Chizuk for Wartime
Cheshbon Hanefesh:
The Navi states (2 Shmuel 10:12): “Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves on behalf of our people.” Klal Yisroel in our holy land finds itself facing a difficult time. While we have many questions, we must remember the words of the verse (Amos 5:13): “At this time, a wise man is silent.” The smartest thing to do at a time like this is to be remain silent. The first thing we must bear in mind is that Hashem tells us (Devarim 10:12): “And now, Yisroel what does Hashem request of you? Only to fear Him.” He asks each of us to make a cheshbon hanefesh for ourselves, and not for others. Chazal say (Yoma 86B) that if one person does teshuva, the entire world is forgiven. One man can sweeten the judgment for the entire world. Everyone knows in what areas they are lacking. Everyone can take a pen and paper and write down his daily activities and, in this way, he can see where he needs improvement.
Teshuva Removes Harsh Decrees:
Dovid Hamelech says (Tehillim 76:9): “From Shomayim it was judged, the land was afraid and was silent.” The Yid Hakadosh of Peshischa zy”a (quoted in Meor V’Shemesh, Parshas Kedoshim) explains that when there is a judgment in Shomayim that a terrible decree must be issued against Klal Yisroel, the only purpose is for the Jewish people to be moved to do teshuva. The people on earth are meant to become scared and repent from their aveiros. If they do so, there will be “silence”, and the decree will not affect us. This is also as is stated in the pasuk (Koheles 3:14): “Hashem made it so that you should be afraid before Him.” Decrees are only made against us in order to bring us to fear Hashem. This is further seen from the Gemara (Brachos 59A) that says that thunder was only created in order to “straighten the crookedness of the heart.” All decrees and challenges are compared to thunder, and are only sent to bring us to fear Hashem and serve Him properly.
Emunah in Troubling Times:
In times of tragedy, people tend to ask questions. The Satan appears at such times and begins to weaken our emunah by persuading us to question Hashem. Therefore, our avodah in times like these is to strengthen our emunah and trust that everything Hashem does is good. The Imrei Chaim of Vizhnitz zy”a explained in the name of Rav Boruch of Mezhibuzh zy”a the meaning of the words we recite in the piyyut of the 13 Middos: ‘And save us from all harsh and cruel decrees.’ Why are the decrees called both ‘harsh’ and ‘cruel’? Don’t these two words mean the same thing? The explanation is that when Klal Yisroel is struck with harsh decrees, there are those who are weak in their emunah who ask questions. We daven to Hashem to save us from saying that the decrees are harsh. We ask Hashem to save us from the questions and to protect us from thinking such thoughts. My grandfather, Rav Tzvi Hirsch of Kretchnif zy”a, related that he once attended the funeral of a man who died suddenly shortly after a tragedy struck his community. One of the family members said during his eulogy at the funeral that this man had demanded that he be informed from Heaven by the 30th day about why Hashem had done this, and he did not make it to the 30th day... and they probably called him from Heaven to show him that everything is precisely calculated! The pasuk states (Tehillim 119:75): “I know, Hashem, that Your judgments are just, and in emunah You afflicted me.” Rav Mordechai Chaim of Slonim zy”a explains this to mean that even though we know for certain that Hashem is just in all that He does, it is still very hard to have emunah. He afflicts us with emunah, meaning that the hardest thing to do is to retain our emunah in difficult times. For this reason, our sages decreed that when a person passes away and is escorted to his final resting place, the mourners recite the words: “Yisgadal v’yiskadesh shmei rabbah.” May Hashem’s great name be glorified and sanctified. When a tragedy occurs, the yeitzer hara sees an opportunity to bring down a person’s level of emunah. Even if one believes that the tragedy was sent by Hashem, he still may question why it had to occur. He may be unable to accept that it is for his good. Therefore, we glorify His name and say that He is great and whatever He did is certainly for the good.
Rav Moshe of Lelov zy”a asked why there is a custom to drink a “l’chaim” when one gets up from sitting shiva.
He answers that it is common for a mourner to question why a death occurred. To atone for this, we tell him to make a bracha of Shehakol and declare that everything is from Hashem and whatever He does is for a good reason.
Hashem Never Forgets:
The Alter of Novardhok zt”l compares this to a man who learns a sugya of Gemara and sees that the Rambam seems to pasken in a manner that is the opposite of what the Gemara says. Either he rules that something the Gemara forbids is permitted or he rules that something the Gemara permits is forbidden – or he omits the sugya entirely. This leads him to wonder why the Rambam would do this. Since he knows there must be an explanation, he sits back down to study the sugya again. Sometimes, he discovers that there is another version of the Gemara’s text or he realizes that this Gemara is disputed by a sugya elsewhere. He also may come up with a complex pilpul to explain how the Rambam understood the Gemara differently. There are, in fact, quite a few complicated sefarim that offer in-depth explanations for difficult passages in the Rambam. However, no intelligent person would say that the explanation is that the Rambam forgot the Gemara. If anyone would suggest such a preposterous thing, he would be thrown out of the bais medrash immediately. Of course, we know that the Rambam did not forget sugyos,
