It states (Avos 3:4) מִתְח ַיֵּב זֶה הֲרֵי ...יְח ִידִי בַּדֶּרֶ ךְ וְהַמְה ַ לֵּ ךְ בְּנַפְשׁוֹ, "If a person is going on a road alone... he is guilty with his life". The Ra'v Bartenura explains that there are thieves and other dangers on the road. If one walks on the road by himself, and he isn’t thinking Torah (which would protect him), and then he is killed by thieves, r'l, he is at fault for not being more cautious. The Toldos Aharon Rebbe zt'l gave another explanation for this Mishnah.
וְהַמְה ַ לֵּ ךְ ...יְח ִידִי בַּדֶּרֶ ךְ, which means that if a Yid thinks he is alone, and he thinks Hashem isn't with him, בְּנַפְשׁוֹ מִתְח ַיֵּב זֶה הֲרֵי, he is guilty with his life. This is because a Yid must always know that Hashem is with him. If he thinks no one is with him, he is בנפשו חייב, because Hashem is always with a Yid. (Divrei Emunah, Likutim 30)
It states in this week's parashah (20:1), כי תירא לא ממך רב עם ורכב סוס וראית אויבך על למלחמה תצא מצרים מארץ המעלך עמך אלקיך 'ה כי מהם, "When you go out to war against your enemy and see horses, chariots, a nation larger than yours, don't be afraid of them, because Hashem, your G-d, Who took you out of Mitzrayim, is with you." This pasuk reminds us that Hashem is always with us. With this level of emunah, we aren't afraid.
Rabbeinu Yonah (Shaarei Teshuvah 3:32) writes that although the Torah discusses wars, the lesson applies to all matters that people fear. He writes, "The Torah is telling us that if one sees trouble approaching, his heart should rely on Hashem's salvation." For all worries, and all types of life's struggles, the Torah tells us, אלקיכם 'ה כי ...לבבכם ירך אל ...מהם תירא לא עמכם, "Don't be afraid... Don't be fainthearted because Hashem, your G-d, is with you."
Megilas Eichah begins with the words בָדָד יָשְׁבָה אֵיכָה, "Alas – she sat in solitude." We can explain that all the tzaros bemoaned in Eichah begin when one thinks he is alone, and he forgets that Hashem is always with him.
It is the nature of a poor person to feel proud when he has a wealthy relative. When he speaks to his friends, he loves speaking about this wealthy connection. It makes him feel important. But a wealthy man isn't proud of his poor relative, and he won't generally speak about him. However, Hakadosh Baruch Hu is different. He expresses pride in being close to us. This is written in Yalkut Shimoni (ה"תתכ): "In this world... the poor are proud when they are related to the wealthy, but the wealthy aren't proud that they are related to the poor. But Hakadosh Baruch Hu is proud to be close to the Jewish nation. As it states (Devarim 4:7) מִי כִּי אֵלָיו קְרֹבִים א ֱלֹק ִים לוֹ ֶׁראֲש גָּדוֹל גוֹי, "For which is a great nation that has a god that is close to it, as is Hashem, our G-d, whenever we call to Him?' It doesn't state לאלקים קרוב ֶׁראֲש גָּדוֹל גוֹי מִי כִּי, 'For which is a great nation who is close to Hashem...', rather it states that Hashem is close (קרוב) to us. Hashem makes us the most important."
The Rebbe of Toldos Aharon zt'l was talking to a chasan before his chasunah, and said, "Remember this for the rest of your life: You should have a location, or a room, in your home where you go when you want to pray. Go there when you want to request something from Hashem. Speak to Him from the depths of your heart. Speak to Him נוכח בלשון (with emunah that Hashem is directly before you). Say, 'My Father, only You can save me. Please help me.' Do this and you will see wonders." (Zechor l'Avraham). The explanation is that a Yid is never alone. He can be in the privacy of his home, and he can turn to speak with Hashem, and Hashem will answer the tefillos.
We received the following letter from Reb Boruch Levine Shlita from Golders Green, London. Recently, he was invited to a chasunah, and the invitation included a note inviting him to the seudas mitzvah of the chasunah. (Generally, in London, only relatives and very close friends are invited to the meal. Others come to the dancing.) Reb Boruch was surprised that he was invited to the seudah because he wasn't particularly close to the baal simchah. But he figured that since he was invited to the meal, he would attend, although it wasn't exactly easy for him to do so.
He was lonely at the meal because he didn't know the people around him, and he was silently wondering to himself what he was doing there. When the dancing began, Reb Boruch was ready to leave. But then he saw something that shook him up. The baal simchah fell, and his eyeglasses fell to the ground and shattered into many pieces. The baal simchah couldn't see without those glasses because the number of his lenses was #10, which is very high. (In some countries, it is called #1000). He couldn't see anything without his eyeglasses.
Reb Boruch Levine owns an optical store. He immediately remembered that in his car, he had eyeglasses, #10, which he had prepared for a customer. He ran to his car, got the eyeglasses, and gave them to the baal simchah. This saved the day, and the chasunah continued as planned.
Sometime after the chasunah, the baal simchah met with Reb Boruch and thanked him for saving the simchah with the eyeglasses. Reb Boruch took the opportunity to ask him why he invited him to the meal. The baal simchah replied, "Actually, I don't know why I invited you. It was probably a mistake."
See the wondrous hashgachah pratis. Weeks before the chasunah, an invitation was sent to someone who has an optical store. The invitation was sent by accident, and he "happened" to have the correct type of eyeglasses in his car, so the baal simchah would have eyeglasses at the chasunah and be able to see and celebrate his child's chasunah! Similarly, we must be aware of the many miracles that Hashem performs for us. Recognize that you are never alone. Hashem is constantly with us, performing miracles and wonders for us.
The Sefer Ha'Ikrim teaches: Just as we are confident that the sun will shine tomorrow morning, that is the degree of certainty we must have that Hashem will help us.
Once, in the beis medresh of the Brisker Rav in the city of Brisk, the yungerleit were animatedly discussing something that had occurred the previous night in their city. The Brisker Rav zt'l asked them what they were discussing. They told him about the chillul Hashem and the disgrace of Torah that took place in their city. Non-religious Jews in Brisk conducted a play, acting out a Jewish war. A large number of soldiers stood at attention, and the general announced, "Whoever built a new house...should return home", and some of the soldiers left. (See this week's parashah, 20:5, which discusses this procedure.) Then the general announced, "Whoever planted a new vineyard should return home," and a few more soldiers left. "Whoever is newly married should return home," and a few more soldiers left. Then the general said, "Whoever is afraid of war should go home," and everyone ran away. Only two, very old, hunchbacked soldiers remained, and they were honoring each other to take the "first shot."
The people in the beis medresh were upset that the irreligious Jews were making fun of the Torah, because, as we wrote, they were mocking the procedure of war stated in the Torah. The Brisker Rav told them, "Actually, everything they acted out was correct. It was exactly so, only they left out the main part. Those two elderly Yidden won the war!" When we fight a war with Hashem's help, anything is possible.
