Someone Is Thinking About You 24/7
Why We Rely on Another Entity
In the second chapter of Chovos HaLevavos, we learn that seven factors may cause people to rely on an entity. He then points out that the only entity that truly possesses these factors is the Ribbono shel Olam.
The first of these factors is when we feel that another person has compassion and love for us. "He surely has me in mind—he has so much compassion, mercy, and love for me." We naturally rely on a person we feel loves us and has our good in mind.
Someone Who Worries for You Incessantly
The second factor that causes people to rely on another is when—aside from the love and compassion—this person doesn't stop thinking about them. He thinks constantly about how to help us, and he's never complacent when it comes to do good for is. He constantly stands at the ready to do whatever is necessary to help. He will never say "I don't have time right now." Or "I couldn't... I wasn't available... I forgot...."
When we find such an individual, we feel that we can rely on that person completely because he's constantly working for you—but if we cannot be confident of all this, then our trust in him will never be complete. Although he may love me and care for me, he lacks the ability or the will to carry out what I need. He has other matters on his mind, and these prevent him from executing what I need.
However, says the Chovos HaLevavos, if we do find someone who has these two qualities—love and compassion, as well as a ceaseless eye for our needs—we will rely on that person completely, without a doubt.
A Human Being Is Incapable of This
The reality is that there's no human who can possibly embody these two qualities. This is something that we understand better today—with the busy lives that we lead in modern times. Take the most devoted mother who loves her children without limit, or the most dedicated brother whom we know with certainty would do anything for us and want only what is good for us. At the end of the day, they have other concerns in their lives, and other matters that they must attend to. It's therefore impossible for them to think about you literally constantly.
It often happens that we rely upon a person whom we thought could be relied upon with absolute certainty that he will carry out what we need—"If there's one person who could be relied upon, it's him"—and he still fails to come through... even after his heartfelt assurances that he will invest all his energy into it.... and that he won't rest until the matter is resolved. It is simply impossible for a person to think about us constantly. He has other matters in his life.
When we call this person to ask about the issue, he will say, "Do you know that I devoted two hours to this matter today?! An entire two hours! I didn't even tell you about it. I sat on your case for two hours, just to help you out...."
Why only two hours? Because, at the end of the day, he has his own life as well. He has his own needs, and he has other things to attend to throughout the day. It's impossible for him to think about us twenty-four hours a day.
The Most Loyal Person Also Sleeps
Even if this person will literally give his entire day to help us, it's impossible for his assistance to be continuous. For 12-13 hours, he doesn't eat or sleep, and he thinks only about helping us (even though this is highly uncommon and unlikely). Assuming that such a thing is even possible... when nighttime comes, he can no longer help.
But, as said, even this is an exaggeration, because no person can forget about his own needs completely and devote himself entirely to another person.
We Can't Even Conceive of Such Devotion
When we ask a favor of someone—even a person who has pledged to do everything in his power to help us—we take into account that he may very well say, "I need to go somewhere this afternoon. Im yirtzei Hashem, tomorrow morning, first thing, I will work on your issue."
We don't even blink an eye if someone says this. We assume that he won't literally devote 100 percent of himself to our needs. It's more like 40-50 percent, and we're okay with that. That is about the maximum we expect from a person.
And for this reason, the Chovos Halevavos urges us to internalize the reality of ישראל שומר יישן ולא ינום לא הנה, our great Guardian neither slumbers nor sleeps. We say this every evening in Krias Shema, but we don't really understand the depths of what it means that He is devoted to us 24/7, and He never takes a break from thinking about us with the greatest love!
Thus, the Ribbono shel Olam is the only One Who possesses both qualities—boundless love and ceaseless concern—and for this reason, it makes no sense to depend on anyone or anything else.
Reiterate This Truth
This concept is not easy to internalize, and we must reiterate it over and over until it penetrates our hearts and minds. In general, when we wish to understand a spiritual concept which may be foreign to us, we use the familiar world around us as a frame of reference. But here, there's simply nothing in our world that compares. There's no human who can be so closely devoted to us, literally without letup. We're so distant from such a reality. The only way we can come close to comprehending it is by internalizing and reiterating it repeatedly—because our brains are limited to what we see in the world, and there's no one in the world who has anything close to such dedication or ability, even if they really, really want to.
We must therefore pause, contemplate this, and meditate upon it, because a concept that's so foreign will never be understood by a mere mention. We must stop and reiterate it thousands of times! The concepts and ideas we're familiar with enter our minds because we experience them every day. But utter and complete 24/7 dedication is not a concept we're familiar with—and yet, it is our duty to understand that the Ribbono shel Olam does have this level of devotion and love for us, and this will bring us to bitachon in Him.
Tefillah Isn't a "Reminder" for the Ribbono shel Olam
A Mistaken Notion in Davening
Sometimes, a Yid gets up to daven regarding a problem that he's experiencing. He's truly earnest and sincere.... He thinks deeply about what he's saying... he davens to the Ribbono shel Olam with a broken heart, with humility and with joy. It's mamash a complete and proper prayer.
However, as he's davening, a thought creeps into his head that he must tell the Ribbono shel Olam all about his problem.... We don't even realize how much this attitude is ingrained in us. After his davening, this Yid feels, "Ah, now I have unburdened to the Ribbono shel Olam. Now He knows my problem...."
But the truth is that the Ribbono shel Olam knows about our problems in much more detail, and much more deeply, than we do. It pains Him far more than it pains us, and He wants to help us far more than we ourselves want to be helped! He never slumbers and nor does He sleep—and this means that He's alert and awake to everything that's happening in our lives.
Tefillah Is a Reminder for Us
Of course, we must daven and plead with the Ribbono shel Olam—but the reason for this isn't chas v'shalom to remind the Ribbono shel Olam about our problems, but to remind ourselves that everything depends upon the Ribbono shel Olam! When we forget this, this stymies the shefa, chas v'shalom. And for this reason, we must constantly be davening—so we should remember the truth: The Ribbono shel Olam oversees everything, and it's all completely in His hands.
This is the deeper meaning of the words of the tefillah of Rav Meir'l of Apta, wherein a person speaks of himself, "I know that even if I were to exert myself with schemes and tactics—without Your strength and assistance there can be no deliverance or salvation." Nothing can help me—only the Ribbono shel Olam. Our tefillah is for us to always remember this truth, as we continue in the tefillah, "Therefore, assistant me, Master of the world, for my eyes to always be open to see the truth of this matter, and that my faith in You should always firmly rooted in my heart always." This is our primary prayer; to internalize the truth of Who really gives us everything—and it is this awareness that brings us the shefa.
We Can Do Nothing Alone
This is what Dovid HaMelech says in Tehillim: He is אמו עלי כגמול, like a suckling child at his mother's side. The simple meaning of these words is that we're all as dependent on Hashem as a suckling child is upon its mother.
But Rashi goes deeper: גמול, he says, has the same letters as גולם, a clay creature that hasn't even been fashioned. It doesn't have any hands or feet. Dovid HaMelech says: I place myself before You like a גולם which can do nothing! I am like a suckling child that cannot even live without its mother.
He's Busy with Your Case!
When we come before Hashem with an attitude of seeking to remind Him about our problems, it displays a lack of understanding of reality. Imagine that you asked your friend for a favor. A day goes by, and you haven't heard back—so you start calling your friend, again and again. But your friend is too busy helping you to pick up your call! He's on the phone regarding your case, and that's why he isn't picking up!
But you don't get it... and you keep calling. You call from an "unknown number," and your friend still doesn't pick up—because he's busy helping you. Eventually, your friend answers the phone and tells you: Why are you so upset? I am busy doing things to help you... you're embarrassing yourself!
This is what often occurs in our davening. This Yid is so preoccupied and consumed with his problem that he feels that the Ribbono shel Olam has, chas v'shalom, forgotten about his problem, at a time when He is busy at every moment to help him out with his problem!
We Were Created for a Purpose—and He Is Thus Surely Always Watching Us
It Must Be That Hashem Is Always Watching Us
The Ramban (introduction to Sefer Iyov) speaks about the tremendous hashgachah that the Ribbono shel Olam has over every single Yid—"for it is only appropriate for the Creator of lowly creatures to supervise and oversee them.... Because He hasn't created them for emptiness or by happenstance." Each and every one of us was created for a purpose—to complete the world—and everything in the world was created so that we would arrive at our purpose.
Continues the Ramban, "As we are beings that were created with premeditation and Divine Design, it is only appropriate that the Creator would take interest and desire in our affairs, for these too were created for His honor." That is, the success of our affairs is being supervised and monitored by the Ribbono shel Olam—because there's a great purpose for the world in them.
He Needs No Reminders
Let us take the development of the Coronavirus vaccine as an example. This was an endeavor that medical experts around the world were consumed with—it was a race to the finish. Millions of people waited for it to emerge so the world could go back to normal.
Now, imagine that you phoned the CEO of the main science lab working on vaccine and you pleaded with him, "Please put a rush on this; millions of people are waiting for this.... Please do some experiments already, so we can get done with this...."
This would be laughable! This is all the man is consumed with! Do you really think he needs your reminder?! He's on edge... everything is at stake... and he's not sleeping at night—he can't think of anything else! He knows that if anyone else beats him to the vaccine, all his investment will be lost. He's literally not slumbering nor sleeping—if this is even possible for a human being—do you really think you need to remind him?!
If the World Is About You, How Can He Forget?
This enables us to understand the holy words of the Ramban. It is so silly to think that we need to remind the Ribbono shel Olam of our problems, as though He's busy with anything else...
It's a joke—because the Ribbono shel Olam created the world for you! Everything is here for your success. If so, how can you think that He would forget about you for a moment. If everything was created for you, then how could He possible forget about your affairs?
The World Is Waiting for Our Success
Furthermore, the world is filled with problems and dilemmas, and the Ribbono shel Olam waits for the rectification of the creation with the coming of Mashiach. But for this to happen, every neshamah must attain its purpose. Every person has an aspect of Mashiach within him that he must rectify. We say, למשיחי נר ערכתי, every one of us is charged with bringing Mashiach closer. They're waiting for you!—that into all your challenges and travails, you should introduce the Ribbono shel Olam.
If so, how can it enter our minds that the Ribbono shel Olam could forget about our difficulties and challenges? He created the world for a purpose, He waits for you to be successful in your mission, and He constantly sends you all kinds of assistance in navigating this mission.
He Thinks About You More Than You Can Imagine
Thus, there are three points that we must internalize deeply:
- The yesod of the Ramban that states that it must be that the Ribbono shel Olam has us in mind at every moment—because He has created us with a purpose, and He roots for our success.
- The boundless love that the Ribbono shel Olam has for us is stronger than anything we can fathom.
- The Ribbono shel Olam is capable of everything; nothing can prevent Him from thinking about us constantly.
We keep forgetting these yesodos, and then we complain, "The Ribbono shel Olam forgot about me." This is what we would call "projection." It's sadly true. We think of the Ribbono shel Olam with our limited concepts and ideas, and we forget about Him, and so we think that He forgets!
If we internalize that the Ribbono shel Olam thinks about us far more than we can fathom, we will not only attain a far greater serenity, emunah, and bitachon—the shefa will also come to us in faster and greater measure.
