Forty years ago, there was a snowstorm in Yerushalayim on Purim, and a poor man couldn’t get around to collect matanos l'evyonim. He was distraught and complained, "Why did it have to snow today?" Reb Nota Zenwirth zt'l told him, "I have proof that it had to snow today." "What's your proof?" "My proof is that it snowed today. It must be that this is what was meant to be."
Once, it rained in Yerushalayim, and the people in the beis medresh were upset because they didn't have rain gear with them. Reb Nota Zenwirth zt'l told them, "This rain is also according to the Raavad's view, and also like the Rambam." The people in the beis medresh were talmidei chachamim, and this unusual sentence spiked their curiosity. How was the rain like the Raavad and like the Rambam?
Reb Nota explained, "Whenever the Rambam and the Raavad argue, they ultimately disagree about Hashem's will. The Rambam proclaims that this is Hashem's will, and the Raavad shouts back, 'No, this is Hashem's will.' However, since it is raining today, both the Rambam and the Raavad would agree that this is Hashem's will.
The parashah begins with the words ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע וילך חרנה, “And Yaakov left Be’er Sheva and he went to Charan.” In the haftarah, Yaakov’s leaving Eretz Yisrael and his travels to Charan (a city in Aram) are discussed once again, but with much more intensity, as it states ויברח יעקב שדה ארם, "And Yaakov escaped to Aram..." The Sfas Emes raises a question on this contradiction. Did Yaakov travel amicably, as implied by ויצא וילך, or did he run like a fugitive, as indicated by ויברח?
The Sfas Emes answers that the haftarah is stating Yaakov’s deeds while the parashah discusses Yaakov’s thoughts and feelings. In his actions, he ran to save his life. His mother, Rivkah, told him (Bereishis 27:43) ועתה בני שמע בקלי וקום ברח לך אל לבן אחי חרנה, "And now, my son, hearken to my voice, and arise, flee to my brother Lavan, to Haran." He had to run, but that was as far as his actions were concerned. In his feelings, Yaakov was totally calm. He didn’t have any worries at all. In his heart, it was ויצא וילך, like someone taking a stroll to Charan.
Why was Yaakov so calm? The answer is found in the word ויצא. The Megaleh Amukos teaches that ויצא is roshei teivos for וירא צורת יעקב א', "Yaakov saw the letter alef." 'א represents the Alufo shel Olam, the Master of the World. He remembered that everything is directed by Hashem, the Master of the World, so he wasn't afraid.
We must know that everything is from Hashem; the good experiences and the difficult ones. Wherever one goes, and whatever happens, one should always keep in mind וירא צורת יעקב א', that everything is from Hashem.
Once, a simple tailor invited the Avnei Nezer zy’a to the bris of his firstborn child, born after fifteen years of waiting, and the Avnei Nezer was planning to attend. His gabbai asked him, "The Rebbe usually doesn’t go to a bris that's far away. Why does the Rebbe want to go to this one?" The Avnei Nezer replied, "This father made a kiddush Hashem, therefore I want to participate in this bris.” "What kiddush Hashem did he make?" “The father told me that he was barren for fifteen years, and Hashem performed a miracle, and he had a son. That was the first time I heard someone say Hashem made the miracle. Generally, I hear people say that the Gerer Rebbe, the Kotzker Rebbe, or the Radzaminer Rebbe performed the miracle. But this father knows that it was Hashem Who did it. That is a kiddush Hashem, and I want to participate in this bris.”
This story reminds us that all the good we have comes from Hashem. It wasn't by "the power of my hand," and it wasn't my wisdom, and it wasn't tens of other explanations; it’s all from Hashem. The miracles that tzaddikim perform are also from Hashem, the results of their tefillos to Him.
Likewise, we must remember that the hardships we endure are from Hashem, and we believe that they are all certainly for our good.
The Nitra Rav, Reb Michoel Ber Weissmandl zt’l, saved many people in the Holocaust. He could have saved thousands more, but evil people in America selfishly and cruelly prevented him. Devastated, Reb Michoel Ber poured out his broken heart to Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitz zy’a. The Rebbe replied, "And who did all of that?" The Rebbe was reminding him that this too was from Hashem.
Reb Michoel Ber said that this statement changed his entire outlook. Everything is from Hashem. The cruel people who prevented him from saving thousands of Yidden were certainly punished because they had free will, but the results couldn’t have been changed. Everything that occurs is Hashem's will.
Yaakov Avinu worked loyally for seven years to marry Rachel, but Lavan cheated him and brought Leah to the chuppah. Yaakov was upset and told Lavan (29:25) מה זאת עשית לי הלוא ברחל עבדתי עמך ולמה רמיתני, "What is this that you have done to me? Did I not work with you for Rachel? Why did you deceive me?" The Yid HaKadosh of Peshischa zy'a says that Yaakov Avinu erred when he complained to Lavan. Everything is from Hashem, also that he married Leah. Lavan had arranged it, but it was destined to be, so why should he be angry with Lavan?
This doesn’t exonerate Lavan in any way. He was certainly punished for his deceitfulness, but we must know that everything that happens is from Hashem.
- A family moved into a new home, bordering a large forest. On the day they arrived, the father warned his young son, "Be very careful not to enter the forest alone. There are bears, lions, and other wild animals in this forest. You might also get lost and won’t be able to find your way out. Therefore, never go there without an adult." Once, when the child thought his father wasn't watching, he snuck into the forest. The father quickly pulled on a lion costume and followed his son into the woods. When the child saw a “lion” following him, he screamed, "Father! Mother! Somebody! Please help me! A lion! A lion!" The father got closer to the child, emitted a vicious roar, and bit him. The father did this to scare the child so he wouldn’t venture into the forest alone again. The child ran home, terrified and crying. The child cried to his father, "You won't believe what happened. I went into the forest — I know I wasn't supposed to... but I went there, and a lion chased me and bit me! I called for you, but you didn’t come. Where were you?" The father replied, "I was the lion." Similarly, we must know that everything is from Hashem and certainly for our good.
- Someone was rambling about politics to a group of people. “The president is a fool... Do you know what he did...?” A wise man in the group responded, “It states (Mishlei 21:1), לב מלך ביד ה', 'A king's heart is in Hashem's hands.' Monarchs can’t do anything on their own.” The man replied, “Yes, I know that pasuk, but I'm speaking without that pasuk. Put the pasuk aside, and recognize the truth, the president is a fool... and this minister is cruel...” The wise man tried again, this time with a parable, “Someone prepared a delicious cholent, but then someone came along and threw in an entire package of salt, making the cholent inedible. He tasted a drop of the cholent and said, ‘The truth is that this cholent is very tasty. Put aside the salty problem for a moment, and recognize that it is delicious...' This is what you are telling me, ‘Forget the pasuk and focus on the facts.’ But the fact is that the cholent isn’t good anymore, and the fact is that the hearts of kings are in Hashem’s hands, and everything that happens is according to Hashem's will.”
- Another story is about a certain chevrah kadisha whose members had a custom to make a l'chayim after each levayah. The families of the niftarim (deceased) were often upset. "We’re crying, and they’re enjoying liquor and hard drinks." Some of those bereaved families complained to the rav of the city. The rav summoned the chevrah kadisha and asked them to explain their strange custom. They answered, "We hear so much kefirah (heresy) while we perform our mitzvah. Some people say that the doctors caused the death, others blame the family for not taking better care. But it’s all false because the person died when it was destined for him to die. We feel we must take some mashkeh and proclaim שהכל נהיה בדברו, 'everything happened by His word,' to remember that everything happens through Hashem's plan." The rav was pleased, "But why must you drink alcoholic beverages?" You can make a shehakol over any other drink?" They smiled, "If we merit to perceive this truth, don’t we deserve a drop of whiskey and a lechayim?"
