Imagine that someone has a yahrtzeit for his father and arranges to get maftir for the aliyas neshamah of his beloved father. Before krias haTorah begins, he reminds the gabbai about his request and receives a quick nod of confirmation in response. Relieved, he follows along with the reading in the Chumash. But then, to his shock, when it is time for maftir, someone else goes up instead of him. Someone else is getting his maftir!
He could become angry, blame the gabbai for forgetting, or blame himself for not standing close enough to the gabbai. He could be really upset about losing out on a great zechus for his father.
He could also...believe in Hashem. Accept that this, like everything else, is Divinely orchestrated; that it’s good for him, even if he doesn’t understand why. Emunah enables him to get over this mishap very quickly, to forgive the gabbai, and to grasp that he will elevate his father’s soul today in a different way than he had planned. By responding with emunah, he is giving his father great nachas in Shamayim.
This is just one example that demonstrates how sweet is the life of a Jew with emunah. He still has problems, but he has the right perspective on life, and it enables him to meet whatever comes his way with equilibrium.
Emunah is the foundation of a good life. A righteous man lives with emunah. Avraham Avinu was chosen to father our nation because of his emunah. There are many pesukim that demonstrate this, among them one that speaks especially to our generation. The Torah tells us that Hashem believes in those who believe in Him.
Hashem created this world because He believed that mankind would believe in Him. He believed in us, His children, who remember Him despite the storms and upheavals that surround us. He especially believed in us — believed that even in the darkness and concealment of this final generation, we would believe in Him. We have to justify His belief in us. We have to give our Creator the gift of our belief in Him.
Shiur by Harav Hagaon Rav Dovid Kletzkin shlit”a
