Parashat Vaera: How Can We Merit to End the Current War in Ultimate Victory?

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Parashat Vaera
How Can We Merit to End the Current War in Ultimate Victory?

What Kind of Heritage Do I Wish to Bequeath to Our Offspring?

A long time has passed since my husband and I arrived from different corners of the earth and met in Jerusalem, the vortex of the world. Since then, we have built our lives and settled on a beautiful plot of land in the Land of Israel. Not a day goes by without us thanking Hashem for this zchut (privilege) to manage our homestead here in the Promised Land. What an honor to build our home on our treasured land, and engage in its upkeep, such as renovating, insulating, and painting it. Likewise, we delight in tending to our trees, vegetables, herbs, and flowers here on our own holy land portion. Although our patriarchs and matriarchs also tended the land of Israel – then called Cana’an – they had not yet inherited the land, which Hashem had promised them, as a heritage for their children.  Therefore, Avraham called himself a ‘foreigner- resident’ (Bereishit 23:4) when he needed to purchase the Machplah cave as a burial place for Sarah. Baruch Hashem through our soldiers’ blood, bravery, and tears the former land of Canaan and Palestine has now become our Land of Israel – the Jewish homeland – where we never again will have to be foreigners. My husband and I worked hard for our heritage in Israel, which we wish to bequeath to our children. Many of our friends have already written their will, but we have been hesitating, and now I know why. I just read an article by Rabbi Riskin about the difference between a יְרֻשָּׁה/yerusha – ‘inheritance’ and מוֹרָשָׁה/morasha – ‘heritage.’ Whereas most people’s Will is a yerusha – an inheritance that the children inherit without any strings attached, Hashem gave the Jewish people Israel as a morasha – a heritage – which is not only for the children themselves but will remain within the family for all future generations. Such a heirloom must be deserved, worked for, and maintained. The difference between a yerusha and a morasha is that the latter requires active involvement and participation. It can be compared to the difference between inheriting a sum of money or a family business. Receiving a morasha needs sweat, blood, and tears to maintain, keep going, and develop. So, I told my husband, “I want to leave my children not only with a yerusha, but with the morasha of our homestead, that they continue to tend and develop. I want our descendants to live on our land and pick the fruits of the trees we planted, for fruit-picking is actually work and effort.”

What is the Consequence of Moshe’s Complaint About the Intensified Hardship in Egypt?

The three most important things that Hashem bequeaths to His Chosen people must be acquired through hardships:

תלמוד בבלי ברכות ה ע/א תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי אוֹמֵר: שָׁלֹשׁ מַתָּנוֹת טוֹבוֹת נָתַן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכוּלָּן לֹא נְתָנָן אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי יִסּוּרִין, אֵלּוּ הֵן: תּוֹרָה וְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהָעוֹלָם הַבָּא:

The Holy One, Blessed be He, gave Israel three precious gifts, all of which were given only by means of suffering, [which purified Israel so that they may merit to receive them. These gifts are:] Torah, Eretz Yisrael, and the World-to-Come (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 5a).

I believe that suffering can be transformed into effort and through Emunah faith) we can take on a self-imposed effort that will take the place of suffering. Let me explain. At the end of Parashat Shemot Moshe complains that since he followed Hashem’s instruction to tell Pharaoh to “Let my people go” the situation had gotten so much worse for the Israelites. (They now had to gather the straw on their own while still producing the same amount of bricks as beforehand). Thus, Parashat Shemot concludes with Moshe’s complaint to Hashem: “Since I have come to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has harmed this people, and You have not saved Your people” (Shemot 5:23). This statement is the first cause that made Moshe lose the privilege of entering into the Land of Israel. Hashem responds to Moshe’s complaint by telling him about the forthcoming Exodus from Egypt: “Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for with a mighty hand he will send them out, and with a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land” (Shemot 6:1). Eithin this promise of redemption there is an allusion to Moshe’s punishment as Rashi explains.         

What Character Flaw Caused Moshe to be Barred from Entering the Land of Israel?

NOW YOU WILL SEE - You have questioned My ways [of running the world, which is] unlike Avraham, to whom I said, “For in Yitzchak your seed shall be called” (Bereishit 21:12), and afterward I said to him, “Bring him up there for a burnt offering” (Bereishit 22:2), yet he did not question Me. Therefore, NOW YOU WILL SEE - What is done to Pharaoh you will see, but not what is done to the kings of the seven nations [a reference to the battles fought to conquer Canaan] when I bring the children of Israel into the land of Israel (Rashi, Shemot 6:1). In other words, Hashem reprimands Moshe for his complaint which expresses a lack of emunah compared to Avraham, who had to endure great hardships without questioning Hashem. Due to this lack of emunah, Moshe lost the privilege of joining the Israelites in conquering the seven Canaanite nations when they would (forty years later) enter the Promised Land. Although Moshe’s slight lack of emunah stemmed from his great compassion and empathy for his people, there was still a minute element where he failed to look beyond the suffering of the moment and recognize that it was all part of the divine covenant. Through his immense care for the Israelites, he could see only what was immediately before him, namely that his intervention had resulted in a worsening of the Israelites’ situation. Although Moshe’s limited perspective stemmed from his deep identification with the pain of his people, nevertheless, G-d limited his perspective by cutting his life short; so that he wouldn’t be able to enter the Promised Land and witness the Israelites’ conquest. He who questioned the divine promise will not merit seeing its full realization (Based on Ilana Kurshan, Parashat Vaera). Whereas Moshe’s complaint emanated from his lofty level of love for his fellow Jews, regular people in the midst of suffering unbeknownst to themselves naturally try to alleviate the suffering through complaining or blaming. This tendency stems all the way back to the first humans. It is a way of projecting the hardship that seems too hard to bear onto someone else. However, that usually never helps in the long run. We can learn from Moshe’s complaint and its severe consequence that the best way to deal with hardships is through emunah. Strengthening our emunah in Hashem’s goodness – and believing that in the end, even our current suffering will turn out for the best will help us get through the bumps on our way!

Acquiring the Land of Israel through the Effort of Emunah

ספר שמות פרק ו פסוק ח וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָשָּׁאתִי אֶת יָדִי לָתֵת אֹתָהּ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב וְנָתַתִּי אֹתָהּ לָכֶם מוֹרָשָׁה אֲנִי הַשֵׁם:

“I will bring you to the land, concerning which I raised My hand to give to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya’acov, and I will give it to you as a heritage; I am Hashem” (Shemot 6:8).

The above verse gives me a lot of hope that Hashem will soon expand the boundaries of Eretz Yisrael according to His promise to Avraham “From the river of Egypt until the great river, the Euphrates River” (Bereishit 15:18). As Ramban explains “I have raised the strength of My arm to Myself that I will give them the Land” (Ramban, Shemot 6:8). However, our Torah verse also indicates that our efforts are what brings Hashem’s oath into effect. Hashem swore that he would give us the land as a מוֹרָשָׁה/morasha – ‘heritage’ rather than a יְרֻשָּׁה/yerusha –‘inheritance.’ The added letter mem in morasha is a grammatical sign of intensity, for us to come into possession of a morasha, we must work for it. Thus, the Promised Land is acquired through suffering or effort. The effort of strengthening our emunah to have faith that everything will become better is the mildest way of acquiring Israel through suffering because overcoming our natural urge to complain – when things are hard like during this current war – is a way that we can take on the short-lived suffering of not following our negative inclination, but overcoming it through emunah, which will turn all the darkness into light.  Israel’s new ‘anthem’ is proof that Israelis today especially our brave soldiers are strengthening our emunah by singing at the top of our lungs: “Hashem, blessed be He, always loves me, and everything will always be good for me, and it will be even better and even better and it will always be only good for me!” 

Parashat Ekev: How Can We Transform our Pitfall of Pride Into Prayer?

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Parashat Ekev
How Can We Transform our Pitfall of Pride Into Prayer?

In the Good Old Days Having Less Made People Appreciate More
In the olden days when specialties were scarce, people appreciated the little things so much more. I recall reading a novel about life in the Shtetel in East Europe. There was a poor family with many children and one day they got a specialty item for all the kids to share. It was one orange! It really touched me how much excitement just one orange segment elicited in each family member. When I worked on translating my father’s memoirs into English, I was also amazed at how few commodities and toys children grew up with when he was a boy. This was not in a Shtetel, it was rather in the Western World less than a hundred years ago. Here is one of my father’s testimonies – taking place in the late nineteen thirties and early forties. You can learn from it how having less made the kids appreciate more and become more inventive:

“There were a lot of innovative games that could interest both boys and girls. For example, puzzles and rebuses, building kits and paper dolls with various outfits, and much more. I still remember a brainteaser. Out of eight matches you had to form two squares and four triangles… “Some boys were technically inventive and built ‘crystal devices.’ These were primitive listening devices, which we boys had great pleasure in. Occasionally, we also wanted to play football. This took place on ‘The Meadow,’ about a 15-minute walk from our home. where some of us also had a school garden. It was a magnificent open space with large green areas, and playgrounds, though mainly designated for the younger children… The girls played with marbles, swapped glossy pictures, skipped and played hopscotch and of course, they also played with dolls. When we played with the girls it was mostly hide and seek. There were plenty of hiding places, and this game often lasted many hours. Where I live now in Holte, (a suburb of Copenhagen) there are roughly 500 apartments with playgrounds for the little ones in several places, but children are rarely seen there. One hardly ever sees older children playing together the way we did when I was a child. A change must have occurred in the children’s recreational patterns”  (Dr. Salomon Vainer, My Memoir: The Story of a Danish Jew who Fled the Nazis p 52-54).

My father also described the life of his mother who came from a poor Russian family. She was

only 11 years old when she arrived in Denmark. She did not attend school and was given no education. Yet she had worked in a matzo bakery as a bakery assistant in Russia. Her first meager wage was ‘invested’ in purchasing a silver cup. Her grandmother wanted her to buy something that would last. The cup is still in the family’s possession. It is a very beautiful cup, quite valuable today (ibid. p 31). My father’s testimonies show how the children worked hard from a young age and valued their meager possessions which they used in innovative ways, this is such a far call from the overflow of stuff average kids have today, which they hardly play with as they spend most of their time glued to their phones, with little time left for creativity and play.   

Is it ‘My power, the Strength of my Own Hand That Brought Me This Great Wealth’?
The Torah foretold the times of material overflow we are living through today, with one of our main problems being how to get rid of all the extra clutter. Since the industrial revolution, we have learned so many clever ways of productivity, which tempt us to forget that Hashem is the only One who gives us the strength to succeed in anything we accomplish.

ספר דברים פרק ח פסוק י 

וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ עַל הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָךְ:(יא) הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן תִּשְׁכַּח אֶת הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ… (יב) פֶּן תֹּאכַל וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבָתִּים טֹבִים תִּבְנֶה וְיָשָׁבְתָּ: (יג) וּבְקָרְךָ וְצֹאנְךָ יִרְבְּיֻן וְכֶסֶף וְזָהָב יִרְבֶּה לָּךְ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לְךָ יִרְבֶּה: (יד) וְרָם לְבָבֶךָ וְשָׁכַחְתָּ אֶת הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ הַמּוֹצִיאֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים… (יז) וְאָמַרְתָּ בִּלְבָבֶךָ כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי עָשָׂה לִי אֶת הַחַיִל הַזֶּה: (יח) וְזָכַרְתָּ אֶת הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ כִּי הוּא הַנֹּתֵן לְךָ כֹּחַ לַעֲשׂוֹת חָיִל לְמַעַן הָקִים אֶת בְּרִיתוֹ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה:

“When you eat and are satisfied, you shall bless Hashem, your G-d, for the good land He has given you. Beware that you do not forget Hashem, your G-d…lest you eat and be sated, and build fine houses and live in them, when your herds and your flocks grow abundant, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have increases, your heart might become haughty, forgetting Hashem, your G-d, Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, of the house of slavery… You might be tempted to tell yourself, ‘My power, the strength of my own hand, has brought me this great wealth.’ But you must remember Hashem your G-d, for He is the One who empowers you to do great things, upholding the covenant that He swore to your ancestors...” (Devarim 8:10-11, 13-18). 

The Only Way to Victory in War for Israel is Enlisting the Help of the Almighty                              Since Israel ranks among the ten most powerful countries in the annual list; and the fourth strongest military in the world (Roundup for 2022 published by US News & World Report), it is tempting to think that our victories are due to our sophisticated war techniques. Ralbag explains that the Almighty was concerned that it would seem to Israel that their own power enabled them to win their wars. To remove this false notion from their hearts, Israel must perpetually recall in our hearts how Hashem took us out of Egypt when Israel was weak without any war experience, yet nevertheless, we won. This could only be because Hashem helps us. The Exodus thus teaches us that it is not through our own military power but only due to the help of heaven that Israel wins the wars. During the current prolonged war, although Israel has gained victories in Gaza, things are intensified to the degree that even the fiercest, most confident general must realize that we need to turn to Hashem for help in order to overcome all of the enemies that surround us, all of whom have one unified agenda to “wipe Israel off the map.” These enemies include Iran, and its Shi’ite theocracy in the East, Syria, and Lebanon with its Hezbollah in the North, Gaza and its Hamas in the South, and the European Union in the West. It is no secret that the main objective of all Arab terror organizations – Fatah, Hamas, and Hezbollah – is the annihilation of Israel. The growing instability in Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, the looming threat from Iran’s nuclear weapons program, the Hamas/Fatah reconciliation, and the increased pressure from the U.N. and the E.U have created the greatest threat to Israel’s continued existence we have faced since the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Jonathan Bernis, Identifying Israel's Enemies. As all nations turn against our tiny nation it is now more than ever becoming clear to even the staunchest unbeliever that the only way to victory is to turn to Hashem with all our hearts and souls.  

Bound to Turn to Hashem When Being Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Hashem is squishing us hard these days so that we will understand how our ability to be successful is totally dependent on G-d, as it states in Song of Songs:

ספר שיר השירים פרק ב פסוק יד יוֹנָתִי בְּחַגְוֵי הַסֶּלַע בְּסֵתֶר הַמַּדְרֵגָה הַרְאִינִי אֶת מַרְאַיִךְ הַשְׁמִיעִינִי אֶת קוֹלֵךְ...

“My dove in the crevice of the cliff, in the secret step, show me your countenance and let Me hear your voice…” (Song of Songs 2:14).

According to Rashi, this verse alludes to when Israel was squished between a rock and a hard place during the Exodus. While the Egyptians approached them from behind ready to attack, the Reed Sea loomed before them threatening to drown them all. According to nature, there would have been no way for them to get out of this situation alive. Only by turning to Hashem in prayer could they be saved, that’s the meaning of “let me hear your voice…”. Hashem brings us to these places of no way out, to squeeze our souls into the deepest prayer. I hope it won’t take too much more squeezing before our hearts become sufficiently resuscitated to truly pray! Katav Sofer explains that in the desert Israel didn’t need any weapons as it states, “Hashem will battle for you, and you hold your peace!  (Shemot 14:14). Yet after making the Golden Calf, the Israelites’ emunah took a gradual downward dip, spiraling into deterioration. First they became arrogant, forgot about Hashem, and then they imagined that it was their own strength that caused their success. Had they kept their steadfast emunah of “…we will do and we will hear” (Shemot 24:7), they would not have needed either spear or sword for Hashem would have conquered the Land of Israel for them. Now, after they had lost their prior level of trust in Hashem, they needed weapons of war. Although they no longer deserved it, Hashem empowered them to conquer the land, “for the sake of upholding the covenant that He swore to their ancestors…” (Devarim 8:18). This is why the Almighty had to remind Israel, “But you must remember Hashem your G-d, for He is the One who empowers you to do great things…” (Ibid.) Although at the conquest of the Land of Canaan, Hashem was no longer battling their wars by Himself like in Egypt, the Israelites still had to understand and remember that as they employed their best war strategies, it was still Hashem who empowered them to be victorious (Ketav Sofer, Devarim 8:17). This message from Parashat Ekev applies more than ever to Israel’s current war. When we truly understand and remember that just as Hashem helped us overcome our enemies during Yehoshua’s time, so will He continue to empower us with complete victory from our current war. All we need to do is to turn to G-d in prayer!                

Gratitude Focus for the Week of Parashat Ekev –
Some Tips for Preventing Arrogance and Forgetting About Hashem

Arrogance is one of the worst character traits that turns away the Divine Presence. Therefore, our sages directed: “Hold yourself very, very lowly” (Pirkei Avot, Chapter 4, Mishna 4). They also declared that whoever allows his heart to be arrogant, has denied the basic principle of the Torah, as it states, “Your heart be haughty, and you will forget Hashem your G-d” (Devarim 8:14). Furthermore, they said, “Whoever is arrogant should be placed under a ban of ostracism. This applies even if he is only somewhat arrogant;” (Rambam, Hilchot Deot, Chapter 2, Halacha 3). Whoever passes (מֵּפִיק/mefik) a shield over himself at a time of arrogance, (whoever suppresses his yetzer hara as though it were covered with a shield when he is arrogant, troubles will be closed and sealed from him, as it is stated: “The channels (אֲפִיקֵי/afikei) of his strong shields of pride are closed with a narrow seal. (Iyuv 41:7); (Babylonian Talmud, Iruvin 65a). This implies that by subduing our yetzer hara at a time of arrogance our troubles will be closed and sealed before us. There is a fine line between confidence and arrogance. Being confident isn’t the problem, the problem arises when confidence turns into self-sufficient arrogance, which makes us forget the Almighty without Whom we would be completely helpless. When we are confident that Hashem is on our side, we can be secure enough that we won’t need to go out of our way to show how amazing we are.

·            Remember Where You Came from and Where You are Going – We are all mortal beings totally dependent on Hashem’s blessing to accomplish anything in life. When you feel pride creeping into your heart, recall how we all came from a putrid drop of semen, and how our end is that our flesh will be consumed by worms. Meditating on our short-lived time in this world, and how the body eventually decomposes will remind us that Hashem imbued us with life so that we serve Him. Only by recalling our Divine purpose in the world will our souls gain eternal life.

 ·       Attribute All Your Successes to Hashem – When you worked really hard on something and applied all your abilities to finally succeed, there is a great temptation to feel that “it was my own hand, that brought me this great accomplishment.” When that happens, it is important to turn inward and recall that every one of your own doings would be naught if it wasn’t for Hashem, Who imbues you with your talents and abilities to work hard.   

 ·       When Someone Compliments You for Your Great Abilities and Successes – remind yourself that Hashem is using you as his messenger. My spiritual healing teacher taught me to recite                          (תהילים פרק צג פסוק א)  הָשֵׁם מָלָךְ גֵּאוּת לָבֵשׁ לָבֵשׁ/Hashem Malach Ge’ut Lavesh – “Hashem is King He is robed in grandeur” (Tehillim 93:1). Always testifying that all our achievements emanate from Hashem’s greatness.

 ·       Pray to Hashem for Continued Success and War Victory – Remembering how Hashem took us out of Egypt is one of The Six Remembrances that we must remind ourselves of daily. This is to imbue us with the strong emunah that just as we were weak and helpless then, but Hashem saved us from all our enemies, so will Hashem continue to save us even now whether we are physically strong or weak!

 ·       We are Used to Thanking Hashem for Everything He Does for Us – I suggest, to also thank Him for everything we do. Whenever you feel pride in yourself – you may want to thank Hashem in the following way: “Thank You Hashem for everything I do!” Affirming in this way that all our successes are Hashem’s working through us. 

Recognizing Hashem’s Providence Even Within the Mundane

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Parashat Toldot
Recognizing Hashem’s Providence Even Within the Mundane 

Gratitude for the Miracles Happening in the Current War

Although Israel is going through incredibly challenging times, Hashem’s protective hand can clearly be found. It may not be easy to see the miracles in the current War amidst the mourning for the fallen soldiers. Yet keep in mind that despite the massive international effort to wipe us off the map, it is a miracle that Israel continues to exist. Yair Ansbacher, an IDF reservist and a research fellow at the Misgav Institute, explains, “We are not only fighting Hamas in Gaza but a regional war against Iran and its proxies, which have been systematically built up for 40 years on our borders. This includes Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Gaza, which surround us with militias and with rocket arsenals.” Ansbacher gives details regarding the three miracles that happened at the onset of the war by which Israel was saved from total destruction: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/379443. Although Chamas launched the deadliest attack in Israel’s history and hurled 9,500 rockets from October 7-November 9, about 10% were failed launches, which fell in the Gaza Strip. Many more were intercepted by the Israeli Air Force. I just heard an amazing miracle story of how Hashem sent His messenger to warn our soldiers, who were going to search for hostages in Gaza. The story is told by Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein, who heard it from a very reliable source: Rabbi Orbach of Baer Miriam. As the soldiers were going to enter a certain house to search its tunnels, a holy Rabbi blocked their way and prevented them from entering. When – in order to obey their commander – the soldiers tried to pass by the Rabbi, they experienced walking right through him. Realizing this was not a regular person, the soldiers heeded his warning and left the building seconds before it blew up: https://youtu.be/9vRcgHXZepI?si=T5xoHkpF7vWKReOC. Yet, the greatest miracle of all is the awakening of the Israelite spirit. As hard as it is to live through this war and mourn its causalities, I feel it is a tremendous elevating merit to live in Israel during this messianic epoch. All of Israel religious and secular have come together to fight as one united people against our common enemy. I’m filled with gratitude for the way EVERYONE is there for one another, working on so many levels to become better people. This includes the solidarity and care we feel from the Jews of the Diaspora, who are more connected with their brothers and sisters in Israel in a way I’ve never experienced before. So within the pain of our bereavement during the current war, let us not forget the attitude of gratitude and thank Hashem for the miracles happening whether hidden or revealed before our very eyes.                               

The Challenge of Giving Credit to Hashem for Our Personal Accomplishments

When we experience Hashem’s direct providence in our lives, it is much easier to give Him credit and feel gratitude. For example, there are several stories of how a person missed his flight which subsequently crashed. There is no doubt in the mind of that person that Hashem’s mighty hand protected him. Yet, it is harder to realize that the regular happenings of our lives too are divinely ordained, especially when we ourselves put much effort into accomplishing a certain task. I’m personally struggling with truly and deeply recognizing that – even when I myself put great effort and skill into attaining a certain goal – the credit for the attainment is only Hashem’s. When my son met his bashert (Divinely destined soulmate) on a religious dating site, people asked me who was the shadchan (matchmaker). I had to overcome the temptation to answer, “I was the matchmaker” because I published my son’s profile on the dating site, and I saw the post from the girl he ended up marrying, I found her phone number and gave it to my son. Yet, when I delved deeper, I realized that it was Hashem who gave me the idea to post my son’s profile on that dating site, and it was Hashem who led his soulmate to make a comment. It was G-d who guided me in how to find her phone number, and it was also Hashem who caused them to give each other a second chance after the first meeting. It takes constant work to look for Hashem’s underlying supervision in all the little miracles that happen to us daily, and even more so it takes conscious work to remember to thank Him continually for each hidden miracle. I just received a $14,000 donation for our bomb shelter from a childhood friend from Denmark who became very wealthy. I had expended a lot of work and effort into receiving this donation, and additional donations through our bomb shelter campaign. It is a great temptation to take credit and think, “Although I never received any official training in fundraising – I’m pretty good at it.” Again, I must remember, that it is Hashem who inspired me to write fundraising appeals, and He is the one who aroused the Chabad Rabbi of Denmark to reach out to me to help and speak with my childhood friend on my behalf. Even my intense prayers are only due to Hashem infusing me with a soul and stirring me to call out to Him. Finally, it is only Hashem who opened the heart of the friend and guided him to give such a generous donation to Midreshet B’erot Bat Ayin.  

Recognizing Divine Providence in Our Daily Day Occurrences

Ya’acov is a great role model for realizing how not only the revealed miracles but even the regular happenings of our lives are divinely ordained. In Parashat Toldot, we learn the famous story of how Yitzchak ended up imparting his blessing upon Ya’acov, rather than his firstborn Esav. When Rivkah heard that Yitzchak instructed Esav to hunt and prepare food for him, promising to then grant him his blessing when the food was served, she immediately sprang into action to ensure that the blessing would be granted to Ya’acov. Rivkah prepared a meal from the goats of the family flock and had Ya’acov bring it to Yitzchak, disguised as Esav. When Ya’acov first came before his father with the food his mother had prepared, Yitzchak asked him how he managed to complete his mission so quickly. After all, Yitzchak had asked Esav to go out and hunt and then prepare food – a process that he naturally expected would take far longer than it took Rivkah to prepare meat from a goat in the family’s stable. 

ספר בראשית פרק כז פסוק כ וַיֹּאמֶר יִצְחָק אֶל בְּנוֹ מַה זֶּה מִהַרְתָּ לִמְצֹא בְּנִי וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי הִקְרָה הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְפָנָי:

“Then Yitzchak said to his son, ‘How is it that you have found [it] so quickly, my son?’ And he said, ‘Because Hashem your G-d made it available before me” (Bereishit 27:20).

 Ya’acov explained that whereas normally hunting an animal would take a good deal of time, G-d helped him and made an animal easily accessible, such that he completed his mission with unusual speed. Rav Shimshon Chaim ben Rav Nachman Michael Nachmani explains that Ya’acov here was not speaking untruthfully. Ya’acov recognized G-d’s hand in providing the goats in the family herd no less than he would have recognized G-d’s providence in making an animal instantly and easily trappable in the field. There was no difference, in Ya’acov’s mind, between the animals in the pen adjacent to his home and an animal that would miraculously fall into a trap without any effort on the hunter’s part. Both were manifestations of “hikra Hashem Elokekha” – divine providence. (Zera Shimshon, Parashat Toldot, 12). We all have a tendency to take for granted what we are accustomed to having and only feel grateful for the unusual, unexpected blessings that come our way. We don’t think twice about ‘the goats in the family pen,’ the beautiful blessings that have long been part of our lives, about which we haven’t had to think twice, such as health, family, and our basic necessities. It is only when we receive some exceptional, unforeseen good fortune that we feel a deep sense of gratitude. Ya’acov teaches us to feel appreciative and enthusiastic about even the ‘ordinary’ blessings in our lives that are part of everyday existence, recognizing them as precious gifts lovingly granted to us by the Almighty (Rav David Silverberg, S.A.L.T. – Parashat Toldot). It is this recognition that made Ya’acov worthy to inherit the ancestral blessing of the Holy Land, where Hashem’s providence is experienced to the greatest extent.

 

 

 

Gratitude Focus for the Week of Parashat Toldot

Ramban teaches us to believe that everything that happens is a miracle. Therefore, it is important to commemorate the revealed miracles that testify to the everyday hidden miracles (Ramban, Shemot 13:16). The more we recognize divine miraculous providence the more we attract Hashem’s miracles to happen in our lives. When we make efforts to cling to Hashem perpetually, never taking our mind off Him, even when we are engaged in worldly pursuits and in the mundane conduct of life such as eating and the like), we will be constantly protected even from natural events. The divine protection we receive is in direct proportion to the extent that we recognize Divine providence. Whereas someone who is more distant in his thoughts and actions will be more subject to the natural course of events.

• Recognize G-d as the Source of Your Success – How often do we fall into the trap of thinking our success comes from our own efforts? Let us remember that without G-d’s gifts of health, intelligence, opportunities, and resources, we would never be able to accomplish anything.
• Request Forgiveness and Recite a Prayer of Thanks – Avinu (Our Father), forgive me for the times I fall into the trap of thinking I have accomplished something on my own. I realize that without You, I am nothing. Help me to praise You for the many ways You help me each and every day. 
• Praise Hashem for Your Accomplishments – As you step into emunah praise Hashem for His strength and guidance in leading you in the right path. As you succeed in helping others, give G-d the credit for giving you the right words to say, and for guiding your actions. 
• Thank G-d for Helping You Overcome Your Fears – As you overcome your anxieties and fears by strengthening your emunah, thank the Almighty for granting you valor and for infusing your heart with courage. 
• Believe the Torah that Hashem will Grant us Victory – Recite positive affirmations to strengthen your emunah in the forthcoming victory and repeat this encouraging Torah verse three times:

ספר דברים פרק כ פסוק ד כִּי הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם אֹיְבֵיכֶם לְהושִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם:

“For Hashem your G-d is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory” (Devarim 20:4)