent's table; they cared for all his needs. But who will take care of him now? The gathered sing יחיד אחד ומיוחד, to remind him to trust in Hashem. Even if peckelach are thrown at him, don't worry. Hashem is with you; the "peckelach" are filled with sweets and goodies.
Sefer שחר כנפי (Shu"t 37) tells that his uncle, Rebbe Yechiel of Moosh zy'a, came home one Friday night to make kiddush. It was very cold, so Reb Yechiel stood on a small stool near the oven to warm his hands. The low stool slipped from under his feet, and Reb Yechiel fell and broke his hands. (For the rest of his life, he had yesurim from that fall.) When they picked him up, people heard him say the pasuk (Tehillim 23:2) דשא בנאות ינהלני מנוחות מי על ירביצני, "He causes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters." He explained: "When one travels through the immense sea, and his ship is about to capsize, or when one walks on a shaky bridge over a river, he will daven that he should survive. But when one is דשא בנאות, in green pastures, or standing at מנוחות מי, calm peaceful waters, he doesn’t think he needs a miracle to pass through successfully. To correct us, Dovid haMelech says ינהלני מנוחות מי על ירביצני דשא בנאות, Hashem helps us even when we are in green pastures, and besides peaceful waters. One needs Hashem's help at every step, and one should always pray to Hashem to save him from all tzaros and problems."
Reb Yechiel of Moosh said, "Who would think it is dangerous to climb up onto this low bench? Who would imagine that one could break his hands if he did? (Tehillim 16:8) תמיד לנגדי 'ה שויתי, 'I have placed Hashem before me constantly' and I always daven to him to protect me because there isn't a moment that I don't need His help."
When the Yidden went down to Mitzrayim (parashas Vayigash) they were a community of seventy people, as it states (Bereishis 46:27) כָּל ... "All the souls of the house of Yaakov who came to Mitzrayim were seventy." The Torah lists their names, and Rashi (46:15) notes that the Torah lists only 69 names and not seventy. One name was missing.
When they left Mitzrayim, they were 600,000, as it states in this week's parashah (Shemos 12:37) ... "Bnei Yisrael journeyed from Ramses to Succos, about six hundred thousand on foot, the men, besides the young children." This time, as well, one was missing from the number. Yalkut Shimoni (Vayigash 152) states, "When they went down to Mitzrayim, they were missing one to the number seventy, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu filled the number, as it states (Bereishis 46:4) ... 'I will go down with you to Mitzrayim,' and when they left Mitzrayim, one number was missing to the number 600,000, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu completed the number, as it states (Bereishis 46:4) ... 'I will also go up'."
Let us learn from this that when things don't seem to add up, and the "calculation" seems wrong, bring Hashem into the picture, and everything will work fine. Remember that what is happening to you is from Hashem. Serve Hashem and connect yourself to Him. Bring Hashem into the calculation, and you will see that everything will work out well.
Another lesson is to remember that Hashem is always with us. When we go to Mitzrayim, when we leave Mitzrayim, in good times and hard times, Hashem is always with us to help, lead, and protect us.
