Written by R’ Avrohom Hillel Reich based on a lesson and story by Harav Ben Tziyon Sneh Shlita
Bnei Yisroel journeyed from slavery to freedom. Shepherded by Hashem, they achieved what no nation had achieved before – a close relationship with the Creator of the world. They suffered for hundreds of years until they could stand it no more, and cried out to Hashem – "please save us from this pain!"
Jews worldwide this year are crying out to Hashem to help us change the matzav in Eretz Yisroel, may we soon be victorious in battle with minimum injuries and bring back all the hostages.
Hashem asks Moshe via a burning bush, to lead Bnei Yisroel. Moshe has many reasons why he cannot fulfill the request. But first Hashem asks Moshe to remove his shoes, for the ground that he is standing on is holy. It’s clear that there is something symbolic here. Shoes represent protection, safety, and the ability to shield ourselves from pain. When we remove our shoes and try to walk – we feel exposed and vulnerable.
Hashem is telling Moshe, "When you think you are protected and have nothing to fear, when you say to yourself; 'Why worry?' I can protect myself from all pain,' then you are in trouble. Then you are deep in the galus. A galus of your own making. There are none so foolish as those who feel that they are in control of everything in their lives."
The geulah, the path to ending the galus is when our "shoes" come off, when we realize that there is no one beside the Ribbono Shel Olam who can truly protect us. When we make ourselves vulnerable, that's when true redemption begins. It is then that everything starts to change.
No matter what cards we have been dealt, Hashem wants to give us a winning hand in life – we need only to open our eyes to this realization and change our perspective.
A story:
Yossele stood in front of the bulletin board in the hallway of the shul slowly jotting down some names from the big board above into his little notepad. He was eleven years old...and he had a serious stuttering problem. Despite all the therapists his parents had sent him to, the problem seemed to be getting worse by the day.
One of the members of the shul was curious as to what this little boy was writing, and looked over his shoulder. Yossele looked up at him, and said:
"I have a very bad stuttering problem. It takes me a long time to express myself and kids make terrible fun of me. My Rebbi just taught us that someone who is made fun of and does not respond has a power to give others a brocha.
It was then that I decided to take down the names of all the sick people from every shul in my neighborhood, so that every time I am made fun of, I can daven for them to have a yeshuah.”
If each one of us would only open up our eyes and realize that like Yossele, the trick is not to have what we want, but to want what we have, what a different world this would be!
