Rebbe Yisrael of Ruzhin zy'a advised his chassidim not to study kabbalah before they merit giluy Eliyahu. Years later, people saw the Husiatiner Rebbe zy'a, a grandson of the Ruzhiner, studying kabbalah. They assumed he merited to see Eliyahu HaNavi because his grandfather said one must see Eliyahu before learning these sefarim!
But the Husiatiner Rebbe told them that he hadn’t seen Eliyahu HaNavi. He explained, "My grandfather was speaking for his generation. At that time, one had to see Eliyahu HaNavi before studying the Arizal's sefarim. Today, anyone who believes, בכל מושל ואתה, that Hashem rules over everything is worthy of learning kabbalah."
In other words, in our generation, believing in Hashem is equivalent to seeing Eliyahu HaNavi.
It states in this week's parashah (3:15) ולמכיר .הגלעד את נתתי. Rebbe Tzadok HaKohen zy'a explained, ולמכיר, for those who recognize Hashem (they know that Hashem created the world and that everything happens by Hashem's hashgachah pratis), to him הגלעד את נתתי, I will send him Eliyahu HaGiladi. Due to his emunah, he deserves to meet with Eliyahu HaNavi.
Rebbe Dovid of Lelov zt'l explained the pasuk as follows: למכיר, to recognize whether a person believes in Hashem, נתתי, I give the following sign: עד-גל. Happiness is the testimony. (גל or גיל) means happiness, and עד is testimony. גלעד means that a person's happiness is a sign and testimony that he believes in Hashem.
When a person believes in Hashem, he will always be happy. Whatever happens to him, he knows it is for the best and not by chance. He isn't worried about the future because he trusts Hashem to help him. Additionally, what greater joy is there than to speak and to serve Hashem, the King and Creator of the world? For these reasons, when one has emunah, he will have joy. If a person is sad, and yet claims that he has emunah, his disposition testifies against him. However, עד-גל, one's happiness is testimony to his emunah.
This week's parashah describes the miracles and wonders that Hashem performed for the Jewish nation in the desert. For example, it states (1:31) אשר ראית אשר ובמדבר הלכתם אשר הדרך בכל בנו את איש ישא כאשר אלקיך 'ה נשאך הזה המקום עד באכם עד, "And in the desert, where you have seen how Hashem, your G-d, has carried you as a man carries his son, all the way that you have gone until you have come to this place."
The following pasuk states, אינכם הזה ובדבר אלוקיכם 'בה מאמינים, "With this matter, you don't believe in Hashem your G-d." The Bnei Yissaschar (Agra d'Kalah) explains that when people see mann coming down from heaven to feed the nation, water pouring from a stone to quench their thirst, and clouds of glory surrounding them to protect them, they don't have to believe in Hashem. They know Hashem. They see His presence in their life. Therefore, the Torah says, אינכם הזה ובדבר אלוקיכם 'בה מאמינים, this isn't called emunah. Emunah is to believe in Hashem even when we don't see His kindness and life is hard. To believe, even then, that everything is from Hashem and for the good.
The Churban happened as a result of a lack of emunah in Hashem. Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Patilch zt’l (a grandson of Rebbe Uri of Strelisk zy'a) discusses the dates of the four fast days. They are the 17th (of Tamuz), the 9th (of Av), the 10th (of Teves), and the 3rd (of Tishrei). These dates are gematria 39, the same gematria as אחד ה"הוי. These fasts are to reestablish our emunah in אחד ה"הוי, and in the zechus of our emunah, the Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt.
