As we approach the heilige Yom Tov of Pesach and the myriad preparations that come along with this time of year, many of us justifiably feel overwhelmed—feeling that we can’t possibly finish it all and still keep our wits about us to accept the aura and the kedushah of the heilige Yom Tov. But we must remember that, throughout it all, it is the Ribbono shel Olam Who commanded us... He sent us... and He will strengthen us every step of the way, as we will learn in the following ma’amar.
Putting Aside All Cheshbonos—Performing Mitzvos with Serenity
One Cannot Be a Tzaddik Without Being a Ba’al Bitachon
Rabbeinu Bachya (Parashas Pinchas) teaches us a tremendous yesod that is extremely important to learn and remember, especially now as we go about our Pesach preparations:
The reason Pinchas merited such a great reward, he says, is because he made no calculations. He didn’t hesitate to think that he might be killed, or that other things might happen. He performed his courageous act confident in the belief that the Ribbono shel Olam would surely help him.
Rabbeinu Bachya cites the pasuk in Mishlei (28:1) יבטח ככפיר צדיקים, the righteous are confident like a young lion. He explains these words to mean that one cannot be a tzaddik unless he places his trust in Hashem. Why is this? Because performing mitzvos often entails stretching ourselves to the limits of what we think we can do. Therefore, if one isn’t a ba’al bitachon, he won’t be able to properly function as he performs the mitzvos.
Without Bitachon, We Neglect Mitzvos
A person who doesn’t have bitachon will regularly neglect mitzvos. “What can I do? I have no koach! I should wake up at alos on Erev Yom Kippur for kapparos?! It’s simply too difficult. I have a long fast day ahead of me.”
When Pesach comes, this person rushes the Seder, because he needs to wake up the next morning for davening (such people tend to show up late for davening even so...)—because everything must always be “just so” and not deviate from the regular schedule.... When he needs to perform a chessed for another person, he’s afraid that it will disturb his davening schedule.
Thus, this person will never properly fulfill mitzvos because of his lack of emunah (serenity and calm).
The Ba’al Bitachon Can Do It All
However, says Rabbeinu Bachya, the tzaddik trusts like a young lion [in its mother]. The tzaddik is confident that the Ribbono shel Olam will help him. He is thus unafraid to take on the many mitzvos that come his way—knowing that he’ll be assisted in completing the job.
The Torah Yid can calmly and serenely perform the mitzvos bein adam l’chaveiro, interpersonal mitzvos, as well as bein adam l’Makom, and manage to complete them all, because he’s armed with the trust that the Ribbono shel Olam will help him get them done. People wonder: How does this Yid have time for kibbud av v’eim on a busy Erev Pesach? How does he have the time to schlep for his parents? This Yid needs to learn and daven, and he must also prepare his own home for Pesach! The answer is, כח יחליפו ה' וקוי, but those whose hope is in Hashem will have renewed strength (Yeshaya 40:31).
Of course, not every person is made to be able to accomplish everything. But the main thing is to remember and reflect. Don’t become stressed out because you think you must accomplish everything, but you think you can’t get it done. Let go! The Ribbono shel Olam will give you the strength to be able to accomplish everything that you need to do! A person must only begin—and in the end it will be כח יחליפו ה' וקוי, he will receive renewed strength from Hashem.
The Chassid Who Got Drunk on Erev Yom Kippur
On one Erev Yom Kippur, a chassid of the Ba’al HaTanya undertook to raise the astronomical sum of three hundred rubles for pidyon shevuyim to free a Yid from prison. The odds were stacked against him, as this was a seemingly impossible sum to raise in such a short time. Making the rounds in the town, he chanced upon a tavern where he found three wealthy Yidden sitting and drinking. They made the following proposal: For every cup of whiskey he downed, they would give him money until he reached the needed sum.
This Yid hadn’t even eaten anything that day, having run around collecting money. But he didn’t think twice and immediately accepted their offer. And so, he downed cup and after cup of mashkeh, until he raised the necessary sum. He managed to free the Yid from prison, and soon he fell down, completely drunk. Pitying passersby brought him to shul and laid him down on a bench in a deep sleep.
Later, when the community arrived in shul for Kol Nidrei, the chassid awoke from his stupor. Still under the influence, he began calling out Atah Hareisah... mistaking the event for the Simchas Torah davening. When the Ba’al HaTanya heard of this, he said: Our entire avodah over the days of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkos, and Shemini Atzeres, is all to attain the level of מלבדו' עוד אין האלקים הוא ה' כי לדעת הראת 'אתה, you have been shown in order to know that Hashem, He is the G-d, there is none beside Him! But this chassid skipped all this... he attained all these levels through his selflessness and mesirus nefesh: he is indeed already holding by לדעת הראת אתה.
Making No Calculations
Let us think about this for a moment: What was the cheshbon of this Yid? Didn’t he know that Yom Kippur was imminent, and that he probably wouldn’t be able to daven as usual if he drank so much?! His cheshbon was: I don’t make any cheshbonos! There’s a Yid sitting in prison. What will happen to my Yom Kippur? I don’t know! The Ribbono shel Olam will take care of it!
This chassid was ready for mesirus nefesh—and thanks to this, he attained the lofty levels that he did. Precisely because he didn’t make any cheshbonos...he was mevatel himself completely to the Ribbono shel Olam, which is the highest level a Yid can attain.
People refrain from doing chessed, they neglect all sorts of mitzvos, because: “I can’t... it will interfere with my life here, it will disturb me there....” Remember that כח! יחליפו ה' וקוי This is what we must always remember.
The Most Elevated Seder Night
The legendary Stoliner chassid, Reb Nissen Pilchick, always served Hashem with great fervor and feeling. It is related that a Jewish cleaning lady worked in the house, but, unfortunately, she was distant from Yiddishkeit.
As Pesach approached, Reb Nissen wondered, “Who knows if this woman has a place to be for the Seder; perhaps I should invite her to our home.” On the other hand, he thought, “How will I be able to conduct my Seder in the usual manner [his Seder was known for the tears of emotion... lasting till the wee hours of the morning] with this woman at my table, dressed the way she is... perhaps it will disturb my avodah....”
But he concluded: What does the Ribbono shel Olam want? Does He want a Yiddishe daughter not to have a seat at a Seder?! Of course not! He indeed invited the woman for the Seder, and he later related that he never had such an inspiring Seder in his life! It was the most elevated Seder of his life—all because he took in a fellow Yid, and didn’t make the Ribbono shel Olam’s calculations.
The Outcome Is Out of Our Hands
This is a great nisayon for every person. We all want results—and this may often seem daunting. We must remember that we only need to start, to do the beginning. We don’t control whether we will have a geshmake davening. Everything can be prepared on our end, but the outcome is dependent on the Ribbono shel Olam alone!
Sometimes, we sit at the Seder, and nothing negative happened... nothing turned over... no one misbehaved... no one became upset... and yet, it didn’t go... he didn’t feel it....
This person must know that we cannot control the outcome: That is in the domain of the Ribbono shel Olam. We must only make a beginning. All other cheshbonos are totally not in our domain. The Lechovitzer Rebbe would say, ...העולם נברא ראשית בשביל the world was created for the beginning—the first step that a Yid takes. Don’t worry about the outcome! You must only make one cheshbon: Have I done my part? If yes, the Ribbono shel Olam will surely help us perform all our mitzvos with serenity.
Do Your Best—Hashem Will Do the Rest
Trust Comes First
The Ramban, in the sefer HaEmunah v’HaBitachon, points out that in Tehillim we say טוב ועשה בה' בטח, trust in Hashem and do good, not the other way around (do good and trust Hashem). Evidently, trust in Hashem is a prerequisite for performing the mitzvos—it must come first. This teaches us, says the Ramban, that one must pursue mitzvos and make the effort to perform them. One shouldn’t neglect the mitzvos for lack of ability... for the Ribbono shel Olam will surely support you and assist you.
This is the peshat in טוב: ועשה בה' בטח it is necessary to have bitachon as we approach doing mitzvos, doing good. Trust that the Ribbono shel Olam will get you to the finish line. Don’t make so many calculations—just do your best to carry out the mitzvah. The Ribbono shel Olam will help you! The introduction to טוב עשה is בה' בטח. This is the only way we can properly perform the mitzvos.
Forget the Future
People so often make calculations about whether it “makes practical sense” to do a mitzvah. The yetzer hara gives him numerous thoughts about whether he should invest in a mitzvah or not. This person says, הנולד את הרואה חכם איזהו, who is wise? One who sees the future—when actually this wasn’t said regarding mitzvos at all!
The exhortation to see and reckon with the future pertains to worldly matters—we should think about whether this is the will of the Ribbono shel Olam... to think about the future, not just the present. But when it comes to a mitzvah, there is no question whatsoever that it is the will of the Ribbono shel Olam! Your neglect of this mitzvah comes only because you feel a lack of ability to carry it out—for whatever reason. Run! Do the mitzvah! And the Ribbono shel Olam will be with you—the same Ribbono shel Olam Who gave you the command! He will not abandon you.
The Difference Between the Wise Man and the Fool
The Midrash teaches the following on the pasuk היא בשמים לא, the Torah is not distant in the Heavens: The fool enters the shul and sees people engaged in Torah learning. He says to them, “How does a person begin to learn Torah?” They answer him, “First one learns the Megillah, then he learns Nevi’im, and later in Kesuvim. When he has finished Mikra, he then learns Talmud. Afterward, he learns halachos, and later Aggados.” As soon as he hears this, he says to himself, “When will I be able to learn all this?” And he turns on his heels and leaves the beis medrash.
The Midrash likens this to a loaf of bread that was suspended in the air. The fool says: “Who can possibly retrieve it?” While the wise person says, “Didn’t someone hang it there? If so, there must be a way to get it down.” Immediately, he brings a ladder or a stick and takes down the bread.
So too, concludes the Midrash, the fool says, “When can I possible learn the entire Torah?” But what does the wise man do? He learns one chapter every day, until he concludes the entire Torah.
The wise man says: I don’t know what the result will be; I am starting to learn. But what will happen? Erev Pesach is approaching and then I will find it more difficult to learn? How can I commit to learning this shiur every day? I don’t make such calculations! I start by doing!
Begin, and You Will See That It’s Possible
Concludes the Midrash: Says HaKadosh Baruch Hu, it [the Torah] is not hidden from you, and if you find that it is hidden, it is because you haven’t yet begun!
These are such incredible words! The Ribbono shel Olam says: If you had begun learning, you would have come to realize that there’s a Heavenly force that brings it closer to you and makes it possible!
A Yid looks at the words היא בשמים לא, it’s not in the Heavens, and he asks: What do you mean it’s not distant? Acquiring the four parts of Shulchan Aruch isn’t distant?! Being vigilant and carrying out every one of the 613 mitzvos isn’t distant?! The answer is: Before you begin, it’s indeed distant. In fact—this is the entire nisayon... it should seem distant. But afterward—once you begin—you will see that it’s much closer than you think.
Every time a person feels pressured, it paralyzes him from acting, and it blankets him in melancholy. “How can I ever finish this,” he asks. But we tell him: Jump in! Just start! Just like Nachshon ben Aminadav jumped into the Yam Suf! Then, the sea will split. The Ribbono shel Olam created the world just so you should begin.
The Kirvas Elokim in the Pre-Pesach Toil
This is the golden rule of pre-Pesach preparation: Of course we must clean well for Pesach. We shouldn’t despair and we shouldn’t neglect it. We must do what we must do. But don’t make cheshbonos about the outcome!
This is the essence of our hachanah for Pesach. Chodesh Nissan is a month of renewal. Thus, we must renew our resolve to jump in and begin—even if we don’t see how we will complete the job. A Yid is mevatel himself to the Ribbono she Olam through his Pesach cleaning—when he doesn’t make cheshbonos regarding what the outcome will be!
Some may think that the Pesach preparations have nothing to do with becoming closer to the Ribbono shel Olam... I will feel kirvas Elokim at the Seder, perhaps, they say.
This is a tremendous mistake! The Ribbono shel Olam commanded us to clean and prepare—without the ability to see how it will work out—because He wanted it precisely this way. Not to know how things will turn out—and nevertheless have bittul to Him.
When we have toiled to clean a room for Pesach, and then a child walks in and traipses all over with chametz, and we don’t become upset... how much kirvas Elokim have we attained?! How much Avodas haMiddos have we acquired!
Our Boss Doesn’t Care About Outcomes
When we think about the difference between the boss and an employee at a company, it comes down to this: The boss is always looking at the end result, the bottom line, while the employee just needs to do his work—not focusing on the end result. He punches in and asks: What is needed from me right now? He doesn’t constantly check to see whether there are results from his work. He is satisfied when he knows that he has accomplished what he was asked to do.
When we fulfill the mitzvah of cleaning for Pesach, let us remember that we are the laborers, the employees! Something spilled? Just clean it again. Our Boss, the Ribbono shel Olam, takes pleasure in your work. He isn’t upset that the child spilled something. He takes everything into account. You’re his employee, at the end of the day, and you’re doing it for Him! So, if it doesn’t bother Him, why should it bother you! You thought that you must provide the results? No! You don’t have to! The Boss is more than happy that you’re calm and serene.
This must be the attitude of every Yid. He can fulfill Hashem’s mission with serenity, and thus merit siyata diShmaya.
The Outcome Is in His Hands, We May as Well Be Calm
The same applies to the financial side, to worries about having enough money for Yom Tov. We must know, with serenity and calmness, that the Ribbono shel Olam will send everything that we need—exactly how much we need! The same is when it comes to baking matzos. You must do yours, but this must be accompanied with the serene knowledge that “I don’t need to bring results.”
Just as we know when it comes to the chinuch of our children that we must do our part, but at the end of the day we don’t control who our children’s friends will be, etc. You know that you must daven, but you can’t control which friends he will have who will infuse yiras Shamayim into him... and you also can’t control what devar Torah or ma’amar Chazal he will hear that will turn him on to Yiddishkeit. We can’t control it. We can only be mechanech according to our abilities, and daven, and leave the rest to Hashem—so too it is with all aspects of avodas Hashem and especially so with the Pesach preparations.
We must go about this holy business while remembering that the Ribbono shel Olam will assist us in bringing in the Yom Tov with completeness.
May the Aibshter indeed help that we should merit to conduct our preparations for Pesach—as well as the Yom Tov itself—with great joyousness and happiness.
