Hashgachah Pratis in the Sefarim Hakedoshim
Excerpts from the popular shiur by Harav Yehuda Mandels shlit”a from Lakewood
Your Peckel, Your Gift
Every person has his “peckel,” his package in this world. This peckel contains both the good things that one experiences and the less-good things.
Our job is to focus on the good things in the package and to ignore the bad things. But people do exactly the opposite: They focus on what is not good and see all the good only in their friends’ packages – something that causes them unnecessary suffering throughout the years of their life.
Once, an important rav came to Lakewood, and I was zocheh to serve as his aid. Anyone who wanted a brachah and a yeshuah came to me and made his request. Many people revealed to me the secret pains of their hearts. I had known a lot of these people for many years, and it always seemed as though their lives were wonderful. Suddenly, I was made aware of how much they were suffering, and this applied to so many people.
I was amazed. Suddenly, I understood how prevalent it is that people think the grass is greener on the other side, and how much they desire another person’s life.
In Parshas Ki Seitze the Torah allows marriage to an “eishes yefas to’ar.” The reason for this is that “the Torah speaks to the yetzer hara.” But Chazal revealed to us that ultimately, the person who took this wife will end up hating her.
This is a great principle in life!
There are many things that seem to be “yefas to’ar.” My friend has a fancy car, abilities, success...and I desire them.
We need to know that each person has his own peckel, tailored to his specific measurements. Hakadosh Baruch Hu knows exactly to whom He gave what, and why He did so. Whatever we did not receive would not be good for us.
If all the packages were exchanged — if you had a fancy car like your friend, if you had the house you so desired — not only wouldn’t you like it, not only wouldn’t you be satisfied, but you would even hate it. As Chazal tell us: “Ultimately, he will hate her.”
See all the good you’ve received. If you’re not capable of doing this, learn some mussar about humility and being happy with one’s lot. In this way you will have a happy, joyous life.
Like a Person Speaks to His Friend
Rav Pinchas says, in the name of Rav Yehuda bar Simon, that idols seem close but in actuality are very far (as explained in Yeshayahu 47). A man’s idol can be with him in his home, but he could cry out to it until the day he dies, and the idol doesn’t hear him or save him.
Hakadosh Baruch Hu, in contrast, seems far but in actuality is very close.... The distance between earth and the highest level of Heaven is a distance of seven thousand years.... And Rav Berachia and Rav Chalbo add in the name of Rabi Aba Samuka that there is an additional distance of 515 years above the highest level in traversing merely the hooves of the heavenly chayos....
Thus, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, Who is above all the heavens and all the celestial beings, is vastly distant from us. And yet, a man can enter a beis Haknesses, stand behind the amud and daven quietly – and Hashem listens to his tefillah.... At that moment he is like a person who is speaking into his friend’s ear; that’s how Hakadosh Baruch Hu hears him. Is there a god closer than this One, Who is so close to all His creations?!
(Talmud Yerushalmi, Brachos 9:1)
