Although it is uncommon to use gold as thread, the kohen gadol's clothing contained gold threads. How is it made? The Torah states (39:3) בתוך לעשות פתילם וקצץ הזהב פחי את וירקעו מעשה השש ובתוך השני תולעת ובתוך הארגמן ובתוך התכלת חשב, "And they hammered out the sheets of gold and cut threads from them to work [the gold] into the blue wool, into the purple wool, into the crimson wool, and into the fine linen, the work of a master weaver." Sheets of gold were hammered until they were very thin, then cut into threads and woven into clothes.
The Divrei Yisrael zt'l (Modzhitz) teaches that הזהב פחי, "sheets of gold," can also be translated as "traps of gold," referring to financial worries, the trap that many people are caught in. They are worried about how they will pay their debts, marry off their children, and so on. Their fear causes them to lose their peace of mind, and they are unable to focus on Torah and tefillah. They don't have time for Torah and tefillah, either, because they feel they need to use every free moment to earn more money.
The advice is וירקעו, which means to thin it out (see Onkelos and Rashi). Make your financial worries small in your eyes. Tell yourself, "I will manage, somehow. I have been in this situation before, and things have worked out. It will work out this time, too."
Another way to understand the word וירקעו is from the word רקיעה-heaven, which means to trust in our Father in heaven. With these two counsels, to consider the problems small and to trust in Hashem, one is saved from the trap of financial worry. This is the meaning of the words הזהב פחי את וירקעו.
It states (Bereishis 25:23) גוֹיִם (גיים) שְׁנֵי ּלָה 'ה וַיֹּאמֶר בְּבִט ְ נֵךְ, "Hashem said to her: 'Two nations are in your womb'." Rivkah Imeinu wanted to know why she had tzaar and yesurim with her pregnancy. The response she received was that she had two גֵיים in her womb. It is written גֵיים, but we read it גוֹיִם, nations, alluding to the nations of Yaakov and Eisav. She was told that she has a painful pregnancy because the two children who are in her womb, Yaakov and Eisav, will be eternal rivals.
However, as we wrote, the letters of the sefer Torah are גֵיים, which are read גאים, meaning wealthy and powerful people. Rashi writes, "This alludes to Antoninus and Rebbe [Both of them were גאים, extremely wealthy and powerful people.] Their tables always had radishes and lettuce in the summer and also in the winter."
It is true that a couple of thousands of years later, Rebbe would be born, a descendant of Yaakov Avinu, and Antoninus would be born, a descendant of Eisav. And it is also true that they were exceedingly wealthy. But why is it mentioned now, and how does this explain the reason Rivkah was having a painful pregnancy?
We can explain that Rivkah's pain in pregnancy represented the worries that people have in life. The pasuk is teaching that there is no reason to worry. When Rivkah was carrying Yaakov and Eisav, already then, Hashem foresaw and prepared the parnassah of Rebbe and Antoninus, and what they would eat thousands of years later. This tells us that Hakadosh Baruch Hu takes care of all His creations, those who are alive now and those who will live in the future. Everything is planned and arranged. Therefore, why should a person have yesurim and worry regarding money matters? We are entirely in Hashem's hands, and He takes care of all our needs.
Stories of Hashgachah Pratis
A Yid who lives in Netanya was once in Bnei Brak to take care of some errands, and someone offered him some candy and said, "Make a shehakol." He accepted and said shehakol. Then that person gave him some more candies to take home for his children." The Yid from Netanya accepted those candies, as well. Later that day, he got onto bus #613, which runs from Bnei Brak to Netanya. Immediately upon getting on, a young man approached him and told him that he is a diabetic, and that his monitor is showing that his blood sugar is dangerously low. The lad said, "I must put some sugar into my blood immediately, or I will be in danger."
The man remembered his candies. He quickly gave them to this young person, saving his life. The lesson we learn from this story is that Hashem prepares all our needs. Hashem arranged that someone give him candy in Bnei Brak, and that he should be on the same bus as the man who desperately needed it. This is how Hashem takes care of all our needs. We never need to worry.
There was a person, we will call him דואג 'ר, who was always worried and sad. He had a friend, whom we will call חיים 'ר, and as his name implies, this person was always happy and full of life. Reb Chaim once noticed that Reb Doeg was especially anxious, so he inquired what was going on. Reb Doeg replied, "Don't you know the first of the month is approaching. I have a lot of debts to pay, and my bank account is already overdrawn. How can I not worry?"
Reb Chaim replied, "I also have a lot on my mind today, but you see that I am not worried. There are many deliveries that I must make today, and some of the deliveries contain sensitive and toxic materials. There are many different addresses where I must deliver the merchandise, and if a mix-up occurs and a package goes to the wrong address, it can be extremely dangerous. So, as you see, there is a lot for me to worry about, yet I am happy and calm. This is because I trust in Hashem that everything will work out well, and that everything will be delivered to the correct destinations."
The "deliveries" Reb Chaim was referring to is the digestion tract. The food is digested, and it must go to all parts of the body. Some nutrients must go to the bones and teeth, some parts of the digested food must go to the brain, or to the heart, and so on. If the digested food ends up in the wrong places, it could be extremely dangerous. Yet, people eat, and they aren't worried. They trust in Hashem that everything will be "delivered" to where it needs to go. So, why should we worry about parnassah or any other matter? Hashem will make sure that everything works out in the best way.
With this, we can explain what we say in birkas hamazon, בשר לכל לחם נותן הוא כי ...כולו העולם את הזן, "He feeds the entire world... For He gives bread to all flesh..." Both phrases seem to be saying the same thing. They are saying that Hashem provides parnassah to all. So, why the repetition?
We can explain that the second phrase is teaching us to trust that Hashem will support us, as follows: We can explain that בשר לכל לחם נותן הוא כי is referring to the digested food. The Creator makes certain that each component goes to its proper destination. This wonder and hashgachah pratis helps us realize that we don't have to worry about parnassah, either.
A Letter of Comfort
Reb Shlomo Shlita from Yerushalayim told me the following story:
Year 5740, Tishrei, I traveled to the Viznitzer Rebbe of Monsey zy"a for the yomim tovim. I was still a bachur then, and I got to know many Viznitzer bachurim. We became good friends.
I got married in Adar, year 5741. Before the chasunah, one of my new friends sent me a letter to wish me mazal tov. (In those days, when long-distance calls were very expensive, letter writing was the standard mode of communication.) I was very happy with the letter, and I kept it together with my other important documents.
Some years later, this friend was niftar suddenly, leaving behind an almanah and a house filled with young orphans. Everyone who heard about this tragedy was heartbroken.
About a year ago, I was reviewing my old documents, and I came across the letter that I received from my friend, around forty years earlier. I read the letter once again, and I decided that I don't really need to save it any longer. But, remembering the tragedy of my friend’s sudden death, I figured that perhaps the family would want the letter. So, I put it aside, intending to show it to the family and to ask them whether they wanted it.
Later that year, before Shabbos parashas Vayakhel, I was in America, and I met one of the children of the niftar. I told him about the letter I had in Eretz Yisrael and asked him whether he wanted to see it. He expressed great interest in the letter. He hardly remembered his father, and neither did any of his brothers. Their father was niftar when they were very young, so any information about their father was precious to them. I told him that when he visits Eretz Yisrael, he should come to my home, and I will give him the letter.
A couple of days later, I was going through my suitcase, and I found the letter in one of the compartments! I don't remember putting it there, and I don't know how it got there. It was obviously bashert, so that the children of the niftar could receive the letter sooner.
Reb Shlomo went to the Viznitzer beis medresh in Boro Park and met a Viznitzer chasid in the lobby. He asked where he could meet with one of the children of his late friend. The chasid pointed to someone sitting in the beis medresh, "He is one of the children."
I went into the beis medresh and gave the letter to the son. He was very excited to see it. After so many years since he hadn’t seen his father, he received something tangible, something to spark a connection. The son told me, "It is true hashgachah pratis that we met today. I work in chinuch, and I am generally not here at this time. But tonight, my youngest brother will be getting married, so I brought him here so he can receive a brachah from the rebbe shlita before his chasunah. That is the reason you found me here. In a moment, my brother, the chasan, will come out."
The chasan came out of the rebbe's room, and his older brother showed him the letter from their father. The chasan read the letter together with his older brother, and they were amazed at what it said: "Birchas mazal tov to the chasan that is getting married b'shah tovah u'mitzlachas..." There were many brachos in this letter, wishing the chasan the merit to build a bayis ne'eman b'Yisrael. The chasan began to cry hysterically, and his older brother couldn't calm him down. The well of his tears was getting stronger and stronger, and it tore our hearts. His brother asked him why he became so emotional. The chasan replied, "I didn't tell you before, but I will tell you now. Yesterday, when I went to our father's kever, z"l, to invite him to the chasunah, as is customary, I stood at the grave and cried. I said, 'Father, you left me when I was three years old, and I never got to know you. I don't remember your shining face; I have no recollection of you hugging or kissing me. Please, don't leave me. Be at my right side when I go to the chuppah. Give me a sign that you heard me request and that you will be at my simchah.' And now, less than 24 hours later, I received this letter that my father wrote. It is a brachah for a mazal tov for the chasan who will be getting married – a brachah that he build a bayis ne'eman b'Yisrael."
Reb Shlomo told me this story, and he expressed the wondrous hashgachah pratis he saw in this story. The letter was written forty-four years earlier, and it reached the father's youngest son on the day of his chasunah, to give him chizuk, that he should feel his father’s presence at his chasunah. The letter was in Reb Shlomo's suitcase, although Reb Shlomo has no idea how it got there, enabling him to get it to the chasan just in time. Furthermore, he came to the Vizhnitz beis medresh just when the niftar's sons were there. A few minutes earlier or a few minutes later, and he wouldn't find them there. He would have then probably given the letter to someone in the beis medresh, and that person would likely wait until after the chasunah to give it over. No one would bother the family to give them this old letter on the day of the chasunah. But with hashgachah pratis, he met up with the chasan and his brother, and the chasan's request was fulfilled. He received the sign that he longed for. Hashem is in charge of everything, and he leads the world with hashgachah pratis.
When we think about this story, and many similar stories of hashgachah pratis, we are reminded that there is nothing to worry about. Hashem takes care of us, and He will continue to do so, forever.
