Prayer for emunah and bitachon to set the stage for verbal introspection
From Rabbi Ashear Emunah Daily 450
Rabbi Ashear's Emuna Daily Transcript
Life unfolds in cycles. There are times when everything goes the way we want, we are able to accomplish all we set out to accomplish, people are smiling at us wherever we go, and we feel happy, satisfied and content. But then there are times when everything seems to go the wrong way, when we feel like a failure, we feel alone, and we feel depressed. During these times, a person's service to Hashem could easily begin to decline. He does not feel connected, he cannot muster any emotion when he prays, and he begins asking himself, "What am I worth? I am not successful in this world, and I am not doing what I need to earn the next world. Maybe Hashem does not want me to be connected to Him anymore."
It is precisely these times, when thoughts like these could start going through a person's mind, that offer the greatest potential for growth, and when Hashem wants us the most. A bit of emunah during these situations is so precious, and could be worth many years of devoted service to Hashem under easier circumstances.
But how do we pick ourselves up during difficult times and persevere when we feel Hashem has abandoned us?
The pasuk says in Shir Ha'shirim, הנה זה עומד אחר כתלנו משגיח מן החלונות מציץ מן החרכים - during difficult times, Hashem is right there with us, standing behind the wall, looking through the window and peering through the cracks. And during those times, Hashem will send us subtle hints to show us that He is with us. And this knowledge, that Hashem is with us even during difficult times, is often the greatest source of encouragement. Indeed, the widow of one of the victims of the Har Nof terrorist attack said, "What is getting me through this is that I keep reminding myself that Hashem is with me."
In this week's parashah, Parashat Vayeshev, we read about the travails of Yosef, who was living a wonderful life learning Torah with his father until one day everything changed. His brothers sold him as a slave and he did not even know where he was going. The Torah tells that the Arab merchants who had purchased Yosef were transporting fragrant spices to Egypt, and Rashi raises the question of why the Torah found this point significant enough to warrant mention. Rashi explains that the merchants in the ancient world normally transported odorous materials, but Hashem saw to it that during this very dark period in Yosef's life, he would at least not have to smell a foul odor during his trip.
The question arises, would Yosef really have cared about the smell at a time like this? He was just abducted and his life was at stake. What difference did it make whether the smell was putrid or fragrant?
The answer is that this was not about the smell, but about recognizing Hashem's presence. The fragrance of the spices was the silver lining that showed Yosef that even during this difficult period, Hashem was with him. And when a person knows that Hashem is with him, he can get through anything. As David Ha'melech says in Tehillim, כי אשב בחושך ה' אור לי - "When I sit in darkness, Hashem is my light." David is saying that in dark times, when he faces hardship, he looks for Hashem and then enjoys light. If we look to Hashem during difficult times, we will find Him, and this is precisely what we need during periods of hardship.
Indeed, Yosef remained strong throughout his ordeals in Egypt. The pasuk says in Parashat Shemot, ויוסף היה במצרים, and Hazal explain this to mean that Yosef remained the same tzadik despite all that he endured in Egypt. He was in an Egyptian dungeon for twelve years; he experienced the darkest reality imaginable. And yet he retained his faith and remained the same Yosef.
גם כי אלך בגיא צלמות...כי אתה עמדי. Even in the most difficult times, Hashem is with us. If we are aware of this, then we can persevere, draw closer to Hashem, and turn the darkness into light.
Rabbi Ashear's Emuna Daily Transcript
Life unfolds in cycles. There are times when everything goes the way we want, we are able to accomplish all we set out to accomplish, people are smiling at us wherever we go, and we feel happy, satisfied and content. But then there are times when everything seems to go the wrong way, when we feel like a failure, we feel alone, and we feel depressed. During these times, a person's service to Hashem could easily begin to decline. He does not feel connected, he cannot muster any emotion when he prays, and he begins asking himself, "What am I worth? I am not successful in this world, and I am not doing what I need to earn the next world. Maybe Hashem does not want me to be connected to Him anymore."
It is precisely these times, when thoughts like these could start going through a person's mind, that offer the greatest potential for growth, and when Hashem wants us the most. A bit of emunah during these situations is so precious, and could be worth many years of devoted service to Hashem under easier circumstances.
But how do we pick ourselves up during difficult times and persevere when we feel Hashem has abandoned us?
The pasuk says in Shir Ha'shirim, הנה זה עומד אחר כתלנו משגיח מן החלונות מציץ מן החרכים - during difficult times, Hashem is right there with us, standing behind the wall, looking through the window and peering through the cracks. And during those times, Hashem will send us subtle hints to show us that He is with us. And this knowledge, that Hashem is with us even during difficult times, is often the greatest source of encouragement. Indeed, the widow of one of the victims of the Har Nof terrorist attack said, "What is getting me through this is that I keep reminding myself that Hashem is with me."
In this week's parashah, Parashat Vayeshev, we read about the travails of Yosef, who was living a wonderful life learning Torah with his father until one day everything changed. His brothers sold him as a slave and he did not even know where he was going. The Torah tells that the Arab merchants who had purchased Yosef were transporting fragrant spices to Egypt, and Rashi raises the question of why the Torah found this point significant enough to warrant mention. Rashi explains that the merchants in the ancient world normally transported odorous materials, but Hashem saw to it that during this very dark period in Yosef's life, he would at least not have to smell a foul odor during his trip.
The question arises, would Yosef really have cared about the smell at a time like this? He was just abducted and his life was at stake. What difference did it make whether the smell was putrid or fragrant?
The answer is that this was not about the smell, but about recognizing Hashem's presence. The fragrance of the spices was the silver lining that showed Yosef that even during this difficult period, Hashem was with him. And when a person knows that Hashem is with him, he can get through anything. As David Ha'melech says in Tehillim, כי אשב בחושך ה' אור לי - "When I sit in darkness, Hashem is my light." David is saying that in dark times, when he faces hardship, he looks for Hashem and then enjoys light. If we look to Hashem during difficult times, we will find Him, and this is precisely what we need during periods of hardship.
Indeed, Yosef remained strong throughout his ordeals in Egypt. The pasuk says in Parashat Shemot, ויוסף היה במצרים, and Hazal explain this to mean that Yosef remained the same tzadik despite all that he endured in Egypt. He was in an Egyptian dungeon for twelve years; he experienced the darkest reality imaginable. And yet he retained his faith and remained the same Yosef.
גם כי אלך בגיא צלמות...כי אתה עמדי. Even in the most difficult times, Hashem is with us. If we are aware of this, then we can persevere, draw closer to Hashem, and turn the darkness into light.