Podcasts about bitachon

Somebody recently asked me how it's possible that there are so many stories of hashgachah peratit. I told him, there are millions of stories happening to people every single day. If all those people would relate their stories, there wouldn't be enough paper in the world to contain them. Just the other day, I was walking in a neighborhood that I normally do not frequent, and while there, two people approached me to tell me stories that had happened to them over the past couple of days. If I hadn't been there, they wouldn't have thought to share their stories. They, like millions of others, would have remained unknown. Stories are happening constantly because Hashem is involved in everyone's lives at every moment. The first person told me he is an accountant, and during tax season he often stays late at work. When he stays late, he orders dinner from a nearby restaurant. He enjoys having a Coke with ice with his dinner, so he ordered one with his meal. When the food arrived, he went to the ice machine in his office, but saw that it was broken. It looked like he would have to miss out on the ice that night. However, when he opened the bag from the restaurant, he saw that they had sent him a separate cup filled with ice along with the Coke. He said that in his entire life he had never once received a cup of ice from a restaurant delivery. It felt like a small but personal gesture from Hashem, as if He was saying, "I know you like your drink with ice—I want you to enjoy it tonight." The second person told me that he had learned last year the concept that money spent on Shabbat is not included in the yearly allotment that is determined on Rosh Hashanah, and whatever is spent on Shabbat is always returned. Inspired by this, he decided to host many guests each week and serve the finest foods. From then on, he began spending between two and three thousand dollars every Shabbat. After six months, he began wondering how Hashem would pay him back all that money. Last week, he received a phone call from the homeowner from whom he rents a summer house. He had a four-year agreement and had only used it for two years so far. The homeowner said he wanted to terminate the contract. The man replied that his family loved the house and were looking forward to returning. The homeowner then offered him ten thousand dollars to cancel. He declined. The offer went up to twenty, then thirty, then forty thousand dollars, and he still refused. Finally, the homeowner offered fifty thousand dollars. At that point, his wife told him to accept, and he did. Afterward, he went back and calculated all the extra money he had spent on Shabbat food over the past six months. The total came out to just under fifty thousand dollars. In one moment, he saw clearly how every dollar he spent on Shabbat had been returned to him in a way he never could have imagined. Hashem is involved in everyone's life every minute of the day. When we share these stories, we give others chizuk and help them come closer to Hashem by seeing how much He is involved in every detail. If anyone would like to share their stories, they can email them to livingemunah123@gmail.com If we would only open our eyes, we would see that our lives are filled with endless stories of Hashem's loving Hand.

One of our responsibilities in this world is to care about our fellow Jew and to do whatever we can to help bring them closer to Hashem. Hashem yearns for a relationship with all of His children, and there are so many who do not even know who He is. At times, a person may feel disheartened. He may have tried again and again to influence others in a positive way and yet has not seen any results. The yetzer hara whispers that perhaps his efforts are accomplishing nothing. But the truth is exactly the opposite. The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot teaches: לא עליך המלאכה לגמור ולא אתה בן חורין להיבטל ממנה . It is not upon you to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it. Our responsibility is not to produce results. Our responsibility is to make the effort. Results are never in our control, but effort always is. And in the eyes of Hashem, it is the effort that matters most. If a person is fortunate enough to see the fruits of his labor, that is a gift. But very often, those fruits are not seen until much later—sometimes even generations later. The Gemara tells us that in the zechut of the forty-two korbanot that Balak brought, he merited to have Ruth as a descendant. Although his intentions were not pure, he still performed an act that had value, and that act bore fruit years later in a way he could never have imagined. A person's actions always accomplish something, even if he never sees the results. Every effort to bring another Jew closer to Hashem is infinitely precious. When those efforts are done לשם שמים , there is even greater blessing placed upon them. The Gerrer Rebbe had an extraordinary love for Shabbat and worked tirelessly to inspire others to observe it. One of his initiatives was to have women in the community distribute Shabbat candles with matches on Fridays to anyone willing to take them. One day, a completely non-observant couple passed by, and a woman offered them candles for Shabbat. Not wanting to offend her, they took four candles, implying they would use them for two weeks, although in truth they had no intention of lighting them even once. They placed the candles in the backseat of their car and drove away. The husband worked as a tour guide. A few days later, he was leading a group of wealthy tourists to explore a large cave. As they approached the cave, he turned on his flashlight—only to discover that the battery had died. Panic began to set in. He feared the group would be upset and that it would cost him financially. Then he suddenly remembered the candles in his car. He ran back, retrieved them, and divided the group into smaller sections, giving each group a candle to hold. The experience turned out to be far more beautiful than anyone had expected. The soft glow of the candles created an atmosphere that was far more powerful than a simple flashlight. The group was so impressed that they gave him a very generous tip and spoke enthusiastically about the experience. That night, the man began thinking about those candles. He felt that they had brought him unexpected blessing and wanted to understand more about them. He approached a religious Jew and asked about the significance of Shabbat candles. He was told that they bring peace into the home, as light allows a person to function calmly and pleasantly. The man responded that he already had electricity and did not need candles. The other Jew explained that Shabbat candles are not just about light—they create a special atmosphere that honors the sanctity of Shabbat. He invited the man and his wife to join him for a Shabbat meal. They accepted. Experiencing the beauty of Shabbat—the warmth, the singing, the divrei Torah—made a deep impression on them. That single experience became the beginning of a journey that eventually led them to become fully observant. All of this came from a simple act—handing out a few Shabbat candles. That one small effort ultimately brought back not only a couple, but generations that would come from them. We never know the impact of even the smallest action. A word of encouragement, a smile, an invitation, a simple act of care—each one has the potential to change a life. It is not our role to see the results. It is our role to act. Hashem takes those actions and brings them to fruition in ways far beyond what we can imagine.

Protecting Our Children

Chazal tell us that when Mashiach arrives there will be a magnificent seudah known as the Seudat HaLeviathan. At that great meal will be present all the righteous who ever lived—Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, Moshe and Aharon, together with the great leaders and tzaddikim of all generations. At that seudah, David HaMelech will rise and lead Birkat HaMazon. Afterward, the Ramami Pano writes that Mashiach Tzidkeinu will come out and distribute dessert to everyone present. Those desserts will consist of the fruits that have been growing in Gan Eden since the creation of the world. Originally, Hashem commanded Adam HaRishon to eat from the fruits of Gan Eden, but he was banished before he had the opportunity to do so. Since that time, fruits have been growing in the lower Gan Eden that exists in this world, and they will be distributed to all of Klal Yisrael after Birkat HaMazon at that seudah. Then Mashiach will take out almonds that had been growing on the staff of Aharon HaKohen in the Kodesh HaKodashim and he will make the berachah of boreh peri ha'etz upon them. It is known that almonds have the ability to calm a person from anger. At that moment, all the tension and pain that accumulated during the long exile will instantly disappear. Then Moshe Rabbeinu will appear holding the original Luchot that we were meant to receive. In their merit the knowledge of Torah will reach an unprecedented level. Torah will never again be forgotten. The yetzer hara will be nullified and the malach hamavet will be driven away forever. Those will be the most glorious days in the history of the world. After a period of time living in the era of Mashiach, the next stage—Olam Haba—will begin. The Gemara in Masechet Berachot teaches that in that world there will be no eating and no drinking. Rather, the tzaddikim will sit and derive pleasure from the radiance of the Shechinah. The Or HaChayim writes in Shemot that there is no pleasure in this world that can compare to the pleasure of seeing the Shechinah in the next world. Every Jew longs to merit that experience. Our rabbis explain that just as in order to enjoy food in this world our mouth and throat must function properly, so too in order to experience the spiritual pleasure of the Shechinah, the part of the body through which that pleasure is received must also be spiritually refined. That part of the body is the eyes—the windows to the neshamah. The pasuk in Yeshayahu says: עֹצֵם עֵינָיו מֵרְאוֹת בְּרָע מֶלֶךְ בְּיָפְיוֹ תֶּחֱזֶינָה עֵינֶיךָ "One who closes his eyes from seeing evil—his eyes will behold the King in His beauty." The Midrash explains that this pasuk means that whoever guards his eyes from looking at improper things will merit to see the beauty of the Shechinah. The Gemara in Masechet Kallah teaches that someone who turns away from such aveirot—even if he is an ordinary Yisrael—becomes worthy like a Kohen Gadol offering a korban olah on the mizbeach, and he will merit to benefit from the radiance of the Shechinah like the malachei hasharet. One of the ways of Hashem is that when He wishes to elevate a person to an especially high level, He first gives him a very great test to overcome. For nearly two thousand years the world has been waiting for the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash. For generations we have waited for the coming of Mashiach. Now, as we approach the month of Nisan—the time most auspicious for redemption—we are being tested with our eyes more than ever before. Perhaps this is Hashem's call for us to elevate ourselves to greatness and to make our eyes worthy of receiving the ultimate pleasure of basking in the radiance of the Shechinah. Now is our opportunity to shine. If we can guard our own eyes and guide our children away from seeing things they should not see, we can become elevated to the level of the Kohen Gadol. With Hashem's help we will then merit the ultimate reward—our eyes beholding the radiance of the Shechinah for all eternity.

The pasuk says at the beginning of this week's parshiot , ויקהל משה את כל עדת בני ישראל – Moshe gathered the entire nation, men women and children, and repeated the commandments that Hashem gave him regarding the building of the mishkan . The Ramban explains, this gathering took place after they got the second set of luchot and Hashem made a new covenant with them that He would rest His presence amongst them and His love for them returned like it was before they did the sin of the egel . The sefer Imrei Yitzchak asked, if all that took place was that everything was going to go back to the way it was before they did the egel , why did they need a new gathering just to repeat all the details of the commandments again? Why couldn't Moshe just tell the Jewish People we're continuing with the project as originally planned. The Rabbi answered based on the Gemara in Masechet Shabbat which says, when the Jewish People sinned with the egel , it was like a bride being unfaithful to her husband at their own wedding ceremony. In such a situation, it would be impossible for this husband to ever view that bride the same as he did before. Hashem, on the other hand, did something beyond nature. Even after the treacherous sin that His nation committed, once they had made teshuva , He loved them the same, just like he loved them before they committed that sin. And for that, Hashem wanted everyone gathered to publicize that He was going to reside amongst them just like He was going to before. As well,every single detail needed to be reaffirmed that it was going to take place with the same love. It is true that sin distances a person from Hashem, but fortunately for us, Hashem gives us ways to return to Him and have an even greater relationship with Him than we had before the sin. But we have to believe in Hashem's mercy to take us back and we have to believe in our potential to get close to Him, despite our past deeds. Rabbi Nachman Seltzer related a story that Rabbi Roseman told him about himself. Rabbi Roseman was walking home one night from the yeshiva in which he taught and came across two boys standing on the sidewalk talking to each other. One of them, whose name was Shmuli, he knew, but as for the other one, who had long hair and was wearing clothing designed to draw attention, as were the assorted accessories that were on him, he did not know. Shmuli called the Rabbi to come over, mentioning that they were involved in a very important conversation regarding reward and punishment and free will. The Rabbi came and added whatever insights he could on that topic for the next 20 minutes. And then, as he was about to leave, he recalled how a few years earlier he gave a boy off the derech some encouraging words that made a huge impact on his life. And so, he did not want to let this opportunity go by without trying the same. He said to that other boy, Jake, "Before I go, could you please do me a favor?" Jake looked surprised and asked what the Rabbi needed. The Rabbi said, "Can you give me a beracha ? I see that you are going through a challenging time in your life and yet, you are still working very hard to figure out the proper direction to take. The value of this is tremendous. I really want a beracha from you." Jake then rested his hands gently on the Rabbi's head and gave him whatever beracha he could think of, and then they parted ways. Two years later, Shmuli got engaged and invited Rabbi Roseman to the engagement party. At that party, Shmuli was so excited to show Rabbi Roseman a good friend of his. He pointed to Jake, who was then wearing a crisp, white shirt and nice pants and a velvet kippah on his head. Shmuli told the Rabbi, the time that he asked Jake to give him a beracha changed his life. He was able to tap into the holiness of his neshama afterward and he made a complete turn around. Every Jew has endless potential for greatness. Hashem is yearning for everyone to get close to Him. Even if people have fallen in the past, they can still reach levels that are even higher than they could have had they not fallen in the first place. And therefore, everyone is encouraged, no matter what they have done, to come back and be close to Hashem. Shabbat Shalom.

Welcome to Daily Bitachon on our Friday afternoon special Shabbat edition. The Sefer Yereim , written by one of the Rishonim, Rabbi Eliezer of Metz (Volume 2, Siman 410), teaches us that just as there is a mitzvah to fear the Beit HaMikdash , there is also a mitzvah to fear Shabbat. Now, as we know, there is no single definitive list of the 613 mitzvot in the Torah; while the Gemara tells us the total number is 613, many Rishonim count them differently. The Yereim specifically chooses to include the "Fear of Shabbat" on his list. What is his source? The Gemara in Yevamot 6a points to a comparison between Shabbat and the Beit HaMikdash , as it says in Vayikra 19:30 : " את שבתותי תשמורו ומקדשי תיראו " —"You shall keep My Sabbaths and fear My Sanctuary." Just as there is a mitzvah to fear the Sanctuary, so too there is a mitzvah to fear Shabbat. The Gemara continues by clarifying: " לא משבת אתה מתיירא " —"It is not Shabbat itself that you fear," " אלא ממי שהזהיר על השבת " —"but rather the One who commanded the Shabbat." This means there is a specific responsibility for Yirat Shamayim (fear of Heaven) on Shabbat, just as there is when one enters the Beit HaMikdash . Holiness in Three Dimensions The question arises: What is so unique about Shabbat that it warrants this special mitzvah? We have many commandments—like Tefillin—that God also commanded. Why is "fear" attached to this one? The answer, as we have mentioned many times, is that holiness ( kedusha ) manifests in three dimensions: Person, Place, and Time. The Kohen Gadol was the holiest person. The Beit HaMikdash is the holiest place. The Shabbat is the holiest time. In a sense, the Beit HaMikdash is our "Shabbat in space," and Shabbat is our "Sanctuary in time." We see this connection even in people; the Gemara says a Talmid Chacham is like the Beit HaMikdash . The Zohar even suggests that for a Talmid Chacham —who is immersed in Torah constantly—all seven days of the week are like Shabbat. Regarding the verse " את ה' אלהיך תירא " ("Fear Hashem your God"), the Sages teach lerabbot talmidei chachamim —this includes fearing the Torah scholar, who acts as a sanctuary where God dwells. God dwells in people, He dwells in places, and He dwells in time. The Atmosphere of the Day Once we understand this, the mitzvah to fear Shabbat becomes obvious. Just as you feel a sense of respect, sanctity, and decorum when you stand by the Kotel HaMa'aravi or enter a Shul, Shabbat demands the same. We must approach the day with dignity because its essence is kedusha . Entering Shabbat should feel like walking into the Holy Temple or into the presence of a great Gadol . I remember the sense of trepidation and awe when walking in to see the Steipler Gaon or Rav Shach. That same Yirat Shamayim is intrinsically woven into Shabbat. The Zohar even notes that the word "Bereishit" (In the beginning), when re-scrambled, spells "Yarei Shabbat" (Fear of Shabbat). This awe is the foundation of our entire Torah. A Gift from the Treasure House One commentary explains the famous Midrash where God says: " מתנה טובה יש לי בבית גנזי "—"I have a good gift in My treasure house [and its name is Shabbat]." What exactly is kept in God's treasure house? The Gemara says that the only thing Hashem keeps in His "storehouse" is Yirat Shamayim . Why? Because a person's treasure house usually contains the things most precious to them, often things they don't "possess" naturally. God "owns" everything, but there is one thing He doesn't "have" unless we give it to Him: " הכל בידי שמים חוץ מיראת שמים "—"Everything is in the hands of Heaven except the fear of Heaven." That fear is God's treasure. Every Shabbat, He gives us a "dose" of it from His private collection. He builds that awe into the very fabric of the day. The Natural Fear of the Day The Yerushalmi (cited by the Rambam in Hilchot Ma'aser ) brings down a fascinating concept regarding Terumot and Ma'asrot (tithes). Generally, the Sages did not trust an Am HaAretz (an unlearned person) regarding whether their produce was tithed. However, on Shabbat, if an Am HaAretz claimed the food was tithed, we believed him. Why? " אימת שבת על עמי הארץ "—"The awe of Shabbat is upon even the unlearned." The holiness of the day was so palpable that it would stop a person from lying or committing a transgression. While we may not feel that "natural" fear as instinctively today, it is something we are meant to work on. According to the Yereim , it is a direct commandment to maintain an extra sense of awareness and reverence for the sanctity of Shabbat

Very often we find ourselves in need of assistance from other people. Sometimes we need to get a meeting with someone. Sometimes we need to find favor in another person's eyes. And sometimes we need someone to help us even though we know that we do not find favor in his eyes. At those moments, we must remember that the main hishtadlut is always with Hashem. He is the only One who determines whether we will receive what we need. He can arrange a meeting. He can place favor in other people's eyes toward us. And He can cause someone to help us even when, naturally speaking, we would not find favor in that person's eyes. A man told me that he had been trying for the longest time to get a meeting with a world-famous company. He felt that if he could obtain their licensing rights, it would completely transform the scope of his business. However, despite all of his efforts, he could not even get a single response from them. Recently, he was visiting a friend's office in Manhattan. While he was there, he received a phone call that seemed as though it would take some time. As he spoke, he began walking around the building aimlessly. A few minutes later, he found himself standing near an elevator. Suddenly the doors opened and a group of people stepped out. They asked him if he knew where a certain office was located. Since he knew the building, he told them it was one floor above. At that moment, he realized that this group represented the very company he had been trying to contact. They had flown in from across the country for a meeting with someone else, but had accidentally gone to the wrong floor. And he happened to be standing there the moment the elevator opened. Among the group he recognized someone he had once known who now worked for the company. He immediately told him how much he had been trying to arrange a meeting. The man replied that he would be happy to help him. Hashem can arrange a meeting even with people who seem completely unreachable. Another man, whom we will call Solomon, told me about a business meeting he recently had with a new buyer from a very large chain store. As they were speaking before the meeting began, they suddenly realized that the gardener who had recently done work at Solomon's home was the buyer's brother. This was not Solomon's usual gardener. He had needed a major job done quickly, and his regular gardener was unable to handle it. The new gardener completed the job, but afterward charged Solomon more than he had originally quoted, explaining that the work had turned out to be much more difficult than expected. Solomon could easily have argued with him about the price. Instead, he simply paid him with a smile. The gardener later told his brother, the buyer, about this incident and how impressed he was that Solomon had paid without complaint. As a result, even before Solomon had begun discussing the product he hoped to sell, he had already found tremendous favor in the buyer's eyes. I read a story about Rabbi Meir Schickman, who spent three years in a ghetto during the Holocaust and was later transferred to a labor camp. Each day the prisoners received only one piece of bread. Usually, people would eat the bread immediately, because if they waited it might be stolen, and going even one day without bread could endanger their lives. Rabbi Schickman had a different practice. Each Friday he would save his bread so that he could use it on Friday night to fulfill the mitzvah of Seudat Shabbat. One Friday, however, his bread was stolen. What pained him most was not his hunger, but the thought that he would not be able to fulfill the mitzvah of the Shabbat meal. In the camp there was a self-hating Jew who served as a police officer overseeing the prisoners' work. He was often even harsher toward the Jews than the Nazis themselves, and everyone was afraid of him. Rabbi Schickman desperately wanted bread for the Shabbat meal, and so he decided that he would ask this officer for bread. The other prisoners warned him not to do so, fearing he might be beaten simply for making the request. Nevertheless, the Rabbi approached him and asked. Amazingly, the officer gave him not just a little bread, but two large loaves—enough for everyone in his bunker to eat the Shabbat meals. Hashem can arrange a meeting. Hashem can place favor in someone's eyes. And Hashem can cause a person to give—even when, according to nature, there is no reason he should.

Daily Bitachon: The Structural Geometry of Plants Welcome back to our Sha'ar HaBechina plant series. Today, we look at what I found to be the most fascinating aspect of this research: the structural geometry of plants . The way leaves are arranged on a stem isn't random; it is mathematical. Most plants follow the Fibonacci sequence : $1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34...$ and so on. In this sequence, each new number is the sum of the two before it ($5+8=13$, $8+13=21$). The Efficiency of the Spiral Why does HaKadosh Baruch Hu put this math into plants? Because it is the most efficient way to survive. Imagine a plant growing leaves. If every leaf grew directly above the one below it, the top leaf would steal all the sunlight and rain, and the bottom leaves would die. By following a spiral based on these Fibonacci numbers, the plant ensures that each leaf is tucked into a gap where it can still see the sun. ![Illustration of leaf phyllotaxis showing Fibonacci spiraling] Packing Perfection Look at a sunflower or a pinecone. The seeds are packed so tightly there is no wasted space. This happens because the seeds grow in two sets of spirals that criss-cross. If you count the spirals going left and those going right, they are almost always two neighbor numbers from the sequence, like 34 and 55 . Lilies usually have 3 petals. Buttercups have 5 . Daisies often have 34, 55, or 89 . Pineapples have scales that form spirals following these exact counts. Binyan vs. Tzmicha: The Growing Building The late Rav Wolbe used to contrast Binyan (building) with Tzmicha (growth). A building is made of dead blocks following a blueprint; a plant grows organically. But the novelty here is that there is a "building" happening inside the growth! There is an architectural design working within the plant itself. It is a "growing building"—a structure that isn't happening randomly but according to a specific mathematical stamp of wisdom. The Golden Ratio: God's Favorite Recipe While the Fibonacci sequence is a string of numbers, the Golden Ratio ($approx 1.6$) is the relationship between them. It is a way of dividing things so they are perfectly balanced. Imagine a bar of chocolate. If you break it so the big piece is $1.6$ times larger than the small piece, and the whole bar is $1.6$ times larger than the big piece, you've hit the "Golden" proportion. ![Diagram of the Golden Rectangle and the Fibonacci Spiral] Why it Matters to Us Aesthetics: Humans find this ratio naturally pleasing. Your credit card, a standard index card, and even the Mona Lisa are shaped close to this ratio because it feels "right" to our brains. Art & Music: Artists place subjects at the "Golden Line" (about 60% across) to make an image feel stable yet dynamic. Some composers even time the climax of a song to hit at the "Golden Moment"—62% of the way through. The Universal Stamp This isn't just in plants. The same ratio appears everywhere: The Human Body: The proportion between your hand and your arm, or the features of a balanced face. The Cosmos: The spiral of a massive hurricane and the structure of the Milky Way galaxy follow this exact geometry. Microscopic Life: Even DNA molecules measure in a way that reflects this sequence. In the language of Bitachon , this shows us there is One Designer . He put His stamp on everything. As the Sha'ar HaBechina teaches, even though everything in creation looks different, there is a singular, divine similarity that runs through it all. This mathematical sequence is the "identity card" of the Creator, found in every corner of the universe.

In this week's Be'er Haparashah, there is a remarkable anecdote about a speaker who was delivering a shiur to a group of men. In the middle of his speech, a community leader approached him and handed him a small note. The note explained that a substantial sum of money had been given anonymously, to be distributed among everyone present. For the sake of order, the speaker instructed all the men to pair up, and each pair would arm wrestle. Every victory would earn five dollars. The men quickly paired off, creating a total of fifty pairs, and began the arm wrestling. After ten minutes, the speaker announced that time was up and he would divide the money according to the number of victories. The first pair counted their wins: one person had won three times and would receive fifteen dollars, while the other had won twice and received ten dollars. The same pattern continued with the other pairs. When they reached the last pair, to everyone's astonishment, both individuals reported three hundred victories each, entitling them to fifteen hundred dollars each. When asked how this had happened, they explained that while everyone else had tried to defeat their partner, their efforts had been mostly spent resisting each other, which limited their actual successes. This pair, however, had a different strategy. Rather than competing, each helped the other succeed. They alternated willingly, supporting each other in every round. As a result, they completed hundreds of repetitions peacefully, accumulating far more victories than anyone else. The speaker explained to the assembly: those who struggled with excessive effort and competition did not gain. Their labor was wasted and even caused loss. Those who acted with peace, cooperation, and mutual support earned many times more. This lesson applies to life and hishtadlut . When a person exerts effort out of anxiety, competitiveness, or self-interest, it often blocks the gates of blessing and exhausts the body and soul for nothing. But a calm, peaceful effort, performed with Emunah in Hashem and concern for others, finds success easily and abundantly. The story also teaches that those who focus solely on themselves, on winning or personal gain, toil endlessly and often fail, whereas those who act with consideration for others bring great blessing upon themselves. A woman recently told me she was desperately trying to bring her two sons home from Israel during the war. She had tried every possible way but kept failing. A few days ago, she received a call from someone offering help. He could secure two spots on a plane and asked for the names of her sons. She explained that she was working together with another mother who was trying to get her son home. She insisted that she needed three spots, refusing to abandon the other mother's son. The man explained it could only be two or nothing, which was extremely difficult for her. She felt strongly that it was only right to include the other mother's child, despite the challenge. And so she turned it down. The next day, the man called back and reported that he had been able to secure three spots—and it was a much better option in every way. Baruch Hashem, all three boys returned home safely just yesterday. This story demonstrates that those who care for others do not lose. On the contrary, Hashem provides extra assistance from Heaven to those who act with Emunah, empathy, and consideration for others.

In this uplifting episode of Inside ArtScroll, Rabbi Shlomo Landau sits down with Rabbi David Sutton to explore The Bitachon Haggadah – With a Daily Dose of Preparation, a sefer that transforms the way we approach Pesach.  At its heart is a powerful yet simple idea: true freedom doesn't begin on the night of the Seder — it begins thirty days earlier. Rabbi Sutton shares how this unique “two-in-one” work serves both as a 30-day daily reader and a complete Haggadah with commentary, gently guiding readers through a month-long journey of emunah, bitachon, and inner growth so they can arrive at Pesach calm, centered, and spiritually ready. Drawing on the wisdom of Chazal, Rishonim, and later Torah giants, Rabbi Sutton explains how Yetzias Mitzrayim is not merely a story of the past, but a living, personal experience meant to renew our faith each year. Interwoven with meaningful insights and heart-stirring stories, the Haggadah brings warmth and depth to the Seder table while strengthening one's connection to Hashem long after Pesach has passed.  This conversation offers a refreshing perspective on preparation, showing how anticipation itself can become a pathway to serenity, clarity, and true cheirus.

Daily Bitachon: The Chemical Warfare and Social Media of Plants Welcome back to our series on Shaar Habechina . We often think of plants as helpless because they are rooted to one spot—unable to run from a hungry caterpillar or hide when a neighbor is attacked. However, Hashem has equipped them to be world-class chemists. Using a complex language of smells and underground signals, they fight back and share resources. As we discussed, a plant is a living laboratory; it is alive. The Plant as a Living Laboratory While its primary biology handles growing and eating, the plant produces secondary metabolites —special-force chemicals designed for specific missions: Deterrents (The "Get-Away" Chemicals): Many plants produce toxins or bitter compounds to stop predators. The heat in a chili pepper or the sting of mustard is the plant's way of saying, "Stop chewing!" Caffeine is actually a natural pesticide produced by coffee plants to paralyze or kill encroaching bugs. Attractants (The "Come-Here" Chemicals): These are the perfumes of the floral world, carefully designed to attract specific couriers—bees, birds, or bats—to carry their pollen. The Wood Wide Web: Nature's Internet Perhaps the most mind-blowing discovery in modern botany is that trees are not isolated individuals. They are connected by a massive underground internet made of fungi—a perfect symbiotic relationship . Tiny fungal threads called mycelium wrap around tree roots. The tree provides the fungi with sugar, and in exchange, the fungi scavenge the soil for minerals the tree cannot reach. Through this network, they send alerts. I remember working in a summer camp where an inspector would visit the kitchens. The first camp to get hit would immediately call all the other camps in the mountains to "get ready." Trees do the exact same thing! When a tree is attacked by a beetle, it releases warning chemicals into the fungal network. Neighboring trees receive the signal and immediately start pumping bitter toxins into their leaves to prepare for the attack before the beetles even arrive. There is even Chesed (kindness) in botany: older "mother trees" send extra sugar through this network to struggling saplings in the shade to help them survive. Calling the Police: Airborne Communication Plants also talk through the air. That distinct smell of fresh-cut grass? That is actually a distress signal . Some plants, when being eaten by a caterpillar, release a specific scent that attracts parasitic wasps. The wasps follow the scent, find the caterpillars, and remove them. The plant is essentially calling the police to handle the intruder. The Brain in the Roots The root system is a hidden mirror of the plant above. Roots are the plant's brain and sensory system: Gravity Sensing: Even in total darkness, a root knows which way is "down." Tiny starch grains act like weights, falling to the bottom of the cells to guide growth. Acoustic Navigation: Recent studies suggest roots can "hear" the tiny vibrations of water moving through pipes and will grow toward the sound. Selective Mining: Roots act as a sophisticated purification system, deciding which minerals to take in and which to block out. Masterpieces of Engineering: Seed Travel If a seed just falls straight down, it dies in the shadow of its parent. To solve this, Hashem engineered transportation devices that are masterpieces of physics: Aerodynamics: Dandelion seeds use "parachutes" to catch the breeze, while maple seeds are shaped like "helicopter" wings to spin and stay airborne. The Original Velcro: Burrs use tiny hooks to hitchhike on animal fur. This was the actual inspiration for Velcro! Organic Cannons & Bio-Boats: Some plants build up pressure until they literally explode, launching seeds away. Others, like the coconut, are waterproof "bio-boats" designed to float across entire oceans to find a new home. Everything we see—from the "Wood Wide Web" to the exploding seed—is a wonder of wonders designed for us to appreciate the infinite wisdom of the Creator.

The Zohar HaKadosh writes in Parashat Vayakhel that people do not realize how powerful tefillah really is. Tefillah has the ability to pierce through the heavens and open gates that previously could not be opened. Rabbeinu Bachya writes in Parashat Ekev that tefillah has the ability to change nature, to save a person from danger, and to nullify harsh decrees. The Maharsha writes in Masechet Shabbat ( דף קנ״א ע״ב ) that even though Chazal say a person's lifespan, number of children, and parnasah depend on mazal, tefillah has the power to change mazal. When a person prays during an et ratzon, a time of divine favor, the tefillah becomes even more powerful. David HaMelech asked Hashem that his prayers should reach Him during such a time, as it says: ואני תפילתי לך ה׳ עת רצון . The Midrash asks regarding the pasuk that says Eliezer ran toward Rivka: why was he running so quickly? It answers that once Eliezer realized he was experiencing an et ratzon, because Hashem had already performed a miracle for him by shortening the journey, he hurried to take advantage of that special moment and seek even more heavenly assistance. Rashi writes in Parashat Ki Tisa that when Moshe Rabbeinu saw that his requests were being answered, he understood that it was an et ratzon. He therefore continued asking for more in order to gain the greatest benefit from that special time. The Bnei Yissaschar writes that there are angels appointed in Shamayim to bring our tefillot upward, and they examine the prayers to determine if they are worthy. However, during an et ratzon the tefillot do not require their assistance. They ascend directly without scrutiny. The Mashgiach, Rav Yechezkel Levenstein, said that there is no greater et ratzon in Shamayim than when a person overcomes his yetzer hara. This means a person can actually create his own et ratzon and then use it to ask Hashem for whatever he needs. For example, if a person feels a strong yetzer hara to look at something inappropriate and overcomes it, he should realize that at that moment he has created an et ratzon. We have heard many stories about people who were publicly humiliated but chose not to respond and instead gave a blessing to a person in need of salvation. And those blessings brought about salvations. Why does this work? One explanation is that when a person is humiliated, the yetzer hara strongly pushes him to respond with anger. If he overcomes that impulse, he creates such a powerful et ratzon that his tefillot and blessings become especially potent. People are constantly tested—through anger, jealousy, and many other challenges. If we can motivate ourselves to overcome those tests, we can create moments of divine favor that we can then use to pray for what we need. The Keter Shem Tov brings from the Baal Shem Tov that when a person truly feels pain for another person's suffering, that creates an et ratzon. Even greater than that is when a person can genuinely feel happy when another person experiences success. And even greater still is when two people both need a salvation and one receives it while the other does not. If instead of complaining and asking why he was not helped, the person can feel sincere happiness for the other's simchah, that creates an extremely powerful et ratzon. At that moment he can pour out his heart to Hashem and ask for what he needs. Tefillah is always powerful, but during an et ratzon it becomes even more powerful.

Don't Trust Your Mind

The Wonders of the Plant: Xylem, Phloem, and the Growing Soul In our previous journey through Shaar Habechina , we explored the miracle of photosynthesis—how a plant manufactures glucose from thin air. But that process requires a constant supply of water. Without a mechanical heart, how do plants move water hundreds of feet upward against gravity? The Xylem: The Solar-Powered Straw The secret lies in the xylem . Think of it as a bundle of microscopic, hollow drinking straws running from the deepest root tip to the highest leaf. These tubes are made of dead cells, allowing pure physics—or as we know it, Hateva (Nature), which shares the Gematria of Elokim —to take over. Cohesion: Water molecules are naturally "sticky." They cling to each other like a long silver rope. The Solar Engine: The sun warms the leaf, causing water to evaporate through tiny pores called stomata . As one molecule leaves, it tugs the one behind it. This suction is strong enough to lift water to the top of a giant Sequoia. Root Pressure: While the sun pulls from the top, the roots push from the bottom. Through osmosis , the roots draw in water, giving it that initial upward nudge. An oak tree can "sweat" 40,000 gallons of water a year without spending a single calorie of its own energy. It is a hidden miracle of efficiency. The Phloem: The Intelligent Delivery Service While the xylem is a one-way street for raw water, the phloem is a multi-directional delivery service for the finished product: glucose. Smart Distribution: The phloem sends energy down to the roots, up to the flowers for nectar, and sideways into the fruit to make it sweet. The Pressure System: It works like a tube of toothpaste. By loading sugar into the tubes, water rushes in to dilute it, creating intense pressure that squeezes the sap exactly where the plant needs it most. A Living System: Unlike the xylem, phloem cells are alive . They require "companion cells" to act as life-support systems, managing sugar levels with incredible precision. Nefesh Hatzomachat: The Soul of Growth In Jewish thought, we call this the Nefesh Hatzomachat —the growing soul. As the Ramban explains (Bereishit 1:20), a tree isn't just a biological machine; it possesses a level of "life" that responds to its environment. The Midrash Rabbah (41:1) tells of a palm tree in Chamat that refused to bear fruit because it was "longing" for a palm in Yericho. Only after it was grafted with a branch from its "neighbor" did it produce fruit. We might think trees lack understanding, but as we see through these intricate systems of life and communication, there is a profound intelligence embedded in every leaf and root.

The Sefer HaChinuch writes in Mitzvah תלג , that goodness and blessing come upon a person according to his deeds and thoughts, and our Creator, who wants our good, has taught us about the precious mitzvot through which we can merit the greatest blessings. As well, He taught us a way in which we could have all of our wants for the good, and that is by asking Him, the One who has the wherewithal and ability to provide us with everything we could possibly need.He will answer anyone who calls out to Him with sincerity. The Chinuch continues, besides informing us of the precious gift of tefillah, He also commanded us to utilize it and ask from Him constantly for every single thing we need. If we do that, besides for getting what we want, we will also be ingraining in ourselves the emunah, that He is involved in every little detail of our lives and that nothing can stop Him from giving us everything we could want. That is the end of the quote of the Sefer HaChinuch. We know how precious tefillah is, but sometimes we forget to take advantage of it. A man told me he had two issues in his home that were bothering him for months. One was an electrical issue with something installed in his home, and one was a plumbing issue. For some reason, he was having an extremely hard time getting both of them resolved. The electrician kept telling him he was too busy to come, and when he tried calling different electricians, they would all say, the one who installed it has to be the one to fix it, as it was a special unit. As well, the plumber was unresponsive. This past Friday morning, as the man was making his regular requests in the Amidah, he thought to himself, he never once asked Hashem for help with those quote-unquote petty issues. He decided to pray to Hashem to get them fixed. After shul, he called the electrician, and this time he answered right away. The electrician gave him his ear, and when he was once again informed of the problem, the electrician told him he could guide him on the phone, step by step, what to do to fix the issue. When the man got home, the electrician guided him, and sure enough, the problem was finally fixed. Right after that, he called the plumber, and this time, the plumber answered and finally agreed to come. Two days later, and Baruch Hashem, he came and fixed the issue. There is nothing that is too small to pray for. Sometimes, we just forget to utilize the awesome gift of tefillah that Hashem has given us. I once read a story about a man who was rushing out of his house for an important meeting. As he went to his car, he suddenly realized he didn't have his car keys with him, so he ran back to the house to get them, but couldn't find them anywhere. He began to panic because the meeting was very important, and he was already running late. He started searching faster and faster, opening drawers, moving around papers, and then he stopped for a minute and said to himself, Hashem knows exactly where my keys are. Why don't I make a tefillah and ask Him for help? He then closed his eyes and asked Hashem to please show him where the keys were so he could make the meeting on time. Less than a minute later, he found the keys lying under a magazine in the kitchen. Tefillah is always great, and we must never forget to utilize it at all times.

Our Journey Through Shaar Bechina: The Wisdom of Plants Welcome to our daily Bitachon session as we continue our journey through Shaar Bechina . We are currently exploring the unit on plants, where the Chovot HaLevavot instructs us to observe the botanical world, understand its myriad benefits, and contemplate the diverse natures of vegetation. He cites a powerful Pasuk from Melachim Aleph (5:13) regarding the wisdom of Shlomo HaMelech: "Vayeidaber al haetzim" —he spoke of the trees— "min ha-erez asher ba-Levanon ve-ad ha-ezov asher yetzei ba-kir" (from the great cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall). Simply understood, Shlomo HaMelech used his Divinely granted wisdom to analyze the intricate nature of plants. What is the "wisdom" hidden within a plant? To understand this, let's look at some of the general wonders found across the plant kingdom. 1. The Miracle of Photosynthesis The most profound wonder of the plant world is photosynthesis. Plants essentially live on "thin air" and light. Through this process, plants capture photons from the sun and convert water and carbon dioxide into glucose. As we know, glucose is sugar—the fundamental energy source we all need to survive. It is worth noting that every human invention—though Divinely inspired—finds its precursor in nature. Every leaf is a sophisticated solar panel, perfectly oriented to maximize sun exposure. While the plant "feeds" itself, it produces a byproduct: oxygen. This creates the very atmosphere that allows all complex life to breathe. The "Kitchen" of the Leaf To put photosynthesis in layman's terms, think of it like baking a cake. You need specific ingredients and a heat source: The Energy (The Oven): Sunlight. The Liquid: Water, drawn up through the roots. The Air: Carbon dioxide, breathed in through tiny pores in the leaves. Inside the leaves are millions of microscopic "factories" called chloroplasts , which contain a pigment called chlorophyll . Chlorophyll's job is to catch solar energy; this is why most plants appear green. The pigment absorbs red and blue lightwaves to power the factory and reflects the green waves back to our eyes. When sunlight hits the water inside the leaf, something incredible happens: the energy is so powerful that it splits the water molecule ($H_2O$) apart. The plant keeps the hydrogen to build its food and releases the oxygen as a "waste product." The plant doesn't need that oxygen for its own process, so it exhales it into the air—providing exactly what we need to breathe. Just as we learned previously that the sun "unlocks" the Vitamin D already inside us, the sun here "unlocks" the oxygen held within the water of the plant. 2. The Warehouse: From Glucose to Starch Once the plant has hydrogen from the water and carbon dioxide from the air, it uses its captured solar energy to assemble them into glucose . This is the plant's fuel. It uses some immediately for growth and stores the rest for later. However, there is a "packaging" challenge. Glucose is a simple sugar that dissolves easily in water—great for moving energy around, but too unstable for long-term storage. To solve this, the plant performs a sophisticated chemical "zipping" process: it links thousands of glucose molecules into complex chains called starch . Starch is like a compressed file; it is stable, doesn't dissolve easily, and packs a massive amount of energy into a small space. When we eat a potato or a grain of rice, our bodies simply perform the reverse: we break those starch chains back down into the glucose our brains and muscles crave. 3. Raiding the Vault vs. Accepting a Gift Plants store this extra energy in different ways, leading to two distinct types of "food" for us: The Tubers (The Vault): A potato is actually a swollen underground stem. The plant pumps it full of starch so that when spring arrives, the "eyes" of the potato have enough fuel to grow a new plant before they even reach the sunlight. When we eat a potato, we are essentially "raiding the vault," taking the fuel intended for the next generation. The Fruit (The Transaction): While tubers are for the plant's survival, fruits are designed to be eaten. This is Hashem's brilliant strategy for seed dispersal. While a seed is immature, the plant keeps the fruit sour, hard, and green. Once the seeds are ready, the plant converts starches into sweet sugars and changes the fruit's color to make it "pop" against the green leaves. This is a beautiful transaction: the plant pays an animal with a high-energy meal in exchange for the animal carrying the seeds to a new location and depositing them in natural fertilizer (manure). 4. The Ultimate High-Density Storage: Seeds Finally, we have seeds like beans, corn, and almonds. These are the ultimate "survival kits." Because a baby plant (the embryo) must grow its first root and leaf without any help, the parent plant packs the seed with a concentrated mix of starch, fats, and proteins. This is why nuts and grains are so calorically dense; they are the "first meal" for new life. Just as an egg contains a yolk to feed the developing chick, a seed contains the food for the plant embryo. When we eat these seeds, we are consuming the very sustenance God prepared for the next generation of growth.

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 40 minutesSynopsis: This evening (3/5/25), in our Thursday night women's shiur, we continued our exploration of Rabbeinu Yonah on bitachon. The bad news is that I didn't have a chance to prepare. The good news is that our review went SO far in-depth that we ended up covering a whole lot that I hadn't planned. In the text of Rabbeinu Yonah, we only read one additional sentence, but our understanding of bitachon was sharpened AND deepened. Next time (בג"ה) we'll attempt to finish the Rabbeinu Yonah on our pasuk.-----מקורות:רבינו יונה - משלי ג:ורמב"ם - משנה תורה: הקדמה, חלוקת הספריםרמב"ם - מורה הנבוכים ג:נאשמות לג:יג,יח-יטאבות ב:דר' אברהם בן הרמב"ם - בראשית כח:כ-----The Torah content this week is sponsored by Avital and Yitzy Richter. This Purim, may we be zocheh to see Hashem redeem Klal Yisrael and lead us from geulah to geulah!-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/YU Torah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-SchneeweissPatreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

Parnassah comes only from Hashem, and therefore it does not have to operate according to normal human calculations. If somebody needed more money, it would seem illogical for him to give away what he already has. Yet Chazal tell us: עשר בשביל שתתעשר — give away ten percent so that you will become wealthy. The very actions that appear illogical according to our reasoning often become the very source of blessing that brings a person more parnassah. When we show that we truly believe our parnassah comes only from Hashem — by, so to speak, putting our money where our mouths are — those actions activate even more blessing. A woman we will call Rachel, who runs her own business, recently received a call from a customer who usually places large orders with her twice a year. The customer told her she planned to make her regular order again and would soon get back to her with the details about colors and styles. A few days later the customer called back. She explained that another woman she had recently become close with was asking her to give her the order instead. She said she really wanted to switch and help this other woman, but because she had already told Rachel that she would be ordering from her, she planned to ask a rabbi if it was permitted to back out. Rachel, who firmly believes that all of her parnassah comes from Hashem, told her, "It makes no difference to me which customer my parnassah comes through. If you truly want to switch, you have my blessing." The woman was very impressed with Rachel's emunah and thanked her for allowing her to switch. Practically speaking, this probably meant Rachel would permanently lose a steady customer. Just a few minutes later, Rachel received a phone call from someone who had never ordered from her before. The order this person wanted to place was more than double the one she had just given up. Later that night Rachel called the first customer back and told her not to feel guilty at all for switching, because Hashem had already replaced the loss and even given her more. The woman then told her she had just discovered that the other seller's prices were not as good as Rachel's, and she felt bad for having switched. With Hashem's help, Rachel would now likely have that customer returning in the future — in addition to the new one she had just gained. She demonstrated her emunah, and immediately saw blessing from it. A man we will call Daniel related another story. One day he received a phone call from the rabbi of his brother's shul. The rabbi asked Daniel if he could help resolve a difficult situation involving his brother. His brother owed someone money and had not paid it back, and the matter had created significant tension. The rabbi said, "For the sake of shalom, this issue must be resolved. If it continues like this, I may have to start paying the debt myself." Daniel was not a wealthy man, but he said to the rabbi, "For the sake of shalom, I will pay." He gave the rabbi his credit card and told him he would cover the amount in installments. Just like that, the issue was resolved. Less than ten minutes later, a neighbor called Daniel and asked if he remembered helping him many years earlier. Daniel had forgotten, but the neighbor reminded him of the favor he had done for him twenty years before. The neighbor then told him that he had recently made some money and wanted to repay Daniel for the kindness he had shown him back then. The amount he gave him was far greater than the amount Daniel had just committed to pay for his brother. Hashem can provide a person with parnassah in unlimited ways. Very often, when a person performs righteous acts that involve giving up money, Hashem blesses him with even more in return.

As The Missiles Fall

As The Missiles Fall

Hashem's Name is not mentioned even once in the Megillah, yet He is involved in every last detail of it. Hashem, who has the past, present, and future revealed before Him at all times, orchestrates events long before they are needed so that His plan can ultimately come to fruition. The fact that the palace of Achashverosh was relocated to a small city called Shushan Habirah was itself a tremendous hidden miracle. That is where Mordechai lived, and that is where the salvation of the Jewish people was destined to unfold. The Vilna Gaon writes that the fact that Vashti decided to make her own party — seemingly for no reason — was only because Hashem was setting the stage for her to be summoned and ultimately removed from her position as queen. Hashem was arranging events years in advance, preparing the path for the moment when salvation would be needed. Haman suggested that Achashverosh grant himself the authority to act independently in any matter that concerned him personally, without consulting his advisors. Haman's intention was clear. He planned to later tell Achashverosh that the Jewish people were not following the king's directives. That would be seen as a personal affront to the king, giving him full power to decree annihilation upon them. But this, too, was the Yad Hashem. For later, when Esther would reveal that Haman sought to harm her, Achashverosh would now possess full independent authority to decree death upon Haman without consulting anyone else. The very mechanism Haman built for destruction became the instrument of his own downfall. The Megillah teaches us how to connect events in our own lives and recognize the Yad Hashem within them. When we step back, it becomes obvious how intimately Hashem is involved in each and every one of our lives. Someone recently sent me a story that was told by Sruli Shain on Stories to Inspire. He heard it firsthand from Shuli Rosenblum, who works at Bagel Hole in Brooklyn. One Friday afternoon, Shuli Rosenblum decided to bring home some leftover chocolate chip muffins from the bagel store for his family. On his way home, he stopped by his parents' house to visit his father, who had injured his leg and was resting with it elevated. He wished his parents Shabbat Shalom and left the muffins there so they could give them to the grandchildren if they came to visit. Mr. Rosenblum had his leg elevated on a special motorized footrest attached to his recliner, controlled by a lever on the side of the chair. Early Shabbat morning, at around 5:00 a.m., he woke up and began learning Chumash while sitting in that chair. He dozed off. His sefer slipped from his hands and struck the lever on the side of the chair, causing the entire chair to reposition forward. Not only could he no longer elevate his leg, he could not sit in the chair properly at all. Since he needed his leg elevated to recover, he went outside to see if anyone was walking by who could help him. He saw a man and tried to explain what had happened. The man responded, "Don't worry. I'm a Shabbos goy. I know exactly what to do." He came inside and fixed the chair. Before the man left, Mr. Rosenblum wanted to give him something in appreciation. He offered him one of the kosher chocolate chip muffins that his son had brought over the day before. The man suddenly turned pale. "I can't believe this," he said. "G-d really watches over His people." He explained that he works as a caretaker. Every Saturday morning, he visits an elderly Jew in his nineties, Mr. Fried. He helps him get ready for shul, gives him something to eat, and then accompanies him there. Usually, Mr. Fried's wife buys him a muffin for breakfast. But that Friday, she arrived at the bakery too late, and they were already closed. The caretaker assumed they would not know the difference and bought a chocolate chip muffin from a non-kosher grocery store. He was on his way to give it to Mr. Fried when he was unexpectedly stopped at 5:30 in the morning and offered a kosher chocolate chip muffin instead. Both men stood there in awe at how perfectly timed their encounter had been. After Shabbat, Mr. Rosenblum called the Fried family to tell them what had happened. They were even more moved. They explained that their father would often tell them that during the Holocaust, there were times he did not eat for days because he refused to eat anything non-kosher. Now, decades later, Hashem protected him once again, ensuring that his lifelong commitment to kashrut remained intact, even though he had no idea what was unfolding behind the scenes. Hashem is involved in every moment of every person's life.

Moving forward on Bitachon and not backwards

The pasuk says that Amalek attacked the Jewish People when they were in רפידים and Chazal tell us the reason Amalek was able to attack was because רפו ידיהם מן התורה – the Jewish People became weakened in Torah. Rabbi Menashe Reizman quoted from the Shem M'Shmuel who said in the name of his father the Avnei Nezer that Amelek attacked around the 29 th day of Iyar, just about a week before the Jewish People received the Torah on Har Sinai. At that time, they were counting Sefirat HaOmer , they knew they were rising each day out of the 49 th level of tuma they had been in and they knew they were going to reach the highest levels of kedusha , so how were they able to become weakened in Torah at a time like that? The answer is because they didn't feel any tangible change inside of them. They weren't feeling more spiritual. More than 40 days of the counting had passed and yet they still felt the same as they did before. That caused them to become weak and that was how Amalek was able to attack. The Tiferet Shlomo writes the same thing is happening during this long galut . Without a question we are at the doorstep of Mashiach and when he comes, the Navi tells us, ישפוך ה' רוחו על כל בשר ונבאו בניכם ובנותיכם – Hashem is going to bestow His spirit upon us and our children are going to be nevi'im. We would think that at this time we should feel 99% of the way there, we should feel imbued with the spirit of Hashem, ready to receive prophecy. Yet, in reality, we don't feel that way. The reason, he says, Hashem did it this way is because if we felt like the level we were actually on, it would take away our free will. The enjoyment from those feelings would make it too easy for us to choose good over evil. We are always going to have the Amalek inside of us saying, You're not accomplishing anything. See, you don't feel it. This attitude has caused so many people to become weak in their avodat Hashem. The Jewish People didn't feel the growth that they had a week before Matan Torah , but how great were they in actuality? The following week they received the ultimate level of prophecy, they reached the ultimate level a person could possibly be on, hearing the voice, kavayachol , of HaKadosh Baruch Hu . They had a misunderstanding, they really were on a high level, it's just that Hashem didn't allow them to feel that way, so He could balance their free will. The same applies to us today. A person who is learning and growing might say to himself, I don't feel any change. The Amalek inside of him is saying, you're not growing, the Torah's not affecting you. And because in reality the person doesn't have the feeling he is looking for, he believes Amalek. We must strengthen ourselves and realize, every avodah we do is making us so great. We are rising higher and higher in anticipation of greeting the Mashiach . Specifically because we live in such a depraved world, it makes our avodah that much more valuable. If we stay the course, we will see how much of an effect Torah and mitzvot really is having on us. B'ezrat Hashem, we should merit that glorious day when the Mashiach will come and Hashem will rest His spirit upon us.

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 46 minutesSynopsis: This evening (2/26/25), in our Thursday night women's shiur, we continued our exploration of Rabbeinu Yonah on bitachon. After a lengthy, in-depth review of what we covered last time on Mishlei 3:5, we began learning his commentary on Mishlei 3:6. If Part 1 focused on the theoretical aspects of bitachon, Part 2 shifted to the practical. We had to examine several premises about how Hashem runs the world and about the faculties of the soul in man, but we emerged with a working model of what bitachon looks like and how to cultivate it. Next up: the effect bitachon has on the success of our actions.-----מקורות:רבינו יונה - משלי א:כב; ג:ה-ורמב"ם - שמונה פרקים: פרק חמצודת דוד - תהלים קטז:ידרמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר המדע, הלכות ברכות א:א-ג-----The Torah content for the month of February is sponsored by the Koffsky family in memory of Adira Rose Koffsky a”h, whose third yahrzeit is on the 11th of Shvat. Adira was a gifted writer, a deep thinker, and an exceptionally kind soul. I am grateful to have been able to call her my student. תְּהֵא נִשְׁמָתָהּ צְרוּרָה בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים (May her soul be bound up in the bundle of life.)-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/YUTorah: yutorah.org/teachers/Rabbi-Matt-SchneeweissPatreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

There is a fundamental difference between the miracle of Purim and the miracles of the other holidays. On the other holidays, the salvation came through open miracles. The rules of nature were overturned for all to see — the sea split, enemies fell, and the hand of Hashem was revealed in a way no one could deny. Purim, however, was very different. Everything unfolded through what appeared to be the natural course of events. Only someone who studies the entire chain of occurrences over those nine years can see how every detail was being guided and arranged by Hashem to bring salvation to Am Yisrael. This is the greatness of Megillat Esther, where the hashgachah of Hashem is highlighted, teaching us how to recognize Hashem in our own lives the very same way. We do not see open miracles today, but we can certainly see the guiding hand of Hashem in everything that happens to us each and every day. The hashgachah of Hashem is upon everything. Every last detail of every single event is being carefully planned and orchestrated by Hashem for our good. Nothing is random and nothing is overlooked. The more we train ourselves to notice this, the more clearly we will begin to see Hashem's presence in our lives. Megillat Esther was written not merely to tell us what happened then, but to teach us how to view what is happening now. Just as Hashem arranged every seemingly natural event in the Purim story to bring about salvation, so too He arranges every detail in our own lives with the same loving precision. A man related that he was called on a Friday to repair something in a large school building. Since there were no classes that day, only the office staff were present. He entered the assigned room, fixed what needed fixing, and prepared to leave. Instead of exiting through the door he had used to enter, he noticed another door marked "Exit" and went out through it. The door shut behind him — and locked. He suddenly realized he was trapped in a small corridor with no way out. Someone would have to open the door from the other side. He quickly called the school office, but there was no answer. Then he noticed his phone battery was about to die. He forced himself to stay calm and think. What was the shortest, most effective call he could make before the battery died? He called his wife and quickly told her he was stuck in the school and needed someone to open the door. She didn't even have time to respond before the phone went dead. Baruch Hashem, the message got through. She came to the school, found someone, and they opened the door. When he finally stepped outside, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "If my battery had died ten seconds earlier, I would have been trapped here the entire Shabbat." But his wife, with simple and pure emunah, replied with a sentence that completely changed his understanding: "If the battery had died earlier, Hashem would never have brought you here in the first place — because He wanted you home for Shabbat." At that moment, the man realized something profound. We often thank Hashem for the miracle we see at the end of the story. But true emunah means recognizing that the entire situation was arranged from the beginning so that the outcome could unfold exactly as it did. The battery did not almost die too early. It had precisely the amount of charge it was meant to have — not one percent more, and not one percent less. A person may think his salvation depended on quick thinking, on making the right phone call, or on the last bar of battery. In truth, the salvation began long before, exactly as Hashem planned it. The battery did not save him. Hashem saved him. And once Hashem decided he would be home for Shabbat, no locked door, no empty building, and no dying phone could change that. Hashem calculates our lives down to the smallest details. Our job is to learn to recognize His loving hand in everything that takes place.

The Zohar HaKadosh (Vayikra ק״ד ) teaches that because Hashem is so loving and merciful, when a harsh decree hangs over a person, Hashem sends him a precious gift that can help annul it. That gift often comes in the form of a mitzvah opportunity. The example the Zohar gives is when a poor person comes asking for charity. If the person seizes the opportunity and gives with generosity and a good heart, he draws upon himself a special protection that can ward off the decree. The Midrash in Vayikra Rabbah teaches: יותר ממה שבעל הבית עושה עם העני — העני עושה עם בעל הבית — more than the giver does for the poor man, the poor man does for the giver. The poor man grants the giver life, livelihood, and success. A giver may feel the poor person is indebted to him, but in truth, it is often the other way around. Rabbi Sneer Guetta related a story he heard from someone who knew it firsthand. It took place about forty years ago in Israel. One day a man named Avi was arranging the bins in front of his vegetable store when he noticed an infant lying in a broken carriage, covered with a dirty blanket, with no adult nearby. He began asking the people around if the baby belonged to them, but they all said no. Avi waited several minutes and still no one came. Finally he saw a woman searching through a garbage pail and went over to ask her. She said the baby was hers and apologized for worrying him. Avi immediately understood that she was in desperate financial straits and told her that he wanted to take upon himself the responsibility of supporting her child. He instructed her to come once a month to pick up an envelope with money, and that whenever she needed, she could simply come to the store and take whatever food the baby required. The woman burst into tears and thanked him from the depths of her heart. And indeed, every month she came for the envelope, and often she came for food. This arrangement continued not for one year, not for two years, but for more than twenty years. Avi never told her "enough already." He never limited what she could take. Then one day he received a call from a young man who told him, "You are an angel sent from Heaven." Avi did not understand what he meant. The young man introduced himself as Shimon and said he was engaged to Emily — the girl Avi had been supporting for the past twenty years. Avi was overjoyed to hear she was engaged. Shimon continued that his own family was well-established and from now on he himself would support Emily, so Avi could stop preparing the monthly envelopes. To Shimon's surprise, Avi pleaded with him to allow him to continue supporting her. Shimon could not understand. She no longer needed the money. Why insist? Avi then told him the story. Twenty years earlier, Avi had become entangled with dangerous criminals. One day they came to his store armed with guns and attempted to kill him. Miraculously he escaped. Shaken, he went to a great rabbi to ask what he should do — whether he should flee the country or change his identity. The rabbi told him he was certain that Hashem operates by the principle of מדה כנגד מדה so that if he would give life to another, Hashem would give life to him. He advised Avi to find someone whose life he could sustain. Avi answered that he did not know of anyone. The rabbi told him to pray that Hashem would send him the opportunity. The very next day Avi found that abandoned baby outside his store. From that day forward, he understood that supporting her was the mission that was sustaining his own life. Now he begged to be allowed to continue. Shimon listened, but he still felt that once Emily no longer needed the support, it would not be proper tzedakah. He asked Avi to hold off on sending the next envelope while he considered the matter. That very week, the criminals returned — and this time they took Avi's life. It was clear that his allotted time had come, and that the twenty years Hashem had granted him through that mitzvah had reached their end. The man who told Rabbi Guetta this story had been at Avi's funeral and personally confirmed the details. Most of the time, the effects of giving are not so dramatic or visible. But the lesson remains the same: whenever we help another person or give charity, we must realize that it is we who are gaining the most.

There are times in life when a person's struggle is not only the difficulty he is facing, but the loneliness he feels while going through it. A person may believe in Hashem his entire life. He knows the teachings of emunah. He knows that Hashem runs the world — yet inside he is still shaking. Not because he stopped believing, but because the burden feels too heavy to carry alone. At such times, a few words of chizuk can give a person tremendous strength. A man once told me he had been going through a very painful situation. For months he was living with uncertainty about his livelihood. Every morning he woke up with the same knot in his stomach. He tried to learn, he tried to pray, but inside he felt drained. One day he spoke to his rabbi and told him everything he was going through. The rabbi listened with empathy and then told him that he needed to know that Hashem was worrying about his bills more than he was. Hashem loves him with an infinite love — more than a father could ever love his son — and would never abandon him in his time of need. The message lasted less than thirty seconds. Yet the man later said those few words lifted a weight off his chest that he had been carrying for months. Nothing changed externally. The bills were still there. The uncertainty was still there. But instead of feeling alone, he felt accompanied — and not just by anyone, but by the Creator of the world Who loves him so much. Within a few weeks, his situation changed for the better. He later said the salvation did not begin the day the money came. It began the day the rabbi reminded him that Hashem was with him. It should be pointed out that although words of chizuk can help tremendously, there is a time and a place for them. Sometimes a person is not ready to hear those words. He first needs a listening ear and empathy. Furthermore, it must come from the right person and be said in the right way, because if it is not delivered properly, it could have the opposite effect. But when the right words are spoken, they can do wonders. I read a story from the Chafetz Chaim Heritage Foundation about a girl named Rivka who discovered she had a serious kidney condition when she gave birth to her first baby. The medicine she was given not only failed to help, it attacked the nerves in her inner ear, leaving her constantly dizzy and nauseous. She could not even hold her new baby. The young mother was brokenhearted from all her troubles. One day she sought help from a neurologist experienced with vertigo. He told her there was not much he could do and that she should arrange for someone else to help care for her baby. She was so distraught by those words that she stumbled out of his office to the sidewalk and into a waiting cab, where her tears began to flow. After a few moments, the Jewish driver gently asked if he could listen to her problem. For some reason, Rivka later said, she told him her entire story. After hearing everything, he spoke in a tone that stirred her courage. "Listen," he said, "promise me that when you walk into the house you will be smiling. Then your husband and parents will smile. You are like the carousel. When you move, the horses move and the music plays. If you smile, everyone will smile too. I will see you again in the future, and you will be doing fine." Rivka never met that driver again. But his encouraging words changed her perspective and infused her with new energy. She was not the horse being dragged around in circles — she was the carousel. Whichever direction she chose, her world would move with her. Those wise and compassionate words became her motto during her difficult period and continued giving her the strength she needed to keep going through her ups and downs. The right words, spoken at the right time, can truly change a person's life.

Never Depend on Yourself

Never Depend on Yourself

Our rabbis teach that we were created to perform a mission in this world so that we may enjoy the eternal bliss of the next. The task we are given is to serve Hashem from the exact place and circumstances in which He puts us. Every person receives a different life and a different set of conditions. If he fulfills the role Hashem sent him here to perform within those conditions, he will merit the delights of the World to Come. The Gemara teaches that no human eye has ever seen what the World to Come truly is — only Hashem knows its nature. When a person leaves this world, his soul enters Gan Eden, the world of souls, but Olam HaBa will only begin after the days of Mashiach. If we could imagine gathering the greatest pleasures ever experienced in this world since the beginning of time, compressing them into a single capsule, and a person were to swallow it, the joy he would feel at that moment would not even approach one second of the pleasure of Olam HaBa. This world is fleeting and its pleasures are finite. The World to Come is everlasting, and its pleasure never ends. Everything that Hashem does with a person in this world is with both worlds in mind. Hashem wants us to have the ultimate eternal pleasure, and therefore He guides us here in the precise way needed to attain it. The Mesillat Yesharim describes the pleasure of the World to Come as the soul "basking in the radiance of the Shechinah." This is a spiritual delight beyond our comprehension, because we live in physical bodies. It is a closeness to Hashem so profound that the pleasure cannot be described. In His great love, Hashem even gave us ways to taste a faint semblance of that future bliss already in this world. The Chazon Ish wrote a sefer on Emunah and Bitachon that was not published during his lifetime. Some say this was because he did not want people to recognize the extraordinary heights of Emunah he had reached, which are evident from his writings. In that work he explains that when a person truly grasps the reality of Hashem's existence, he is immediately filled with a boundless inner jubilation. His soul becomes suffused with sweetness. He tastes the sweetness of Hashem, and his desire for physical pleasures begins to fall away, while his delicate neshamah becomes enveloped in holiness, almost as if it has separated from the body and risen to the highest heavens. A new world opens before him. It is possible for a person even in this world to have moments in which he resembles an angel and actually delights in the glory of Hashem. At such times, all the pleasures of this world are like nothing compared to the joy of cleaving to his beloved Creator. The Chazon Ish himself clearly experienced such moments. When a person internalizes the reality of Hashem's presence, he can already experience a taste of the eternal pleasures that await. The closer we draw to Hashem in this world and the more we cling to Him, the more pleasure we will experience — both here and in the next.

The pasuk says in this week's Parashat Terumah, וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם Hashem commanded the Jewish people to make a Mishkan so that He could rest His Presence among them. Obviously, the Presence of Hashem cannot be contained in a physical building. Perhaps one of the lessons we can learn from here is that if we make a place for Hashem to come into our lives, He will reveal His Presence to us in ways that can transcend nature. How do we make that place? By believing in His control and His abilities. The Be'er HaParasha related a story that recently took place, heard directly from the man involved. A man whom we'll call Yehuda had just merited his first baby after four years of marriage. Last year on Chol HaMoed Pesach he was learning the sefer Netivot Shalom, and there he read that if a person has proper emunah — namely, that nothing is hard for Hashem and He can always help no matter what the issue is — then he can merit his own personal Keriat Yam Suf. The sefer advised having those thoughts and feelings especially on the seventh day of Pesach, when Keriat Yam Suf occurred. Yehuda came home that day very excited to put into practice what he had just learned. He was going to work on believing that Hashem can do anything, including giving him and his wife a baby. He also invited his sister to stay with them for Shevi'i shel Pesach, as she had been struggling with shidduchim for almost seven years. He wanted her to also have this emunah so she could have her very own Keriat Yam Suf as well. They read stories about emunah and statements of Chazal about Hashem, and they truly took to heart that Hashem could help them in an instant. They felt so strong in their emunah that they could already feel the joy of salvation. Now, less than a year later, on the Sunday of Parashat Beshalach, this sister celebrated her wedding. And on Tuesday of Parashat Beshalach, Yehuda and his wife celebrated the birth of their very first baby. True belief in Hashem's salvation can do wonders. A woman told me she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was instructed to schedule surgery immediately to have it removed. The doctors sounded very negative and instilled a great deal of fear in her. She is a woman who learns emunah daily and refused to let the diagnosis overtake her. She focused on emunah, on Hashem, and on praying, and two weeks later the surgery was done. They told her they believed they removed everything, but she would need months of chemotherapy going forward. She asked them to please take a biopsy before starting any chemo. They told her it was ninety-nine percent certain cancer and she would definitely need treatment. She answered, "I am going to be from the one percent. Please check it." She then went and strengthened her emunah even more, reviewing articles she had saved about how doctors' prognoses are meaningless when it comes to Hashem. She even sent them to her family to strengthen them as well. At the next appointment she asked again if they had taken the biopsy. Once again they told her it was ninety-nine percent a problem, but they had done the test and were waiting for results. Once again she said, "Ninety-nine percent means there is one percent that it is fine, and I believe Hashem can put me in that one percent." The next day, Erev Shabbat, she received a call from one of the doctors who told her, "Your prayers must have been answered. Everything is fine. You don't need any chemotherapy." She felt the greatest feeling — the feeling of Hashem's salvation, the feeling that her emunah was rewarded. She was overwhelmed with gratitude. The more we want Hashem in our lives, the more He reveals Himself to us. Shabbat Shalom.

The pasuk tells us that Hashem will always remember the kindness we did for Him when we left Mitzrayim. What was that kindness? לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא זְרוּעָה — we followed Hashem into a desert, into a land with no vegetation. In an extraordinary display of bitachon, the Jewish people went with their families, even their young children, into a place where, in the natural order of the world, they could have died of starvation. Yet they trusted fully that Hashem would provide for them. They could never have imagined that food would literally rain down from Heaven. They did not know how their needs would be met — but they went anyway, relying on Hashem. Why is this called a chesed? One explanation is that just as a parent cherishes when a child trusts him, so too Hashem cherishes when we trust in Him. Imagine a young child learning to swim while his parent stands in the water and tells him to jump. Beyond teaching the child how to swim, the parent wants the child to trust him — to feel secure that he will be caught and protected. Hashem loves us more than any parent could ever love a child, and He wants us to feel secure in the knowledge that He will care for us. When we trust Him, He considers that a kindness we are doing for Him. When the Jewish people placed their trust in Hashem, He surrounded them with the Clouds of Glory and gave them mann from the heavens. The pasuk testifies that one who trusts in Hashem is surrounded by His kindness- הַבּוֹטֵחַ בַּה׳ חֶסֶד יְסוֹבְבֶנּוּ . If someone is struggling financially — or facing any challenge — and finds himself lying awake at night consumed by worry, he should realize that he has a precious opportunity to do a chesed for Hashem by placing his trust in Him. If he can calm himself and feel secure in the awareness that Hashem runs the world and his life, and that He will provide in the best possible way, then he has accomplished this chesed. Hashem knows what is in a person's heart, so the feeling must be genuine. A person can strengthen this by learning sefarim on emunah and bitachon. And when he does this chesed for Hashem, Hashem in turn surrounds him with chesed. A young woman told me that a few years ago her father told the family he was struggling badly in business. It became so severe that he feared he would not be able to afford the necessities for the upcoming Yom Tov. But instead of becoming anxious, he calmed his family and told them that Hashem had always taken care of them and that all they needed to do now was trust in Him. His bitachon was contagious, and the entire family felt a sense of calm even during that very difficult time. He did not tell a single person about his situation. He spoke only to Hashem. A few days before Yom Tov, some friends came to his home with a large package. They explained that they had long appreciated how much he had helped them in the past, and now they wanted to express their hakarat hatov. They brought hundreds of dollars' worth of meat and groceries — along with an envelope containing thousands of dollars in cash. This family performed a chesed for Hashem by trusting in Him, and He performed a chesed for them by surrounding them with His kindness.

The Gemara says that one of the things that constantly needs chizuk is tefillah. We know in the back of our minds how great tefillah is, but when it is not at the forefront, we may unwittingly fail to take full advantage of it. In Pressburg, where the Ketav Sofer served as the rabbi, a non-Jewish worker once stole the wallet of the head of the city in broad daylight. The official was so outraged that he ordered the entire police force to focus on finding the thief. The worker hid the wallet in the home of the Jew he worked for. When the police searched the house, they found the wallet and immediately jailed the Jew. The head of the city ordered the death penalty. When the Ketav Sofer heard that this innocent Jewish family man was suddenly on death row, he did everything in his power to save him. He spoke to leaders and dignitaries, but nothing helped. The evening before the execution, he made one last desperate attempt — again without success. He returned home exhausted and distraught and eventually fell asleep. In his dream, his father, The Chatam Sofer, appeared with an angry expression and asked how he could sleep while an innocent Jew was about to be killed. The Ketav Sofer replied that he had tried everything in his power but could not free him. The Chatam Sofer answered, "What do you mean you tried everything? Why didn't you pray?" At that moment the Ketav Sofer awoke. He immediately gathered the people of the city to the shul, and they spent the entire night crying out in tefillah. The next morning, the authorities decided to re-examine the case. When they questioned the gentile worker again, he confessed — and the Jew was saved. Sometimes we forget the most important hishtadlut we can make: tefillah. A woman told me she had begun saying a special Yehi Ratzon in the berachah of Hashivenu Avinu LeToratecha , praying that her son should grow closer to Hashem. The progress, she said, has been unbelievable. Her son improved in ways she never could have imagined. A man related to me that he was facing severe financial hardship. One of his most urgent problems was an unpaid electric bill of over $15,000. He had already received multiple shut-off notices, and it seemed only a matter of time before the electricity would be cut. Every time he came home, the first thing he did was check whether the power was still on. He tried hinting to relatives for help, but nothing materialized. He applied for a city assistance program and received only $50 a month. Realizing how desperate the situation was, he decided to focus intensely on heartfelt tefillah. He prayed like never before, believing that Hashem could create a salvation he could not foresee. With no real plan, he called the electric company once again — something he had already done many times. The representative repeated what all the others had said: the best she could offer was a 12-month payment plan with a large down payment. He asked if there was anything else possible, explaining how much he was struggling. This time, she did something no other representative had done. She asked a series of detailed questions about his finances and placed him on hold. During those moments, he again poured out his heart to Hashem. When she returned, she told him she could offer a payment plan of $10 a month for the next 125 years — something completely unheard of. His next bill reflected the change, adding only $10 to his regular monthly charge. He had been told repeatedly that they never offer more than a 12-month plan, and suddenly he received a 125-year plan. Tefillah can accomplish wonders. But it is up to us to give it the importance it truly deserves.

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As mentioned previously, one of the reasons Hashem may give a person suffering in this world is to save him from something far worse. Sometimes a person endures such hardship that he cannot imagine anything being worse. It is important to remember that there are endless reasons why a person may have to suffer, even if he is completely righteous. The Chovot HaLevavot in Shaar HaBitachon lists several possibilities and then cautions that we will never be able to determine why any individual is experiencing what he is going through. Hashem has a different calculation for every person, and only He knows the true reasons. What we do need to know is that whatever the reason may be, when a person eventually discovers why Hashem dealt with him this way — whether when Mashiach comes or when he reaches the next world — he will be grateful for every moment of the life Hashem gave him. If he can trust in Hashem now and accept it with joy even before understanding, his spiritual level will rise tremendously and his reward will be beyond imagination. One of the explanations given by the Chovot HaLevavot for why a tzaddik may suffer in this world is that through that suffering, Hashem grants him a far greater Olam Haba. We know from Chazal that even the faintest taste of Olam Haba is more pleasurable than all the delights of this world combined. And Olam Haba is eternal, while this world is temporary. But how does suffering here produce a higher Olam Haba? One explanation is based on the teaching of Chazal that one mitzvah performed with difficulty is worth far more than the same mitzvah performed easily. When someone is going through hardship, illness, or pain and still manages to perform a mitzvah, still manages to pray, still manages to learn, everything he does carries infinitely greater value. One minute of his avodah may outweigh hours of effortless service. Two people may be praying in the same shul, learning in the same class, appearing identical in this world. Yet in the next world, one may stand far higher than the other — because the effort required of him was so much greater. For him, getting to shul or opening a sefer demanded real sacrifice, while the other person had it easy. We do not ask for hardship, because we fear we may not accept it properly. But if hardship does come, we must understand that it carries within it a golden opportunity to earn reward beyond anything we can imagine. It may be that someone who appears to be an ordinary Jew in this world is in truth among the greatest of the generation — not because of how much he accomplishes , but because of what he must endure to accomplish whatever he does manage to accomplish. He keeps going with a smile. He keeps doing mitzvot even when it is painfully difficult. He keeps his emunah in Hashem even when life feels unbearably hard. This may also explain the Gemara which tells that when Rav Yosef became ill, his soul briefly departed and then returned. Afterward he said he saw an upside-down world — those who appeared lowly here were elevated there, and those who appeared elevated here were low there. His father told him, "You saw a clear world." A person who looks like a simple Jew down here may occupy the highest place in the upper world because of the enormous difficulty he faces in serving Hashem within the life he was given. There are infinite reasons for suffering in this world. For now, our task is to trust that every one of them is for the best. If a person can accept that Hashem is doing what is best for him and continue to serve Him with joy, he will merit the highest places in Olam Haba for all eternity.

Trusting at the End of Days

Trusting at the End of Days

When a person experiences any kind of suffering, he must understand that it comes only from the great love that Hashem has for him. The Tanach as well as Chazal are filled with statements attesting to this truth. When a person internalizes this and wholeheartedly accepts that Hashem is actually helping him when he has a difficulty, it is a wondrous expression of emunah, which is heavily rewarded in the next world. We must remind ourselves of this again and again, because when a person is hurting, he naturally wants to complain and bemoan his fate. There is a story brought down in the introduction to the sefer Divrei Yechezkel Shraga about Rabbi Yosef Teitelbaum, who served as the rav of a large city in Europe before the Holocaust. He took care of all the city's religious needs, and they paid his rent and supported him. One day, his non-Jewish landlord informed him that he was selling their apartment and they would have to vacate within the month. At that time, there were no other apartments available for rent in the city, and this meant the rabbi would not only lose his apartment, but his entire community and life's work, as he would have to move to a new city. A few days later, an argument broke out on a street corner between two women from the community. They were each saying hurtful words to each other. At one point, one of the women said to the other, "You are a difficult and terrible person. Even the rebbetzin said you're a dangerous woman." The other woman, hurt by this accusation, was filled with anger toward the rebbetzin for supposedly saying that. She immediately went to the rebbetzin's house and knocked on her door. The rebbetzin answered with a pleasant smile, but the woman burst out loudly and publicly, "How dare you say I'm a difficult and bad woman? Shame on you. You're a miserable woman yourself." The rebbetzin froze in shock. She had no idea what this woman was talking about. She told the woman she had never said anything of the sort, but the other woman was so swept away by her emotions that she continued mercilessly attacking the rebbetzin with harsh words. The rebbetzin could not bear the shame. She ran to her room, locked the door, and burst into tears. She sobbed bitterly. "Ribono Shel Olam I can't endure all of these hardships. First we find out that we have to leave the kehillah that we invested our entire lives in, from which we earn our livelihood and feed our children. And now this terrible pain and humiliation that is unbearable. Why so much suffering?" The rebbetzin cried until she fell asleep. Suddenly, the image of her holy father, Rav Yechezkel Shraga, appeared to her in a dream. He said, "I am ashamed of you, my daughter. Your crying and complaining is bringing me shame and pain in the upper world. "There was a harsh decree, and you were supposed to pass away. I exerted all of my strength to be an advocate for you and your children to annul the decree and keep you alive. After begging and pleading for mercy, my request was accepted. "It was decided in Shamayim to replace the decree with suffering instead. Your landlord would cause you distress by telling you he was going to sell your apartment so that you would have to leave behind your entire life and livelihood for an unknown future. As well, you would be shamed in public. "This was to give you a new life for years to come. How could you be crying and complaining?" The rebbetzin woke up in a sweat, remembering every detail she had just seen. A few minutes later, the woman returned to apologize. She had found out the other woman made it up, and she felt horrible for the way she acted. The rebbetzin told her not to worry. It was all for her best. A few hours later, the landlord came to say that he had decided not to sell the apartment and they could stay living there. The rebbetzin then shared with her husband all that had happened and felt terrible for not accepting her suffering with love. Rabbi Tzvi Nakar quoted the Baal Shem Tov, who said that every time suffering befalls a Jew and he accepts it without complaining, he builds immeasurable structures for himself in Shamayim. He elevates Hashem's honor and brings tikkunim that could not have been accomplished any other way. We always have to remember that Hashem is acting in our best interests, even if sometimes it hurts.

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The pasuk says in this week's parashah Mishpatim, regarding one who injures another, וְרַפֹּא יְרַפֵּא — verapoh yerapeh. Chazal learn from those words that a doctor was given permission to heal. The Gemara explains that one might have thought that since illness comes from Hashem, perhaps people do not have the right to intervene. The Torah therefore explicitly grants permission. The Torah uses a double expression — verapoh yerapeh. One explanation is that although the visible healer may be the doctor, we know that the true healer is HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Hashem commands us to go to doctors because He wants the world to function through teva, through natural means. Therefore, we must take medications, we must follow treatment instructions, and we must do our hishtadlut. At the same time, we must know the entire time that healing will only come if Hashem decrees that it should. There have been times when the greatest specialists gave a grim prognosis and suddenly everything turned around and the patient recovered. There have been times when treatment options appeared limited, yet the body responded far beyond expectations. There have been times when two people received the exact same diagnosis, went to the same doctor, followed the same treatments, and yet their outcomes were completely different. Why? Because Hashem decided that this one would be healed and that one would not. Believing that Hashem is the One who brings the healing is a tremendous zechut which can hasten the process. It is not easy to maintain that clarity when we are sitting in doctors' offices, filling prescriptions, and pursuing every possible avenue to get better. And that is precisely why the zechut of seeing through all of it is so great. We have seen so many times when we thought healing would come through one channel, and in the end it came from somewhere completely different. That is a reminder that it is not the avenue that brings the healing — it is only Hashem. Rabbi Rosen from A-Time shared a story that began in 2017. Their organization had developed an innovative medical machine for couples struggling with infertility who had already exhausted every option. When the rabbi shared the news of the discovery, many childless couples felt renewed hope, especially a man named Binyamin and his wife, who had already been waiting for ten long years. After so many disappointments, this finally seemed promising. As they waited for final approval to use the machine, obstacles began to mount. There were restrictions, safety concerns, and endless regulatory requirements. Before anything could proceed, laboratory testing had to verify that the laser and special dye were safe. Then the hospital stalled. Months turned into years. With every delay, the window of opportunity for Binyamin and his wife was narrowing. In the end, they were forced to confront the painful reality that this path was no longer viable. A-Time then attempted to pursue a similar approach in Israel, where regulations were somewhat more flexible and innovation could move faster. They acquired another machine and began testing there. Hope was renewed. Then COVID struck, and everything came to a halt. When the world gradually reopened, they resumed where they had left off. They sent samples to one of the most advanced genetic teams in the world. The results that came back were devastating. The project would not succeed. Binyamin and his wife felt their hope drain away once more. It seemed that nothing else could be done, that the road had ended. Yet with Hashem running the world, there is always hope. Out of nowhere, a group of infertility specialists discovered a new technique utilizing modern technology. The Borei Refu'ot revealed yet another pathway for healing. Baruch Hashem, after nineteen long years of waiting, just a few months ago, Binyamin and his wife were blessed with their own baby. Hashem is the only Healer. We must place our bitachon in Him. With Hashem's help, He will open our eyes to see the cures He has already created for every illness in the world. Shabbat Shalom.

There are people who have to face overwhelming challenges in life. A potentially fatal illness that turns their world upside down. Suddenly, the entire focus of their lives changes. What was once taken for granted is now put into question. Some people have to endure great difficulties when it comes to shidduchim. Rejection, disappointment, and loneliness are just some of the issues they have to confront. Others face the test of infertility. Their dream of raising a family is thrown into doubt, and they find it difficult to focus on anything else. To go through even one of these challenges is a daunting task that requires enormous strength and perseverance. One of the hardest parts of any challenge is the feeling that it may never end. What if the illness cannot be cured? What if I never find my zivug? What if I never have a child? Those thoughts can slowly eat away at a person. But for this, Hashem gave us a precious gift. The gift of emunah—an understanding that there is always hope. Even if the doctors do not have a cure, Hashem can create one. Even if the shadchanim have not called for years, Hashem can still send a shidduch. And even if there seems to be no natural path to having a child, Hashem can still make it happen. The length of time that has passed is irrelevant. The moment Hashem decides that salvation should come, it will come. For someone striving to live with emunah, hearing stories of others with similar challenges who were helped brings tremendous chizuk. The proper attitude is not to feel left out and wonder why others were helped while I was not. Rather, it is to say: Just as Hashem helped them, He can help me. These stories are meant to instill strength and hope, to reinforce the belief that salvation can arrive in the blink of an eye. Recently, at the ATIME Shasathon, a man named Yosef Chaim shared how he faced not just one of the challenges mentioned above, but all three: battling a potentially fatal illness, struggling with shidduchim, and confronting infertility. The odds were stacked against him on every front, yet his emunah and inner strength allowed him to grow through them. He was diagnosed with a tumor. After a ten-hour surgery to remove it, his brain had forgotten how to walk. He was left immobile. After enduring infections and additional surgeries, he relearned how to walk—but then the tumor returned. Again and again it came back. He underwent five surgeries and extensive chemotherapy. As a side effect of the multiple operations, doctors told him he would never be able to walk again. When the tumor returned once more, they decided to try something new—a medication recently developed for a different form of cancer. Miraculously, it worked. Against all odds, the Borei Refu'ot granted him a new lease on life. During that same period, his mother was diagnosed with a similar form of cancer, and lo aleinu, she passed away from it. After losing his ability to walk and then losing his mother, Yosef Chaim went to receive chizuk from Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky. He asked how we can say that Hashem is malei rachamim—filled with mercy—when his life felt like the opposite of mercy. After a few minutes of silence, the Rav answered gently: Hashem being merciful is a reality. That is who He is. There is nothing but mercy when it comes to Hashem. If we do not see it, it is only because we are unable to understand Him. Those words gave Yosef Chaim tremendous chizuk. Shidduchim were naturally difficult for someone confined to a wheelchair. To make matters even harder, doctors told him that in all probability he would not be able to have children. But the Mezaveg Zivugim has already prepared a match for every person, and when Hashem wants it to happen, it will happen. Yosef Chaim was set up on a shidduch, and it progressed beautifully. His rabbi advised him to disclose the infertility concern on the fourth date. Remarkably, she agreed to continue. Baruch Hashem, they were married. Eventually, with Hashem's help—and with ATIME serving as the messenger—against all odds, they became the proud parents of a baby boy. Although Yosef Chaim endured so many struggles, he witnessed miracle after miracle, as Hashem guided him through each one. Everyone can be healed. Everyone can get married. Everyone can have children. We must always maintain hope and continue praying to HaKadosh Baruch Hu to help us through all of our challenges.

There are people who do the right thing, making a difficult decision guided by the Torah, fully expecting to one day see the good that will come from it. Yet sometimes, not only do they fail to see any immediate benefit, but with time it can even appear as though the decision was a mistake. Years pass, and from our limited vantage point it may look as if the person actually lost by doing what Hashem wanted. But Hashem does not test a person only for a week, a month, or even a year. At times, tests in emunah are designed to last for decades. Throughout those years, the Yetzer Hara repeatedly tries to convince the person to regret his decision and to discourage him from making similar choices in the future. But the rule never changes. A person always gains by following Hashem. No one ever fulfilled His will and lost as a result. It may look like a loss, because that is part of the test, but in the end the person will see that he only gained, and that the gain was far greater than he could have ever imagined. The longer the test lasts, the greater the reward. When a person must hold on to his emunah for many years, continuing to trust that choosing correctly will ultimately bring blessing, the reward becomes exponentially greater. Eventually, he will see not only how much he gained in this world, but even more so how much he gained in the next. The Be'er HaParashah related a story of a man from Israel, whom we will call Shemuel. Shortly after his marriage, Shemuel received a very large inheritance, enough at the time to purchase two apartments outright, without any mortgage. He planned to invest the money in real estate so that one day he could give apartments to his children when they married. Before doing anything, he went to ask a rabbi for guidance. The rabbi advised him to invest the money in a loan gemach instead. The funds would help many people over the years, and when the time came, the money would still be there. This, the rabbi said, would be a far better investment. Shemuel accepted the advice. Twenty years later, when his first son was ready to get married, he withdrew the money from the gemach. By then, housing prices had skyrocketed, and the amount was no longer enough to buy even one standard apartment. He began questioning himself: Why did I ask the rabbi? Friends added to the pain, telling him that when it comes to investing money, one should consult financial experts, not rabbis. But the story did not end there. Several years later, after Shemuel merited, with Hashem's help, to marry off all eight of his children, he reflected on the entire shidduch process and realized something remarkable. Six of his children received full apartments from their in-laws. Two received only partial help. At that moment, Hashem illuminated his mind with a powerful insight. According to his own calculations, the inheritance should have been enough to easily take care of two children, while for the remaining six he would have had to struggle mightily to raise the necessary funds. In reality, Hashem reversed the picture entirely. The six children for whom he had no plan and no money were completely taken care of from Heaven. The two children he thought he was financially prepared for were the ones for whom he had to contribute significantly from his own pocket. It took many years for him to recognize the good hidden within his decision, and throughout that time the Yetzer Hara tried to convince him to regret it. In the end, as always, he gained far more than he could have ever dreamed of. And that is only what was visible. The true gains are infinitely greater. When a person can hold on to his emunah for years, trusting in Hashem's system even when the results are delayed, he will see that he did not only gain in this world. His greatest reward is preserved for all eternity.

When people are in need of a yeshuah and are looking to gain extra zechuyot, they naturally want to know what they can do to earn them. In general, every person knows his own shortcomings, and correcting something that a person is doing wrong is itself a great zechut. In addition, strengthening the belief that Hashem alone is in charge of giving a person what he needs is also a tremendous zechut. The pasuk says, ברוך הגבר אשר יבטח בה׳ והיה ה׳ מבטחו — "Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem, and Hashem will be his security." When we truly believe that Hashem alone controls what we need, He shows us that by providing it. The Chovot HaLevavot writes in Shaar HaBitachon that one of the criteria for being considered someone who truly has bitachon in Hashem is knowing that Hashem is fully aware of our thoughts and the feelings in our heart. Therefore, it is not proper for a person to tell others that he has bitachon if, in truth, his heart is not there yet. If a person presents himself as someone who has bitachon while internally relying on other things, that creates a desecration of Hashem's honor if the salvation does not come, because people will think that someone who trusts in Hashem was not helped. A person might act outwardly like someone with bitachon, but in his heart he may still be trusting in people, effort, or natural systems. The Chovot HaLevavot compares this to the pasuk בְּפִיו וּבִשְׂפָתָיו כִּבְּדוּנִי וְלִבּוֹ רִחַק מִמֶּנִּי -describing how the Jewish people sometimes honored Hashem with their mouths, while their hearts were distant from Him. When a person truly has bitachon in Hashem, it is considered a great honor to Him. When we believe that no person and no effort has independent power over what happens, and that only Hashem controls outcomes, that itself is a form of honoring Hashem, and that is a tremendous zechut. But it is something that cannot be faked. Hashem knows whether our hearts truly believe what we are saying. When they do, in the zechut of the honor we give Hashem through our bitachon, He, so to speak, honors the person by bringing his salvation. The pasuk tells us in Divrei HaYamim that King Asa placed his trust in doctors when he became ill, and not in Hashem, and as a result he did not receive the salvation he hoped for. In every area of life, we need to do the inner work and truly believe that only Hashem can help us. If we can bring our hearts to feel that way, it is a great honor to Hashem, and Hashem rewards that. It is possible that a person was not originally destined to receive a certain salvation, but in the merit of his bitachon, he receives it anyway. Bitachon is a tremendous zechut, aside from the fact that it is a major part of serving Hashem and is a mitzvah in its own right. One of our main jobs in this world is to see past nature and truly believe that Hashem is controlling everything. I read a story about a man who needed a very large sum of money and had no natural way of obtaining it. Instead of praying for the money itself, he prayed to Hashem to help him have proper bitachon. He asked Hashem to strengthen his bitachon and give him an unwavering feeling in his heart that Hashem, and only Hashem, would be the One to provide the money, and that Hashem is full of chesed and wants to help us. He later said that when he needed the money, Baruch Hashem, it came. There is nothing that compares to true feelings of bitachon in Hashem.

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Removing Our Idols

The Chovot HaLevavot writes that one of the reasons Hashem created us with the need to eat and drink, and with the need to earn a livelihood to provide for all of our other needs, is because we must pass tests in this world in order to gain Olam Haba. The wisdom of Hashem saw that tests in these areas would reveal whether we are truly servants of Hashem, because these needs are so vital to our very existence and therefore feel so critical in our eyes. Hashem wants us to make efforts in these areas in the ways He instructed us, and He wants us to trust that He is the One who is in charge of the results. When the Jewish people followed Hashem into the desert, trusting that He would provide for all their needs, it was so precious to Him that we are still benefiting today from that zechut. The Torah tells us that in the desert, the Jewish people went three days without water, and when they finally found water, it was bitter. The pasuk tells us explicitly that this was a test, to see if they would complain or trust in Hashem, and unfortunately they failed. Before Hashem sent the mann , the Jewish people first ran out of food. That too was a test, to see if they would complain or trust in Him. Then when Hashem did give the mann , He gave it in a way that tested them daily, and He even told them in advance that it was going to be a test. Throughout the forty years in the desert, they always ended up receiving whatever they needed. The delays and the process were all part of Hashem's plan to test them, and the same is true for us. Hashem provides for everyone. The process may sometimes be difficult, but we must recognize that we are being called upon to overcome a test in that area. Hashem wants us to show Him that we trust Him. We never abandon mitzvot because of struggle. It should be just the opposite. When we are struggling, that is when we are meant to strengthen ourselves and serve Hashem even better. In the end, we will see how every moment of our lives was calculated and what we were meant to gain spiritually from each moment. We never want to look back and regret how we reacted. Hashem will get a person through all of his struggles, but our job is to maintain our emunah throughout. A man told me that he was struggling in business, and it caused him to turn away from Hashem. He complained and became bitter about his life. Recently, things turned around for him, and he now feels terrible about how he behaved. He wishes he could go back and react differently, but those months are gone forever. Another man told me that he began listening to emunah classes this past year, and it transformed his life in many positive ways. Recently, he faced a situation at work that put his emunah to the test. He manages many accounts, and he received an email from his largest client instructing him to change their bank information and deposit their money into a new account. He followed the instructions. Only afterward did he discover that the client had never sent that email. It was fraud. It appeared that he had just lost half a million dollars. The money had already been transferred, and since it was his responsibility, he was expected to reimburse the account. He tried contacting many important and influential people to reverse the transaction, but no one was able to help. This all happened on a Friday morning. When his wife found out, she warned the children to be careful how they spoke to their father that Shabbat, because she expected him to be extremely stressed and possibly short-tempered. That Shabbat, however, they could not believe what they saw. He was calm, composed, and even happy, just as usual. They asked him how he could possibly be so calm at a time like that. He told them that he fully believed it was all from Hashem and for his good. He said, "We received eight emails throughout the week about this, and it never even crossed our minds that it might be fraud. Hashem could have opened my eyes to see it, but He didn't. There is nothing to be upset about." His family was deeply inspired by his reaction. It made a lifelong impression on them. Baruch Hashem, on Monday morning he received word that the money was recovered and nothing was lost. It was all a test, one that he passed, and one that will benefit him for all eternity. One of our primary missions in this world is to trust in Hashem in everything that happens, especially in the area of parnassah.

Living Emunah 2891 The Power of a Simple Word of Praise When Yitro heard about how Hashem saved the Jewish people from Mitzrayim, he immediately exclaimed, "Baruch Hashem asher hitzil etchem." Baruch Hashem for saving you. As the pasuk says: וַיֹּאמֶר יִתְרוֹ בָּרוּךְ ה' אֲשֶׁר הִצִּיל אֶתְכֶם מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וּמִיַּד פַּרְעֹה The Gemara says that the Jewish people were held accountable for not saying "Baruch Hashem" before Yitro did. Although they did sing the Az Yashir, the Be'er Yosef explains that they did not praise Hashem specifically for saving them from the dangers of Egypt and Pharaoh. Furthermore, they sang as a group with ruach hakodesh, whereas Yitro said his praise on his own. We have no idea how valuable it is when an individual says even one word of praise to Hashem. The Chachmei Kabbalah, who understand what takes place in the upper worlds, teach us that praising Hashem creates a massive impact in Shamayim. When Hashem is praised here, all the angels gather and praise Him above, and the honor of Hashem becomes glorified in both the upper and lower worlds. In Birkat Hamazon we say, "Ve'al hakol Hashem Elokeinu anachnu modim lach u'mevarchim et shemecha," and the Chesed La'alafim explains these words based on how the Alshich explains the pasuk: כִּי טוֹב חַסְדְּךָ מֵחַיִּים שְׂפָתַי יְשַׁבְּחוּנֶךָּ (תהלים ס״ג:ד)׳ There is a kindness that Hashem does for us that is greater than life itself. What is that kindness? That Hashem gives us the zechut to say His praises. The angels in Heaven wish they could say even one word of praise to Hashem in this world. In Shamayim, Hashem is revealed, and it is obvious that He should be praised. But in this world, Hashem is hidden, and we do not understand His ways. If someone in this world can say one word of praise, it is the greatest zechut. Those who have passed on and now see the glory of Hashem and the value of praising Him wish they could return to this world for just one moment to say one word of praise. This is the meaning of what we say in Birkat Hamazon "Ve'al hakol Hashem Elokeinu anachnu modim lach.... Above all, we thank You, Hashem, for the mitzvah of Birkat Hamazon that You gave us, which consists of praises and thanks for the food we ate, as the Torah commands: וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ Through this, Hashem shows us His great love for us. He knows how valuable mitzvot are in this world, and He gives them to us so that He can reward us for all eternity for performing them. A person can give praise to Hashem at any moment, in any language, and in any way he wants. When people are enjoying blessing and goodness, their praises are extremely valuable. But even more so is when a person is going through difficulties or struggles and nevertheless rises up and praises Hashem despite what he is experiencing. Those praises are infinitely greater. Every time we say the words "Baruch Hashem," we are praising Hashem. The Zohar says that the Jewish people could not receive the Torah until Yitro said those words, "Baruch Hashem." How fortunate we are that we can say them at any time. Even if we do not understand the true value of praising Hashem, we should make use of the opportunity to do so as much as we can. Shabbat Shalom

It is so comforting to know that no matter what situation we are going through, help is always possible. There is nothing beyond Hashem, and salvation can always come in the blink of an eye. Sometimes what is needed is deeper, more heartfelt prayer. Sometimes what is needed is a heroic act. And sometimes it is a combination of both. We do not know what else we need to do to be zocheh to the yeshuah we are waiting for, but Hashem knows. And we are able to ask Him to please place before us the opportunity to do the deed that will merit us the salvation we are hoping for. We can also ask Hashem to help us recognize that opportunity when it comes, and to give us the strength to rise to it. Everything is possible. Even the hope and belief we place in Hashem is, in itself, a great zechut. Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein related the following story, as it was told to him by the person to whom it happened. A man we will call Yosef shared that his daughter got married two years ago, at the beginning of the month of Nisan. The Shabbat Sheva Berachot was scheduled to take place in a hall in Kiryat Sefer. There were ninety people attending, which meant extensive planning for meals and sleeping arrangements. Finally, Shabbat arrived. While the tables were still being set, the generator suddenly failed and the entire hall went dark. Aside from a few candles, there was complete darkness. The hot plates warming the food shut off, and the refrigerators storing the upcoming meals also stopped working. The men were praying in total darkness, and the person in charge of the hall was running around desperately trying to find a solution. He attempted to locate a non-Jew, relying on a leniency brought in the Rama in cases of great need, but he was unable to find anyone. People nearby arranged for the food to be transferred to functioning refrigerators and hot plates, while everyone worked on strengthening their emunah and accepting that this too was for the best. Suddenly, a young man approached Yosef with an idea. He explained that he lived in the building across from the hall and had a large, beautiful living room with an attached yard. He happily offered to host all ninety guests in his home. Yosef hesitated. "It's only a few days before Pesach," he said. "Your house is surely already cleaned. How can you host ninety men, women, and little children? We would need to bring over all the tables and chairs and set everything up. Your furniture would have to be moved. Things could get damaged. Children will be running around eating chametz. And your own family is about to eat their Shabbat meal. We would be disturbing you tremendously." But the man, like an angel, pleaded again and again. Yosef was still reluctant, until the man finally said, "If you come, our joy will be even greater than yours." Seeing that there was no other viable option, Yosef agreed. Very quickly, everyone pitched in and transferred everything from the hall to the man's home. What followed was an extraordinary evening, far more beautiful than it would have been in the hall. The baal habayit was unbelievably gracious. He moved his own family elsewhere to eat and gave the wedding party full use of his home. Only once during the meal did he come in, and the guests seized the opportunity to thank him and ask how they could ever repay such an incredible kindness. He answered that he had a daughter who was still waiting for a shidduch, and he asked everyone to please give her a berachah that she should find her zivug soon. The entire crowd responded with a heartfelt berachah, filled with deep gratitude. Just a few weeks later, the man called Yosef with wonderful news. His daughter had gotten engaged. The day after the Sheva Berachot, they had received a positive response from a shidduch they were hoping for, and Baruch Hashem, it worked out. They later discovered that the young man had many offers, but when he heard about how this family had taken in ninety guests for a Sheva Berachot just days before Pesach, he chose to say yes. This man performed a heroic act by opening his already Pesach-cleaned home to so many people. That act became the catalyst for the yeshuah he had been longing for, his daughter's engagement. Hashem can always bring salvation. Our role is to pray, to seek out zechuyot, and to ask Hashem to give us the opportunities we need to get them

Sometimes the salvation of Hashem comes right away, and sometimes the salvation comes at the very last possible moment. A situation may look like it has reached its breaking point. Every option appears exhausted. Every door seems firmly shut. And then, at the last possible second, the salvation arrives. Both kinds of salvations are exhilarating. Hashem is never late when He waits, and He is never random when He acts suddenly. Each form of salvation is perfectly calculated according to the needs of the person experiencing it. We must always hope for Hashem's help. We must believe that it can come in an instant, and we must also believe that no matter how long it has been delayed, it can still come. I read a story about a man named Reuven from Lakewood who, Baruch Hashem, had a large family but was living in a very small house. He did not want to move, because he lived in an excellent location. He had a non-Jewish neighbor whom he had asked several times if she would be willing to sell her house. She had agreed in principle, but the price was far too high for him, eight hundred thousand dollars. Not to mention that the house itself was small and would only be useful as part of an expansion to his own home. One Chol HaMoed, Reuven traveled to Eretz Yisrael with his family for a week. On Shabbat afternoon, the family walked to the Kotel to pray Arbit, while his wife stayed back at the apartment where they were staying. The entire family was excited to pour out their hearts to Hashem and ask Him for larger living quarters. They prayed at the Kotel sincerely, from the depths of their hearts, entreating the Borei Olam. On Motzaei Shabbat, before they even returned to the apartment, Reuven's wife's phone rang. It was the neighbor calling to say that she was ready to sell the house for a lower price, because she had decided to move into an assisted living facility. She told them the new price would be five hundred thousand dollars. Reuven was overjoyed. When they returned to Lakewood, they discovered certain technical issues with the house, and in the end, she sold it to them for just three hundred thousand dollars. They were able to renovate and move into a much larger home, exactly what they had been hoping for. Hashem answered their prayers at the Kotel instantly. A woman told me another story, one where the salvation came at the very last moment. She and her husband had bought a new home to meet the needs of their growing family. They planned to help pay the mortgage by renting out the house they had been living in. However, month after month passed, and they were unable to find a renter. They were under tremendous pressure, because this rental income was the only way, b'derech hateva, they could afford the new mortgage payments. For the first three months, they managed to make the payments using money from a loan they had taken for renovations. The stress was overwhelming. She said she could not sleep at night and could barely function during the day. She tried very hard to strengthen her emunah, but it felt as though it just was not sinking in. She asked Hashem to send them opportunities to do chesed with their new home as a zechut to find a renter for their old one. Indeed, Hashem sent them many chesed opportunities, but still no renter appeared. They gladly embraced every opportunity and continued begging Hashem for salvation. Eventually, it came to the point where their next mortgage payment was due on January fifteenth, and they had absolutely no way to make the payment. It would have been extremely embarrassing for them to miss it. On January fourteenth, the very last day, Baruch Hashem, they found a renter who paid the first month's rent on the spot. On that same day, her husband unexpectedly received an insurance refund check. Also that very day, they temporarily rented out part of their new home, and that person paid as well. Together, they received the exact amount needed for the mortgage, without her husband having to dip into any of his regular income. It all came together literally at ten o'clock at night, just hours before the payment was due the next day. Hashem sent them the yeshuah at the last possible moment. The salvations of Hashem are truly amazing. Our job is to believe, always, that they can come at any moment.