As a general matter, we must always remember that the nisyonos in any given generation are part of the Ribbono shel Olam’s master plan. On the one hand, He has created the holiest thing on earth: a Yid! This creation can connect instantly to the holiest of holies... through learning, davening, chessed, etc. But on the other hand, He has placed this Yid into the darkest world filled with challenges, pitfalls, and stumbling blocks. This would seem to be a very sharp contrast and contradiction. One would think that such a dark world is a place for animals—not a Yiddish kind!
Someone once asked the Satmar Rebbe why this generation was stricken with so many nisyonos in matters of kedushah (in our generation, this question is a millionfold more difficult). But Hashem has given the world a plan... we didn’t create the nisyonos of the generation... why has the Ribbono shel Olam designed it so that our generation must endure so many difficult nisyonos?
Said the Satmar Rebbe, it is possible that this is due to the dearth of the avodah of the tzaddikim of the previous generations who brought great Divine pleasure On High in ways that we cannot fathom. For this reason, perhaps, the Ribbono shel Olam gives bitterly difficult nisyonos to us simple folk, and when we overcome these challenges, it brings a similar pleasure to the Ribbono shel Olam. The holy Shechinah derives a similar level of pleasure from our avodah of overcoming the nisyonos of our generation that It formerly received from the avodah of the tzaddikim.
These are such beautiful and sweet words. When a Yid conducts himself properly, he fulfills the Shechinah’s yearning for the pleasure of the avodah of the tzaddikim.
When we internalize and remember this, it gives us so much chizuk in our battle... it becomes so pleasurable to overcome our nisyonos and serve the Ribbono shel Olam, knowing how much pleasure we bring Him.
