Past and Future
There are a number of ways in which we can strengthen our knowl- edge and belief that Hashem will help us through our challenges. One of them comes from these very pesukim in which Moshe Rabbeinu exhorts Klal Yisrael to look back at the past: ה' עשה אשר את תזכר זכר מהם תירא לא מצרים ולכל לפרעה אלקיך, do not be afraid of them—You shall remember what Hashem, your G-d, did to Pharaoh and to all of Egypt. לכל אלקיך ה' יעשה כן מפניהם ירא אתה אשר העמים, so shall Hashem, your G-d, do to all the peoples before whom you fear (Devarim 7:18-19).
This Yid may say, “There’s only 24 hours in the day, and the doctor can’t see us, and by tomorrow it may be too late.” The eitzah is to look back and realize that there have been many times in history when things seemed impossible to attain, but the Ribbono shel Olam did grant them! We’ve already forgotten about it, because we take it for granted. But if we examine history, we will find countless examples of how the Ribbono shel Olam did the impossible for us.
Now Just as Then
Moshe Rabbeinu urges Klal Yisrael to remember how we were taken out of Mitzrayim when it seemed there was no way out. Remember how we were taken out of there in supernatural ways? It can and will happen again when you go to battle against the seven nations, even if you don’t see the way forward. Just rely on Him, and He will help you now just as in the past.
A similar concept is written in the Chasam Sofer (Parashas Beshalach). The event of סוף ים קריעת was a tool, a vehicle to teach Klal Yisrael that this supernatural order can happen always. There may be no way for- ward according to the natural order, but the Ribbono shel Olam will help. A Yid must constantly remember this, in all his life situations. Noth- ing can stop Hashem from helping him!
In the Blink of an Eye
A while back, I became aware of a saga in which a Yid mortgaged his house and fell into heavy debt, and the day was approaching in which the marshals would evict him and his family, placing all their belongings onto the street.
Hours before the deadline—after all the notices and threats... after the attempts to stop the eviction in court—the Yid finds himself facing the unimaginable. Everyone involved in the story was beside themselves at what was about to happen to this family, and no one could come up with any eitzah to stop it—because there were astronomical sums involved.
But in the end, the Ribbono shel Olam found this Yid a way out through a mehalech that no one could have thought up. It’s now five years later, and this family is still comfortably ensconced in their home.
Everything Can Change in An Instant
This is the method of the Ribbono shel Olam in running His world throughout the millennia. Time and space are of no concern, and they are not in His way. For us humans, it’s difficult to understand. How can time not be an impediment... the clock is ticking! The last chance is hours away, and I’m utterly stuck without a plan! Remember that He’s not dependent on these constraints. If you become upset about the ticking clock, it will indeed bother you—but if you’ll be unafraid, and re- member that Hashem always helps, you will see the yeshuah with clarity.
The Chazon Ish says (Emunah U’Bitachon, Chapter 2) regarding this pasuk “nothing prevents Hashem from saving...” that nothing prevents Hashem from preparing reasons and causes to switch out the previous causes and effects. In one instant, the Ribbono shel Olam can change all the facts on the ground—thereby leading to a completely different result!
When It Begins to Hurt
It must be noted that sometimes, a Yid may indeed internalize the truth and the belief that the Ribbono shel Olam has no impediment, and that nothing prevents Him from helping us—despite the prognosti- cations and predictions of the doctors, bank managers, shadchanim, and experts. But then, a thought begins niggling inside him: If the Ribbono shel Olam can indeed help me in an instant—which I believe wholeheartedly—why doesn’t He just help me right now?!
So long as he insisted on “helping himself”... he was still trapped in teva. He thought that it’s the outside impediments that stand in his way, and he must simply get rid of them with his own two hands, and thus he was not so upset with the Ribbono shel Olam... because he attributed the might to himself: He thought the impediments stand in Hashem’s way as well. He “understood” that there simply aren’t enough young women on the shidduch market... or there aren’t enough yeshivos for his son to enroll in... or the menahel of this yeshivah is so mean for not taking in his son.... He placed all the blame on “reality,” and he left the Ribbono shel Olam out of it. He was not upset at Him... as it were.
But once this Yid begins working on his emunah, and he recognizes that only Hashem can help him—but he’s still waiting for the yeshuah, and more and more time goes by—he becomes hurt. Because he believes, that’s why he’s hurt. I know that the Ribbono shel Olam can bring me salvation... He can resolve everything in an instant... why can’t He just take care of it already? I davened. I have done teshuvah. I have performed segulos.... Why doesn’t He help me already!
Remembering That He Loves You
Addressing this pain, the Chovos HaLevavos urges us to remember not only the third reason for bitachon—that Hashem is all-powerful and that nothing can stop Him—but also the first two: (1) He loves you more than anyone, and (2) He thinks about you constantly.
This brings us the serenity that if the yeshuah hasn’t come yet, it’s because it’s not good for us. The moment it will be good for me, it will happen in an instant [We have seen this clearly many times: we wait and wait, and we despair from something happening—and it happens a moment later. It’s one of the ways that Hashem shows us that it has nothing to do with our efforts.]
A Sweet Toil
When a Yid endures the challenges of life while keeping in mind these three elements—that Hashem never forgets about us and that He loves us more than anyone in the world and that nothing can stop Him from doing what’s good for us—he becomes purified and elevated, and he’s brought under Hashem’s wings. We must grab onto the Ribbono shel Olam as we walk the narrow bridge of life and never let go. It’s a life’s work, but the work is sweet and pleasant, and the sweetness permeates our entire lives.
