Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

We naturally become frustrated when we encounter delays or when our schedules suddenly change. But someone with emunah knows that what may appear to be an inconvenience is actually the loving hand of Hashem guiding him exactly where he needs to be. The Midrash tells us that a person's legs are his guarantors. They carry him to the places he is meant to be. We may think we are going somewhere for one reason, while Hashem has an entirely different purpose in mind. Sometimes He is protecting us from harm. Sometimes He is arranging an encounter that will help us. Sometimes He is creating opportunities that could never have happened otherwise. Most of the time, we never discover the reason, but we can be certain that every delay and every detour has purpose. A man related that his son recently quit his job with the understanding that he was going to start a new business with a partner. However, after he had already left his job, the partner backed out. The son felt he could still operate the business on his own, but he needed money to get it started. The father told his son he would try to find someone who could help. The very next day, the train he normally took after work to his summer residence was canceled. Instead, he decided to take the subway to his winter residence and spend the night there. It was an inconvenience, but he accepted it happily, knowing it was min haShamayim. After getting off the subway, even though it was only 5:30 in the afternoon, he suddenly decided to pick up dinner on the way home. He passed a restaurant he had never entered before and felt an unusual craving for that type of food. While placing his order, he noticed an old friend sitting alone. He went over to say hello, and the friend invited him to join him. During their conversation, the father mentioned what his son had recently gone through. The friend smiled and said it would be his pleasure to lend the son the money he needed, to be repaid whenever he was able. The father told me it was incredible to see how Hashem had orchestrated everything. From the canceled train, to the decision to stay elsewhere for the night, to the sudden craving that brought him into that restaurant, every step led him to the exact person who could help his son. Another man, whom we'll call Rabbi Shemueli, told me that he works in a day camp together with several other rabbis. During the first few days of camp, the director asked them to remain an extra forty minutes after camp ended to make sure dismissal ran smoothly. Rabbi Shimoni, who was also a Hatzalah member, commented to Rabbi Shemueli that he didn't understand why they needed to stay. Everything seemed to be operating perfectly well without them. Still, he accepted the request and remained there patiently. About five minutes after making that comment, Rabbi Shimoni noticed one of the boys was not wearing his kippah. He walked over to remind him to put it back on. As he approached, he suddenly noticed another boy turning blue from choking. Shockingly, no one else had realized what was happening. The boy could not call for help because a seaweed snack was lodged in his throat. Rabbi Shimoni immediately sprang into action, dislodged the food, and saved the boy's life. Later, he said how clearly Hashem had shown him that we are always exactly where we are meant to be. He could not understand why he needed to remain in camp for those extra forty minutes, but within minutes Hashem revealed one reason. Most of the time we are not privileged to see the reason at all. Here, Hashem allowed him a glimpse behind the curtain. We are always exactly where Hashem wants us to be. When we internalize that truth, we can remain calm and even happy when plans change or delays occur, knowing that every step we take and every place we find ourselves has been carefully arranged by Hashem for a purpose. Sometimes Hashem allows us to see that purpose, but even when He doesn't, we can trust that there is a reason. What appears to us as an inconvenience may actually be one of the most important moments in our journey.

One of the fundamental principles of emunah is recognizing that when Hashem wants to help someone, He has endless ways of doing so. We naturally look for salvation through the avenues that we can see, but Hashem is never limited to those avenues. He can provide exactly what we need in ways we could never anticipate. A man related that his daughter needed a $20,000 loan toward the purchase of an apartment in Eretz Yisrael. His brother, who lived in Florida, generously agreed to lend her the money and planned to send it by wire transfer. This took place shortly before Yom Kippur, and the payment on the apartment was due shortly after Succot. After Yom Kippur, his daughter became concerned that the money still had not been transferred and asked her father to remind his brother. He spoke to him, and the brother assured him that he would take care of it soon. Succot arrived, and still no transfer. The daughter was feeling tremendous pressure. The payment deadline was approaching, and international transfers often take several days to clear. But her father refused to make additional calls during Chol HaMoed. "Hashem has His plans," he told her. "You'll get the money when you need it." Then came Simchat Torah and the tragic events of October 7. A few days later, the brother finally sent the money. The transfer took several days to reach Israel, and the dollars were converted into shekalim at the exchange rate that existed on the day the funds arrived. Before the war, the dollar had been trading at approximately 3.7 shekalim. But after the turmoil that followed, the dollar strengthened dramatically against the shekel. On the exact day the money reached the account, the exchange rate climbed to 4.06 shekalim per dollar, one of the highest rates in many years. As a result, the very same $20,000 produced approximately 7,000 extra shekalim. A week later, the exchange rate began falling again. Since the loan eventually had to be repaid in dollars, and the exchange rate later dropped significantly, she would need far fewer shekalim to repay the same amount. In effect, Hashem ended up giving her tens of thousands of extra shekalim toward her apartment at no cost. Looking back, it became clear that what initially appeared to be an annoying delay was actually part of a carefully orchestrated plan to help her in a way that nobody could have foreseen. A similar lesson can be seen from the following story. A representative traveling on behalf of Keren Olam HaTorah, which is raising money to support the yeshivot in Eretz Yisrael, related that due to government funding cuts and the challenges facing the Torah world, tremendous sums of money are needed to keep the yeshivot functioning. While visiting a certain city, he approached a wealthy individual and asked if he would host a gathering in his home. The man happily agreed. He offered to open his house and pay for all the food and expenses associated with the event. However, he made it clear that he did not intend to contribute any money toward the cause. Several days before the event, the wealthy man happened to be going through some old papers that had belonged to his grandfather, who shared the exact same name as he did. Among the documents, he discovered a decades-old letter from Rav Shlomo Wolbe addressed to his grandfather. Many years earlier, Rav Wolbe had helped arrange his grandfather's shidduch. Out of gratitude, the grandfather had sent Rav Wolbe thirty dollars. Rav Wolbe replied with a heartfelt letter thanking him, but explaining that he did not want to accept payment for helping with the shidduch. Instead, he wrote that there was a pressing need in Eretz Yisrael to support yeshiva students(it also mentioned difficulties with them being drafted to the army) and encouraged him to direct the money toward that cause. He added that if the donor wished to contribute more, it would be a tremendous zechut. The wealthy man sat there stunned. The letter was addressed to his own name. It was as if Rav Wolbe himself was speaking directly to him, urging him to support Torah students in Eretz Yisrael during a time of great need. He viewed it as a clear message from Hashem and proceeded to contribute an extraordinarily large sum. These stories teach us a powerful lesson. We often think that our livelihood, success, or financial assistance depends on specific individuals. We believe that if a certain person says yes, everything will work out, and if he says no, the opportunity has been lost. But that is not how Hashem runs the world. Hashem can make a delayed transfer become worth thousands more than an on-time transfer. He can arrange for a letter written decades ago to inspire a donation that seemed impossible only days earlier. He can provide assistance in ways that we could never imagine. Our job is to make a normal hishtadlut and trust in Him. Very often, when something appears to be delayed, blocked, or unavailable, we assume that help is not coming. In reality, Hashem may already be preparing something far better than what we had in mind. We must remember that the source of our salvation is never a person, a bank, a donor, an employer, or the market. The true Source is always Hashem, and His ability to help us is unlimited. When He decides it is time to send a blessing, it can arrive in ways that leave us standing in awe of His incredible hashgachah.

One of the biggest challenges in life is seeing someone else receive the very blessing that we have been praying for for so many years. Naturally, it hurts. A person wonders why Hashem is giving others what he so desperately wants while he still has to wait. A woman who had been in shidduchim for more than twenty years shared the following powerful insight. She had recently completed an entire fourteen-week cycle of Shemirat HaLashon and had been praying throughout for her own yeshuah. One day, she received a phone call from a woman she had known for many years. The woman was calling to ask for information regarding a shidduch prospect. Immediately, her eyes lit up. She thought her yeshuah had finally arrived. But then the woman on the other end of the line asked about her nineteen-year-old niece who had just returned from seminary. The words pierced her heart. It was not only that what she still thought of as her baby niece was already in shidduchim. It was that after waiting more than twenty years herself, she was being asked to help someone who had only just begun the process. She felt deeply hurt. What made it even harder was that she felt the caller was not being sensitive to her situation. At first, she could not understand it. After all of her tefillot, all of her chesed, tzedakah, and spiritual growth, why would Hashem send her such a painful experience? But then she caught herself. This was not about the woman who called. This was Hashem giving her a tremendous opportunity. Would she become upset with the caller? Would she focus on the insensitivity? Or would she recognize that the caller was merely a messenger sent by Hashem to help her fulfill her purpose in life? Suddenly, she began to see the situation in a completely different light. Hashem was giving her an opportunity to be dan l'kaf zechut and give the caller the benefit of the doubt. Hashem was giving her a chance to earn an enormous zechut for herself and for Klal Yisrael. This was her opportunity to rise above her natural feelings and do exactly what Hashem wanted her to do. And that is what she did. Instead of allowing the pain to dictate her response, and instead of saying something hurtful, she did what she knew would make Hashem proud. She gave a glowing report of her niece. She spoke enthusiastically and did everything she could to help the shidduch move forward. Later, she reflected on the experience and felt genuinely grateful that she had been able to rise above the challenge. She harbors no animosity toward the caller and sincerely hopes that her niece finds a wonderful shidduch. We do not understand Hashem's calculations. We do not know why one person receives a yeshuah immediately while another person must wait for years. But we do know that every situation in our lives is tailor-made for us by Hashem and filled with endless opportunities for growth. Sometimes our greatest accomplishments are the ones that nobody sees. The battle takes place entirely within the heart. When a person is hurting and still chooses to act with kindness, generosity, and emunah, that achievement is beyond comprehension. These are the moments that bring the geulah closer. One act of being dan l'kaf zechut while we are hurting, one act of overcoming hurt feelings, one act of recognizing that everything came from Hashem and responding the way He wants us to respond—these are among the greatest accomplishments a person can achieve in this world. It is extremely difficult to overcome hurt feelings, especially when they come through what feels like insensitivity. We hope that this zechut will be the one this woman needs to find her own zivug. But regardless, the zechut she earned will remain with her for all eternity and will bring her untold reward. May Hashem help all of us respond properly to the challenges He sends us and enable us to maintain peaceful and happy relationships with everyone around us. If someone is currently experiencing pain because of an insensitive comment or action, he should recognize the golden opportunity before him. By rising above the hurt and responding the way Hashem wants him to, he earns an eternal accomplishment and frees himself from so much unnecessary anguish. And with Hashem's help, in that zechut, may he see blessings and success. Amen.

One of the challenges of human nature is that we become accustomed to the blessings that Hashem gives us. Things that once would have filled us with excitement eventually become part of everyday life, and we begin to expect them rather than appreciate them. Very often, we do not recognize the true value of something until it is no longer available. A person may take his health for granted until, lo alenu, he becomes ill. Suddenly, all the things he was once able to do effortlessly become precious. The same is true with all blessings and relationships. One of the purposes of thanking Hashem for our blessings is to train ourselves to appreciate them while we have them, so that we do not need to lose them in order to recognize their value. A man told me that he recently had to move to another city, and now it takes him over an hour to commute to work each day. He said he never appreciated living just five minutes from his office. Looking back, he wishes he had appreciated that convenience while he had it. Sometimes a person spends years praying for something. He dreams of getting married, finding a job, buying a home, or having a child. Then, when Hashem grants him that blessing, it gradually becomes part of his routine, and he no longer feels the same excitement he once did. He moves on to making new requests and may even feel as though Hashem never gives him what he asks for. If only he could remember how desperately he once wanted what he already has. Another benefit of thanking Hashem for our blessings becomes apparent from the following story. A woman related that after she gave birth, she was rushed to the ICU with severe complications. She lost a tremendous amount of blood and required more than ten blood transfusions. She was connected to machines, had a tube down her throat, and her hands and feet were extremely swollen. The doctors expected her to remain in the ICU for at least seven to ten days. At one point, they were not sure if she would survive. They told her husband that her life was hanging by a thread. When she finally became aware of where she was, what was happening, and how serious her condition was, she told her husband that they needed to thank Hashem for the healthy baby He had just given them. Even though she was weak, confused, and frightened, she felt that this was the moment to focus on gratitude. Together they began thanking Hashem for everything they could think of. They thanked Him for the doctors and nurses who were caring for her, for the people bringing them food, for her hands and feet that had not been swollen for all the years before, and for countless other blessings. Then they said Mizmor LeTodah together. At that time, her oxygen level was only 88. The doctors had told them that she would not be allowed to leave the ICU until it reached at least 96. Despite all the medical efforts, the number would not move. As they continued thanking Hashem and saying Mizmor LeTodah, they watched the monitor. Eighty-eight became eighty-nine. Eighty-nine became ninety. They could hardly believe it. They continued thanking Hashem for more and more blessings and recited Mizmor LeTodah again. The numbers kept climbing until, all of a sudden, the oxygen level reached 97 and remained there. After a little more than an hour of focusing on gratitude and thanking Hashem, her oxygen level had risen enough for her to leave the ICU. The doctors were stunned. The next day, while she was still in the hospital, the nurses noticed that her numbers were once again not looking good, and they were concerned that she might need to return to the ICU. She asked for a few minutes alone. Once again, she focused on gratitude to Hashem and recited Mizmor LeTodah. When the nurses returned, they saw that the numbers had gone back to normal. Baruch Hashem, she was eventually discharged fully healed. She said she learned one of the greatest lessons of her life. Gratitude does not change Hashem; it changes us. When we stop focusing on what we are missing and start noticing the blessings that Hashem has already given us, something changes inside. We begin to see His kindness everywhere, and that itself is a tremendous zechut. May we always merit to appreciate Hashem's blessings and thank Him for them constantly.

In this week's parasha , Shelach , the Jewish People were tested in emunah and bitachon and they failed. Kalev tried to give them chizuk , saying, "Hashem wants us to go in, we have nothing to fear." But it didn't help. The pasuk says סלחתי כדבריך ואולם חי אני – Hashem forgave them but they were not going to be allowed into Eretz Yisrael . Most mefarshim explain סלחתי כדבריך to mean Hashem forgave them for the עגל, but not for the meraglim . And that's why they were not allowed into Israel. The reason both sins are mentioned in the same pasuk is because both of them were due to a lack of bitachon . By the עגל, Hashem tested the people by showing them a vision which made it appear that Moshe Rabbenu was not coming back. They knew that the mann was in the merit of Moshe and so they feared without Moshe they would go hungry. Their test was they should have realized Hashem is the One supporting them. It is true that Hashem gives us things in the merit of tzaddikim , but He also gives us new tzaddikim when the ones we had were taken away. The Gemara says that one time the entire world was being sustained in the merit of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa. But what happened when Rab Chanina ben Dosa passed away? There was still sustenance being given. The reason is because it is Hashem who gives sustenance and He is never bound by any one means to give it. The Jewish People received water in the midbar in the merit of Miriam. But when Miriam passed away, Hashem still continued giving them water in the zechut of Moshe. The Clouds of Glory were given in the merit of Aharon, but when Aharon passed away, Hashem brought the clouds back in the merit of Moshe. Then when Moshe passed away, Hashem continued helping His People through Yehoshua. Hashem is always the One who is taking care of us and He wants us to feel that in our hearts. He wants us to internalize that He is unlimited and has infinite ways of helping. When someone had an avenue of parnasa that is no longer producing the same money it used to, this person is being tested with the same type of test. Is he going to believe that it was the means that was supporting him, or that it was Hashem? No matter how good a person thinks he used to have it, Hashem could always make it even better. A man said his wife works as a nurse's aid at people's homes. Before she gave birth, she worked for a nice old lady and they both enjoyed the relationship and the pay was good too. When she gave birth, a substitute was put there instead and when her paid vacation ended, the substitute didn't want to leave. She too had fallen in love with this nice old lady. Instead of making a fuss about it, the man's wife set out to start over from the beginning. She tried several places but nothing was available. Frustrated, she started getting angry at the substitute who took her job. But then she caught herself and worked on her emunah. She managed to remove the anger from her heart and feel at ease, knowing she was in Hashem's Hands. The very same afternoon that she was finally calm, she got a call from an agency with a new offer. The lady she was given to work for was also very sweet like the other lady. This job gave her more hours and more pay and was much closer to her house. She thought she had it good before and would never get the same opportunity, now she has it much better. We are never dependent on one means in any area of life. Hashem is the One who provides the means and He is unlimited. And we are to know that He was, is and always will be there to help us. Shabbat Shalom.

If someone has an addiction, it can completely overtake his life. It becomes the only thing that matters. He loses control and may even be willing to sacrifice his family, his career, and everything else that is truly important. The reason is because addiction blinds a person to the damage it is causing. The only way to help him is to wake him up and make him see the destruction taking place before his eyes. Sometimes, people become so consumed with earning a livelihood that it resembles an addiction. Money becomes the only thing that matters, and everything else is pushed aside in its pursuit. Every so often, a person needs a reality check to remind himself that there is far more to life than earning money. When the time comes for a person to leave this world, all of his money becomes meaningless. The countless hours spent accumulating it may become a source of regret if they came at the expense of things that have eternal value. A man told me that he became so involved in his business that he completely abandoned learning Torah for fifteen years. Then one day, someone awakened him to what was happening and encouraged him to return to learning. Today, he says he finally feels alive. His life has meaning again, and he is grateful that someone helped him break free from his obsession with making money. There are people, unfortunately, who spend years involved in bitter disputes over money. In this world, those arguments may seem significant. But in the Next World, it will become clear how insignificant they really were. Imagine the son of a king who got into a fight with a friend when they were five years old. In a moment of anger, the friend broke one of his toys. The prince shouted, "When I become king, I am going to punish you for this!" Forty years later, the prince has become king. The old friend appears at the palace and begs forgiveness for breaking the toy. The king would look at him as if he were crazy. Why would he care about a broken toy now? It is utterly insignificant compared to his current position. When a person reaches the Next World, that is how he will view someone who hurt him financially in this world. It will seem like a broken toy. Yet if he can rise above the hurt now and make peace, he will gain eternal pleasure and reward that have genuine value forever. Someone who spends his entire life building a fortune while neglecting Torah and mitzvot is like a man who reaches old age without ever marrying because he was too busy accumulating wealth. People would look at him and wonder what all that money was worth if he never built the life Hashem wanted him to have. So too, if a person leaves this world without Torah and mitzvot, all of his wealth is worthless. We have heard stories of great and successful people who cried on their deathbeds because they realized they could have done more with their lives. At that moment, they understood that the only things that truly mattered were their Torah and mitzvot. Life in this world is incredibly short compared to eternity. If a person does not stop from time to time and think about that reality, he can easily become caught up in pursuits that have little lasting value while neglecting what matters most. Let us always remain focused on what true wealth is. Those who spend their lives learning Torah and performing mitzvot are building fortunes that will last forever. The more we acquire, the greater our eternal reward will be.

Living Emunah 2951 The Place Meant for You The Gemara tells us that when it came time to choose the seventy elders who would assist Moshe Rabbeinu, six men were selected from each shevet, making a total of seventy-two candidates. A lottery was then held to determine which seventy would be chosen. Seventy slips of paper had the word "Zaken" written on them, while two slips were left blank. Whoever drew a blank slip would not be selected. The Gemara says that Moshe told the two men who drew the blank slips, "HaMakom lo chafetz becha." This is usually translated to mean, "Hashem did not want you." That is difficult to understand. It was painful enough that these two individuals were publicly excluded while everyone else was chosen. Why would they also need to hear that Hashem did not want them? Furthermore, according to some opinions, those two men were Eldad and Medad. Yet immediately afterward, the Torah tells us that they received prophecy. If Hashem did not want them, how could they have merited prophecy? Rabbi Menashe Reizman brings from the Sifrei Kabbalah that the word Makom is one of Hashem's holy Names. It has the same numerical value as the Name of Hashem represented by Yud-Keh-Vav-Keh when each letter is multiplied by itself. This teaches that in every makom—in every place in the world—the Shechinah is present with all of Hashem's mercy. Every person has a unique place from which he is meant to serve Hashem and connect to Him. Hashem already determined where a person would be born, into which family he would be born, how he would look, how intelligent he would be, how strong he would be, and every other detail of his life. Everything was arranged specifically for him to fulfill his mission. Moshe was not telling these men that Hashem did not want them. Hashem wants every one of His children. Rather, he was telling them, "This makom is not where you are meant to be. This is not the place through which you will achieve your greatness and connect to Hashem." When a person desperately wants something and does not receive it, it can be very painful. When the rejection is public, it can even be humiliating. Yet a person can become extraordinarily great when he accepts with love that Hashem's plan for him is different. The sefer Meshivat Nefesh, written by Rabbi Yochanan Luria, the uncle of the Maharshal, explains that when Eldad and Medad realized they had not been chosen, they accepted it with love. Hashem was so pleased with their reaction that He immediately granted them prophecy—prophecy that surpassed that of the other seventy elders. The Midrash tells us that Eldad and Medad received more than the seventy elders in five different ways. When a person rises above disappointment and trusts that Hashem is doing what is best for him and for his purpose in this world, despite how difficult that may be, he elevates himself to remarkable heights. Hashem was similarly proud of the Jewish people when they followed Him into the desert after Yetziat Mitzrayim, not knowing how they would survive. The pasuk says: זָ כַרְתִּי לָךְ חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלֹתָיִךְ לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא זְרוּעָה "I remember for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your bridal days, when you followed Me into the wilderness, into a land that was not sown. ." The Ramban explains that this praise was not limited to the moment they entered the desert. It referred to the entire forty years that they followed the Cloud of Glory wherever Hashem directed them. Sometimes they remained in places they did not want to be for extended periods of time, yet they accepted it. At other times they were settled comfortably in places they liked, only to have the cloud suddenly rise and signal that it was time to move. Once again, they followed with trust. That unwavering acceptance is what made Hashem so proud of them. The same opportunity exists for every one of us. Sometimes Hashem places us in situations that are embarrassing. Sometimes they are painful. Sometimes they seem unfair. But the harder it is to accept, the more precious that acceptance becomes. Eldad and Medad could have become depressed. They could have felt humiliated. No one would have blamed them. But they were not interested in mediocrity. They wanted greatness. By accepting Hashem's decision with happiness, they achieved it. A prophet can only receive prophecy when he is in a state of joy. The very fact that Eldad and Medad received prophecy demonstrated that they remained happy despite their rejection. Every person has a different place that Hashem wants him to be in. That place is not an accident. It is the exact place from which he can best fulfill his mission and connect to Hashem. When we learn to be happy with the places Hashem chooses for us, we too can rise to the greatest heights.

Shlomo HaMelech said that a person's legs are like guarantors, ensuring he is brought to the places Hashem wants him to be. When a person reflects on the days of his life, he begins to see countless stories of Hashem's hashgachah unfolding in his path. He can recognize how Hashem directed his steps—bringing him to certain places and keeping him away from others. He notices how precise and exacting Hashem's guidance is, how, in mere seconds, the course of events can shift from one possible outcome to a completely different one. He sees how Hashem orchestrated encounters with the people he needed to meet, and prevented encounters with those he was not meant to meet. The more one reflects, the more awe arises, and with that awe comes chizuk in emunah. Sometimes our direction changes suddenly. Sometimes we find ourselves unexpectedly in a different place. Sometimes we meet a person without understanding why, only to see the full purpose revealed years later. And sometimes, it is clear immediately that Hashem was guiding us to be in the exact place we needed at the exact time. A man shared with me this morning how he was at home when his children's bus arrived. Normally, he is never home at that time; his wife usually sends them out on their own. But on this morning, for some inexplicable reason, he felt an urge to go downstairs and watch them onto the bus. He ran down the steps, called out to them, and wished them a nice day. As the children crossed the street toward the bus, he noticed a car speeding and about to ignore the stop sign. He yelled for his children to stop. Seconds later, the car sped past—another moment could have meant tragedy. It was completely reckless to run a stop sign, and in this case Hashem had guided this man's legs to the precise spot to prevent a disaster. Hashem directs us in everything, from the greatest matters to the smallest, because for Him, everything matters. Another man told me his air conditioning unit had broken, and replacing it would cost $5,000—a steep price for someone learning in a kollel. He was given a repairman's number and called him, even knowing the unit could not be repaired. When the repairman arrived, he examined it and said it was in good condition, except for the main part. Then he realized that he had an identical unit on his truck from a previous job, and the part needed was still working. The repairman replaced the part, charging only a small labor fee. Hashem had caused this man to call the exact person who already had the exact part he needed. These are reminders that Hashem's hashgachah is everywhere. The more we look for it, the more we see it. Every step we take, every encounter we have, and every turn in our path is guided with infinite wisdom and care.

One of the most difficult tests a person can face is waiting for a yeshuah that seems to be taking forever. At first, the person is full of enthusiasm. He prays with all of his heart. He takes on extra mitzvot. He strengthens himself in many areas of avodat Hashem. He believes the salvation is going to come at any moment. But as the days turn into months and the months turn into years, it becomes much harder to continue. The tefillot begin to feel repetitive. The new commitments become harder to maintain. The person starts wondering if anything is ever going to change. If he knew exactly when the salvation was going to come, he would be able to manage much more easily, even if it were still a long way off. It is the uncertainty that makes the challenge so difficult. The feeling that perhaps it may never happen can be overwhelming. Yet that is precisely why this person has such a golden opportunity to achieve greatness. The harder it is to continue, the greater the value of the avodah. We are in this world to grow spiritually. In the end, that is the only thing that will truly matter. When a person feels like he is being ignored and his avodah is not being appreciated, every effort becomes infinitely more valuable. We have no idea what goes on in people's lives. We have no idea what struggles they face each day. Only Hashem knows. It is entirely possible that people who appear to be ordinary are, in fact, among the greatest people of the generation because of what they have to overcome in order to produce a heartfelt tefillah, because of what they have to overcome in order to continue growing in their avodat Hashem. They have every reason to turn away, yet they keep pushing themselves forward. That is true greatness. And that greatness is eternal. If a person could see how much he was growing spiritually from one moment to the next, he would run to continue. But in this world, we are not shown the true value of our efforts. And that is exactly what makes them so precious. Sometimes, however, Hashem gives a person a little chizuk to help him keep going, even before the yeshuah arrives. A woman related that all of her friends were married with children, while she had been hoping and praying for years to become a kallah. Over the years, she had taken on many kabbalot. One of her more recent commitments was to read a sefer on emunah every day for forty consecutive days. The book was not specifically about shidduchim. It was simply a source of general chizuk and emunah. Last week, she found herself praying especially hard. She added new areas of growth in her avodat Hashem and invested tremendous effort into her tefillot. Yet nothing seemed to be changing. She became discouraged. One morning, she cried to Hashem from the depths of her heart, longing for the day when she would finally begin building her own family. She told Hashem that she had continued going forward all these years. She had maintained her kabbalot and kept striving to grow. She was not asking for proof that the yeshuah was coming. She only wanted a little chizuk to know that Hashem appreciated her efforts. That night, she opened the emunah book that she had been learning daily. She intended to open directly to the page where her bookmark was located, but accidentally opened to a different page. There, right in front of her, in large letters, was the title of the chapter: "Singles—Don't Give Up." She could hardly believe her eyes. She felt as if Hashem was speaking directly to her. The message gave her tremendous strength. It renewed her enthusiasm and helped her continue moving forward with renewed energy. The truth is that Hashem appreciates every person's efforts far more than we can imagine. Every moment of avodah is precious to Him. Every tefillah. Every act of growth. Every commitment that is maintained despite the difficulty. Especially when it is hard. We hope that everyone receives the yeshuah for which they are waiting. But in the meantime, they should know that the greatest gain they can possibly achieve is the avodah they continue to do each day.

At the end of this week's parasha Naso , the Torah goes into great detail regarding the donations that the Nasi'im brought to inaugurate the Mishkan . And as we know, each Nasi brought the exact same donation and the Torah repeated each one of them, twelve times, one for each Nasi . Many mefarshim offer explanations as to why the Torah has all this repetition. The sefer Darkeh Musar brings from the Saba m'Kelm who explained, the Torah is teaching us here how Hashem relates to the individual. One should not think if a large group gets together to do a mitzvah that Hashem views it as if that group, so to speak, all got a check for their actions. The parasha of the Nasi'im teaches us, Hashem is happy with each individual separately. Although they all brought the same donations and collectively comprised a group of twelve, Hashem took delight in each one of them independently. Each one of them brought Hashem a different type of joy, depending on the person's background and what each of them had accomplished and experienced in their lives prior to this point. Everyone is always treated as if he is the only one in the world. And this does not only apply when a group of people get together to do a mitzvah. This is always the way it is. When something happens to a group of people, Hashem doesn't deal with them as a group, but rather every single person, with his own hashgacha . Whatever happens to him was decided solely based on what was supposed to happen to him. And the way a person reacts when things happen to him will show how much he really believes in Hashem's hashgacha . The Shomer Emunim writes, if we would know how valuable it is to honestly believe that every single thing that takes place in our lives comes directly from Hashem, our hearts would ignite with endless excitement. Furthermore, the pasuk says, ה' צילך – that Hashem is our shadow. And the Baal Shem Tov explained this to mean that Hashem acts towards us corresponding to the way we act towards Him. If a person says each time that something happens that it was from Hashem, then Hashem will deal with him with extra hashgacha pratit . He will be able to feel Hashem's presence more and he will get more Heavenly help. The pasuk says in Tehillim , ה' משמים השקיף על בני-אדם לראות היש משכיל דורש את אלוקים – Hashem is watching to see who is wise enough to seek Him out. The word אלוקים represents טבע which is nature. And as we know, הטבע is the same numerical value as אלוקים . So the pasuk is saying, Hashem is watching to see who will find Him inside of nature, who will attribute what seems to be natural occurrences, to Him. For this, a person must train himself until instinctively, he is able to say about everything, "That was m'et Hashem." When someone becomes a person who is fully ma'amin in Hashem's constant hashgacha , he will never get angry, he will never have animosity towards anyone, he will save himself from countless averot and he will get a mitzvah aseh each time he believes in Hashem's hashgacha , based on the pasuk, אנכי ה' אלוקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים. The Shomer Emunim gives the following words of chizuk to help strengthen us in this area. He writes, fortunate is the person who is constantly strengthening himself in the area of emunah called hashgacha pratit , because the reward for it in this world is that Hashem will show the person ניסים ונפלאות – miracles and wonders. And therefore, our job as religious Jews is to look at every single thing that takes place in our lives, whether it is obvious good or whether it seems to look bad, and attribute it to Hashem and know that it is absolute good and praise and thank Him for it. We constantly needed to be reminded about this great avodah . May Hashem help us to always see His hand in everything that takes place. Shabbat Shalom.

Many times in life a person forgets something important, overlooks something, or fails to notice a detail that later seems obvious. Naturally, he starts second-guessing himself. "How could I not remember that? Why didn't I realize it earlier? If only I would have thought of that sooner." But a person with emunah understands that if Hashem wanted him to know something earlier, He had endless ways of making that happen. Nothing is dependent solely on our memory or awareness. If Hashem wants a person to discover something, He can orchestrate countless events to bring that information to light at exactly the right moment. Rabbi Yoel from the UK related a story that illustrates this beautifully. One winter, Rabbi Yoel was going through a difficult time financially. Someone owed him money, but the man told him he would only be able to pay him back the following Tuesday. Rabbi Yoel needed the money immediately, so he called a young avreich, Yitzchak, his good friend, and asked if he could borrow five hundred pounds until Tuesday. Yitzchak gladly agreed. When Tuesday came around, the person who owed Rabbi Yoel the money paid him back, but only with a check instead of cash. There was a problem. In the UK, the banks had a rule that limited how much cash could be withdrawn at one time, and Rabbi Yoel was only able to take out three hundred pounds. He called Yitzchak and explained the situation. "I have your money," he said, "but I could only withdraw three hundred pounds today. Do you need me to borrow another two hundred pounds from someone else so I can pay you back right now, or can it wait until tomorrow?" Yitzchak understood the situation and told him, "No problem, you can wait until tomorrow." A few minutes later, however, Yitzchak called him back. "I was thinking," he said, "maybe you could just give me a check for the full amount." "Fine," Rabbi Yoel answered. Then Yitzchak added, "This way I can use it to buy a menorah now." "A menorah?" Rabbi Yoel asked. "What happened to the silver one you received at your wedding?" Yitzchak explained that ever since he moved apartments, all of his silver Judaica had disappeared. The menorah, the kiddush cups, the candlesticks—everything was gone. Suddenly Rabbi Yoel remembered something. He himself had helped move Yitzchak's belongings. At the time, he was nervous that the expensive silver might get damaged or stolen, so he carefully wrapped it up and hid it in a storage space in the apartment. Yitzchak never knew where it had been placed. "I know exactly where your silver is," Rabbi Yoel told him. Yitzchak could not believe it. Following Rabbi Yoel's directions, he climbed up to the hidden storage space, and there, to his amazement, was the entire collection exactly as it had been packed away years earlier. Everything was safe and shining beautifully. Hashem wanted Yitzchak to find his menorah, and He knew exactly how to make that happen. He arranged that Rabbi Yoel would specifically need to borrow money from him. He arranged that the repayment would come back in the form of a check instead of cash. He arranged the banking laws that forced another phone conversation. He arranged that Yitzchak would happen to mention that he needed a menorah. And through all of those perfectly coordinated details, the missing silver was discovered. When Hashem wants us to know something, He has countless ways of telling us. Someone recently told me that he spent a very long time writing important information on his computer. After finishing, he carefully saved the document. But later, when he tried opening the file, it was nowhere to be found. He searched and searched but could not find it. He was certain he remembered exactly what he named the file, but nothing came up under that name. Finally, after becoming frustrated, he spent hours rewriting the entire document from scratch. When he finished redoing all the work, he saved the file under what he thought was a brand-new name. Suddenly, both files appeared on the screen. He realized that the original file had been there all along under the exact name that he had just given the new file. Naturally, a person could feel bad. "Why didn't I think of that earlier?" But the lesson is not to second-guess ourselves. If Hashem wanted him to discover the original file earlier, He had countless ways of making that happen. The fact that it was only discovered later means that later was the exact right time for it to be found. A man once told me that something happened which completely ruined his day. Although he learns emunah and bitachon regularly, at the time he could not see any good in what had happened. He became gloomy and upset, and everyone around him felt it the entire day. A few days later, however, he suddenly realized that what had happened was actually the best possible thing that could have happened. Because of that event, everything else ended up turning out in the most favorable way possible. He told me afterward, "No matter how much emunah a person has, he always needs more chizuk in it." We do not understand why things happen the way they do, but we do know that Hashem is running the world and He is doing it perfectly. If He wants us to know something, He knows exactly how to accomplish that. And if something was hidden from us until later, then later was exactly the right time for it to be revealed. There is no reason to second-guess ourselves. If we accept and trust Hashem, we are performing a great avodah.

One of the difficult balances in life is knowing when enough hishtadlut has been done so that a person can place the matter fully into the hands of Hashem. On one hand, we are obligated to make hishtadlut in order to fulfill our needs. But on the other hand, if a person overdoes hishtadlut it is considered an infraction, reflecting an underlying belief that results are dependent upon human effort rather than solely upon Hashem. One of the greatest tests in life is believing that although we are the ones making the efforts, the results themselves have nothing to do with those efforts. Hashem alone decides the outcome. He merely requires enough hishtadlut for the result to appear natural within the normal way of the world. Sometimes Hashem specifically places a person into situations where he feels completely powerless so that he can discover this truth more clearly — that his help was always coming only from Hashem. Once a person has put in a reasonable effort, one of the greatest things he can do afterward is stop chasing people and begin speaking more to Hashem. Rabbi Betzalel Bloy from Bnei Brak related that after investing enormous effort writing, organizing, and preparing the shiurim of his Rabbi for publication, he finally reached the last stage before printing the sefer. Everything was ready. He felt strongly that the sefer would bring tremendous chizuk to many people. There was only one thing missing: Money. He needed thousands of dollars to print the sefer and had no idea where the funds would come from. He worked very hard collecting small donations from various places, but after all the effort, he still managed to gather only one-third of the amount he needed. People advised him to approach a certain wealthy individual who might be interested in supporting the project. Rabbi Bloy gathered his courage and went to speak with him. He explained the greatness of the sefer, the importance of its message, and how many people could potentially benefit from it. The wealthy man listened carefully and then replied: "Go to another wealthy man at this address. Whatever amount he gives you, I will contribute half of it." Rabbi Bloy left the meeting feeling crushed and embarrassed. He did not know whether the man genuinely intended to help or was simply trying to avoid responsibility. More than anything, the entire experience was emotionally painful. The thought of now having to approach another wealthy individual filled him with dread. But he desperately wanted to publish the sefer. Unsure what to do next, he went to ask his father for advice. His father then gave him one sentence that completely changed his perspective. "Don't do anything else," he said. "Just talk to Hashem." His father understood that Rabbi Bloy had already done what was reasonable. Continuing further would only push him emotionally beyond his limits. Hearing those words brought Rabbi Bloy tremendous relief. He now felt permitted to stop chasing people and simply turn to Hashem. That night he poured out his heart in tefillah. The next morning, he did the same during Shacharit. Then, that very afternoon, the second wealthy man suddenly called him. "The first donor told me about your sefer," he said. "We decided that I will cover two-thirds of the remaining amount, and he will cover the other third. We are very happy to participate in your project." Within a short amount of time, the money was paid and the sefer went to print. Rabbi Bloy later reflected that his father's words taught him the true perspective on hishtadlut. A person must make an effort. But once he has done what is reasonable, Hashem does not require more than that. Hashem loves when we ask Him directly for our needs — and for that, we never have to feel embarrassed. The more we recognize Who the true Provider is, the more blessing Hashem places into our hishtadlut.

Those who are struggling with parnasa are constantly praying to Hashem to make things easier for them. It's so difficult for a person to always be behind on his bills. It's so stressful to have to rethink every purchase, even the basics. People love to hear of a segula they could do that will help improve their financial situation. Why does a God-fearing Jew want extra parnasa ? Just to take care of his family in a respectable way. There is definitely a segula that can help with that. Shulchan Aruch writes in the laws of Yom Tov that a person should give his wife and children something special to bring them joy on the holiday. And we also have to give food to the convert, the orphan, and the widow, as well as other poor people. The Mishnah Berurah there brings the pasuk in parashat Re'eh where this obligation to feed the needy is stated. And there, Rashi writes, there are four categories of poor people mentioned in the pasuk and four family members mentioned. Hashem tells us, you make my poor and destitute happy and I will make your family happy. This is a wonderful guarantee. Rabbi Tzvi Nakar told a story about a man who dealt with financial difficulties for years. No matter how much he earned, he always finished the month in the red. He tried to save, he tried taking on a second job, but me'et Hashem, he was always a bit short on covering his expenses. He did not sink into debt. He did not get into major financial trouble and never used his money irresponsibly. He and his family lived simply and bought just what they needed. He actually made a decent salary. It was just that with a large family, there were constant expenses to take care of. If he would ever manage to get out of the red, a child's glasses would suddenly break, an unexpected expense that put him back under. This continued for years and he never complained. Whatever Hashem gave them, they thanked Him for. It was not his goal to make it rich, but it did bother him. Why couldn't he just make a little more money to have some breathing room? A couple of years ago, something happened that changed his life. His good friend's brother-in-law suddenly passed away, leaving behind several young orphans. He didn't know them personally, but the whole episode affected him in a deep way. He heard from his friend about the distress of the widow and orphans and really wanted to help. When his friend made a collection for them, he made sure to contribute a monthly pledge that would automatically be debited from his account. Then, when Sukkot was approaching, he went with his wife to buy their children special toys in honor of Yom Tov. In a momentary flash of inspiration, he realized those orphans did not have a father who was going to buy them toys. At that moment, he and his wife decided whatever they buy for their children, they were going to get double of, to give to the orphans as well. It was quite expensive considering their financial situation, but they knew of the great virtue involved in helping widows and orphans and also knew that Hashem said, "You make mine happy and I'll make yours happy." Since then, he does this every single holiday. For the first time in fifteen years of marriage, he began seeing blessing in his money. He did not switch jobs, but his income grew unexpectedly. And more than that, the money he earned stretches and he's able to use it for good things. It's unbelievable. For years, he had been living with outdated furniture, barely getting by, and now his money is finally blessed. It is indeed a great segula to take care of orphans, widows, and the downtrodden. The pasuk in the Torah stating this obligation is actually written regarding the holiday of Shavuot. May we all be zocheh to help others and have Hashem help us.