What Hubris Does
Finding the Source of the Pain
Suppose a person came to the doctor with pain in his leg. The doctor does various tests, but he cannot find the source of the pain. He does further testing, and he still cannot get to the bottom of things... so he sends his patient to a doctor who deals with cancer, R”l. But the patient doesn’t understand. He says, “I came here with pain in my leg. Why are you sending me to a cancer doctor?!
After checking him out thoroughly, the second doctor turns to him with a severe expression, and explains that he will soon need to undergo a series of treatments. Again, the patient exclaims, “If you can’t find the source of the pain in my leg, you should have the humility to say that you don’t know. Why do you need to invent new illnesses for me?!”
We all understand that this patient is delusional. For if a person will pay attention only to the location of his pain, he may miss the bigger picture... a severe, life-threatening illness, R”l.
Why Tefillos May Be Blocked
Similarly, a person may be experiencing a problem in his life. Something pains him, and he is seeking a solution and a salvation... he attempts to repair the issue, but he is unsuccessful. What does a Yid do in such a quandary? If he is somewhat a yerei Shamayim, he cries out to Hashem. What happens if he is not answered immediately? He does more hishtadlus, he makes further efforts. Then he turns back to his dav-
