Unfortunately, people will tell you themselves where they’re holding in their avodas Hashem. It’s enough to speak to a person for five minutes in mundane matters to know if he’s living “in Yerushalayim” or whether he’s living in a world that is untethered from Hashem. This person may even learn Torah and daven three times a day... and we’re not trivializing this... but where is his Yerushalayim? How can it be that a person will speak for so long without once invoking the Ribbono shel Olam?
Tzaddikim would comment, “You’re talking and talking, but I don’t hear you mention the Ribbono shel Olam!” And one doesn’t need to be a tzaddik to notice this: this person talks about everything and anything, and as a throwaway, he will say, “Hashem will help.” It’s obvious, from the way he’s animated, where his true passion is... this person hasn’t encountered the Ribbono shel Olam today. If he had davened Minchah properly, he wouldn’t be speaking this way, because he would have met the Ribbono shel Olam five minutes ago!
When a Yid lives with kirvas Elokim, he is steadily transformed. He speaks differently, and he behaves differently. He begins to truly believe in the Ribbono shel Olam, because his davening builds up his emunah and bitachon. It regularly reminds him that his kochi ve’otzem yadi, his own might and ability, are worthless! Nothing happens because “this one said” or “that one did” ... it’s all nothingness!
