Emunah In Difficult Times
At times, the Torah has וכתיב קרי, which means a word is written one way and it is read another way. Generally, the וכתיב קרי are similar. For example, in parashas Ki Seitzei, it states several times נער, and we read it נערה. How we read it isn’t very different from how it is written. But in this week's parashah, when we read the tochachah, the וכתיב קרי are very different from each other (see 28:27 and 28:30). The Stropkover Rebbe zt'l explained that this is because when it comes to the tochachah, what we see is very different from what it is in reality. It seems to us that it is all bad when in reality it is all for our good.
The halacha is that the entire tochachah must be read in one aliyah. Tosfos explains that Hashem says it isn't proper for people to bless Him [with borchu and the brachos on the Torah] when His children are suffering.
The Sfas Emes zt'l says we can use this as a technique to be saved from all yesurim. Praise Hashem even when going through hard times, and Hashem will take away the yesurim. Hashem will say, "It isn't proper that my children should suffer when I am being blessed."
It states (28:1, 7) אלקיך 'ה בקול תשמע שמע אם והיה ...מצותיו כל את לעשות לשמור עליך הקמים איביך את 'ה יתן לפניך נגפים, "If you will listen to the voice of Hashem, your G-d, to obey and to observe all of His mitzvos... Hashem will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be beaten before you..." We wonder, if we perform Hashem's mitzvos, why should there be any enemies?
But the answer is that there will always be enemies, and there will always be struggles. This is a reality of life that cannot be changed. Hashem promises that if we perform Torah and mitzvos, we will prevail over our enemies and overcome all struggles.
