Shlomo Hamelech writes in Koheles (9:16) בְּזוּיָה ְכֵּןִּסַמה ַתָכְמוְח - "The wisdom of the poor is despised." A poor person may have clever and constructive ideas but isn’t respected or listened to. The Baal Shem Tov zt'l says that the pasuk can be translated differently. It is saying that the poor know ה"יָ-בְּ זוּ, "Hashem is here." They are suffering from poverty, but they know that it is all from Hashem. They believe it is for their good and trust that Hashem will help them.
This is a fundamental lesson for everyone, no matter what they are going through. They must know ה"יָ-בְּ זוּ, "Hashem is here." The situation is from Hashem, not by chance, and only good will come from it.
It states (Yeshayah 12:1) בִּי ְָּתָנַפא כִּי 'ה ָאוֹדְך, "I thank You, Hashem, for being angry with me." Why is Dovid HaMelech thanking Hashem for the wrath and punishments he received? The answer is that he believed it was from Hashem, for his good. After this, the pasuk states ֵנִיֲמְנַחוּת ְָּךַפא ֹׁביָש, "Your wrath will turn away and You will comfort me."
Rabbeinu Yonah (Shaarei Teshuvah 4:12) explains that when one praises Hashem even through hard times, he can be sure that the troubles will end, and good times will come.
We say in the zemiros of Friday night, ונוקם קנא ל"א ליודעיך חסדך משוך, "Draw down Your kindness to those who know You, O Hashem, Who is vengeful and Who takes revenge." The question is obvious. Hashem's attributes of ונוקם קנא, vengefulness and revenge don't seem to be the attributes best suited for attaining Hashem's kindness. Why do we mention these middos when requesting Hashem's kindness?
Based on our discussion, it is understood. We believe that concealed within the hardships is Hashem's kindness. Therefore, we can ask for Hashem's kindness, at all times.
Nevertheless, it is still difficult to understand. Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to say וחנון רחום ל"א ליודעיך חסדך משוך, draw down Your kindness to those who know You, O Hashem Who is compassionate and kind! We should mention Hashem's attributes of revealed loving-kindness when we request Hashem's chesed.
Divrei Shmuel zt'l (quoted in Beis Avraham, Pinchas) answers with a mashal: A king wanted to know whether his kingdom was loyal to him and what they were saying about him. So he wore regular clothing and mingled among the masses to listen to their conversations.
This technique only worked for those who knew the king only by his royal clothes. Since he wasn’t recognizable by his outer appearance, they spoke about him in front of him. The king was able to listen in on their conversations.
However, those who knew the king well recognized who he really was, even when he wore regular clothing. They were cautious with what they said. They wouldn't speak negatively about the king in front of him.
The lesson is as follows: Hakadosh Baruch Hu bestows His kindness on us in concealed ways, which is a test. Hashem wants to know what we are thinking and whether we will be loyal to him despite going through hard times.
We say to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, "Your test won't work on us. ליודעיך, We know that it is Your kindness, even when it is concealed and appears as ונוקם קנא ל"א. We see troubles and tzaros, and we know that concealed within them is your kindness. We won't doubt or question your ways ch’v, because we know it is from You and for our good. Therefore, we say חסדך משוך, "Hashem, You may as well bestow Your kindness to us in a revealed manner, ליודעך, because we are the Jewish people who know that it is You and that it is Your compassion, even when You act in a mode of ונוקם קנא, with vengeance and revenge. There is, therefore, no reason to conceal your kindness to test us, because we will pass the test. Therefore, please shower us with kindness in a revealed manner."
The parashah begins ִיםָּׂשת ֶרֲׁשא ִיםָּטְׁפִּשַמה ֵלֶּהוְא ֶםְנֵיהלִפ, "And these are the ordinances that you shall set before them." Rashi writes that the ו"וא at the beginning of ֵלֶּהוְא comes to connect this week's parashah to the parashah preceding it. Last week's parashah discusses matan Torah, and this week's parashah discusses monetary halachos. They are connected, as Rashi teaches, מסיני אלו אף מסיני הראשונים מה, just as last week's parashah occurred at Har Sinai, the halachos of this week's parashah are also from Har Sinai.
Eizor Eliyahu (from Reb Eliyahu Lerman zt'l) asks, why would we think otherwise? Obviously, all of the mitzvos and halachos of the Torah were given at Har Sinai!
He answers that the connection teaches us that just as the revelation of matan Torah was certainly from Hashem, so, too, all money matters are also from Hashem. It isn't that I did something, or someone did something to me, rather everything is from Hashem. With this awareness, one won't blame others, and he won't blame himself for his financial problems or for any other hardship he endures in life. He knows that everything was destined and planned by Hashem.
When one knows this, Hashem will help him immensely and he will leave the darkness and come to a great light. This is alluded to in the pasuk (21:13) ָהָדצ לֹא ֶרֲׁשוַא ָּהָמׁש יָנוּס ֶרֲׁשא ָקוֹםמ ָלְך ִּיְתַמׂוְש לְיָדוֹ ִנָּהא ִיםֱלֹקָאוְה. The pasuk is implying, ָהָדצ לֹא ֶרֲׁשַא, if a person doesn't seek צד, sides and reasons to explain why something occurred, rather he believes with all his heart that לְיָדוֹ ִנָּהא ִיםֱלֹקָאוְה, it was arranged and destined by Hashem, then Hashem will say ָּהָמׁש יָנוּס ֶרֲׁשא ָקוֹםמ ָלְך ִּיְתַמׂוְש, I will arrange for you a place and way to escape from all your troubles.
It states (21:3) ֵאיֵצ ּוֹבְּגַפ יָבֹא ּוֹבְּגַפ ִםא. Eizor Eliyahu write that ּוֹבְּגַפ is gematriya ן"אמ, which represents emunah. The pasuk is saying יָבֹא ּוֹבְּגַפ ִםא that if you believe that the tzaros you have are from Hashem, ֵאיֵצ ּוֹבְּגַפ Hashem will take the tzaros away. In the merit of your emunah and bitachon, the tzaros will be taken away from you.
