Hashgochah Pratis in Sifrei Kodesh
Hashgachahh Pratis in the Sefarim Hakedoshim
Excerpts from the popular shiur by Harav Hatzaddik R’ Beirish Shneebalg shlit”a
Our Mission: Living with Emunah
The band’s music fills the air. The musicians are creating beautiful tunes with their instruments. Waiters in glorious uniforms mingle among the guests, serving up tantalizing portions to the hundreds of people who fill the hall.
On the surface, it almost looks as though all the guests are the same: Everyone is happy, dancing, clapping their hands and singing. But if we’ll look a bit closer, we will discover that not everyone is equal. Yes, everyone looks similar, but if we look into their hearts, we will see that not everyone came with the shared goal of participating in this great simchah.
There are guests who came in order to taste the delicious food, for this is an opportunity for them to eat a gourmet meal; there are those who love bands, who came to enjoy the wonderful music; and there are others who remember the main thing, and they came here in order to gladden the chassan and kallah, to rejoice together with them on their wedding day.
Chazal say (Eiruvin 54): This world is similar to a wedding. The Degel Machaneh Efraim in Parshas Terumah explains: Everything connected to a wedding – the preparations and all the necessities – are designed to gladden the chassan and kallah. There are people who hold on to the less significant aspects – they come only in order to eat and drink, and they forget about the main point. And that is how it is in this world as well: It is all like a wedding, and everything Hashem created in His world is designed for the primary goal – for the chassan and kallah, Who are Hashem and the Shechinah. But there are people who want to eat and drink and pursue their own pleasures, and they forget about the main point.
We are in this physical world, and there are many things here that we need to do. We need to live and to make money, and indeed, these things are necessary. But even when we are involved in physical matters, we need to remember the main point: “And all your deeds shall be l’Shem Shamayim.” When we are preoccupied with making a living, we need to remember that we came here with a specific mission – to live with emunah. In this way we will be able to open the gates for all the positive hashpa’os.
Bitachon in the Creator
Rav Chuna told the following story:
There was once a convert who had been a stargazer. He wanted to set out on his way, but he saw in the stars that it was a dangerous time to go out. He asked himself, Should I go out now? And then he told himself, Have I not chosen to be a part of this holy nation in order to separate myself from these things? I’ll go out, and I’ll trust the Creator!
He set out on his way, and a wild animal attacked him and almost ate him. He gave the animal his donkey. It ate the donkey, and in the meantime he escaped.
Rav Chuna concludes: What caused this convert to be endangered? Because initially he thought he would rely on what he saw in the stars and would not go out at that hour.
What caused him to be saved from the wild animal? It was his trust in his Creator.
(based on Yerushalmi, Shabbos 5:9)
