Problems Are Vehicles for Closeness
Let us broaden this point:
The Mishnah enumerates the ten levels of holiness within the world—in olam, place—culminating with the Kodesh HaKodashim. With this, the Ribbono shel Olam illustrates for us that there are also ten levels of holiness within each and every neshamah. He pleads with us: “Don’t be Yidden of the sort who remain on the level of chutz l’Aretz... who practice an external and superficial sort of Yiddishkeit, content to go through the motions of mitzvos, fulfilling the minimum obligations.”
This person feels no closeness to the Ribbono shel Olam. When he encounters a challenge in life—for example, a struggle with a shidduch—this Yid doesn’t recognize the presence of the Ribbono shel Olam within it. He doesn’t comprehend that this challenge can help him daven better and bring him closer to Hashem.
Conversely, an authentic Yid, a Yid from Yerushalayim, truly welcomes the problem—recognizing its potential for closeness to Hashem. He can now daven with the true and desired brokenness. He will say, “Now I can daven with the right frame of mind; truly appreciating that I can do nothing alone! I have no ability on my own; only the Ribbono shel Olam can help me.”
