The Way Of Emunah
Hashem Draws Close Anyone With a Good Will:
Rashi states: “I appeared” – to the Avos.
Rav Hirsch of Rimanov zy”a (Sefer Beeros Hamayim) writes that the word “Avos” has a connotation of “avah”, which means “desire” (as in Devarim 25:7). Accordingly, this pasuk can be understood as Hashem saying that He appeared to the “Avos”, meaning that He appears to all those who have a will and a desire to connect to Him. The pasuk goes on to say that although everyone with a desire can draw close to Hashem, there are three ways to do it, which are referred to as “Avrohom, Yitzchok, and Yaakov.”
“Avrohom” refers to one who desires to connect to Hashem’s middah of chesed by emulating Avrohom Avinu and doing acts of kindness for others. “Yitzchok” refers to one who wants to connect to Hashem’s middah of gevurah by emulating Yitzchok and overcoming all earthly desires. “Yaakov” refers to one who wants to connect to Hashem’s middah of tiferes, which is accomplished through limud haTorah.
The pasuk adds that Hashem is “Keil Shakai”, which means that He is all-powerful and contains all these middos. Thus, one can connect to Him through any of them, as He says, so to speak, that He wants to be close with anyone who has a desire to draw close to Him.
Seeing Hashgacha Pratis in Everything:
The previous pasuk states: “And Elokim spoke to Moshe and He said to Him, “I am Hashem.” The Liska Rebbe zy”a (Sefer Ach Pri Tevuah) asks that the pasuk seems to be repetitive as it first says that Hashem “spoke to Moshe”, and then repeats that He “said to him.”
He answers by quoting the Shach al Hatorah, which states that the word “Elokim” has a numerical value of 86, while the words “Ani Hashem (Havaya)” have a gematriah of 87. This indicates that Hashem adds one little bit to “Elokim” (His name that represents strict judgment), and, in this way, He transforms the middah of judgment into the middah of compassion (which is represented by the name of Havaya).
The Liska Rebbe further explains that if someone experiences middas hadin and is undergoing any form of suffering, he should know that it is definitely not happening by chance. Everything that occurs is part of Hashem’s hashgacha pratis. The suffering he is going through is meant to annul harsh decrees and it will ultimately be transformed into clear goodness, this turning “Elokim” into “Havaya”.
He continues by quoting the Gemara (Sanhedrin 108) that says that Nochum Ish Gamzu was known by this name because he always would say “gam zu l’tovah”, this too is for the best. He explains why he specifically was called “Gamzu“ by noting that the word “gam” always is “l’rabos” – it always comes to add something. Thus, the name symbolizes how he added a letter to Hashem’s name of ”Elokim”, to turn it into “Ani Hashem.” In other words, by saying that everything is from Hashem and everything is good, he was transforming the middas hadin into middas harachamim.
He further uses this concept to explain the pasuk in Tehillim (91:15): “I am with him in distress; I shall rescue him, and I shall honor him.” He explains this to mean that if a person is in a situation of distress but still attributes everything to Hashem, rather than to chance, he will be rescued and honored, and the seemingly bad things will be transformed into good.
When Moshe Rabenu asked Hashem why He was treating the nation badly (Shemos 5:22), Hashem answered him with a lesson in how to sweeten harsh decrees. He told Him, “I am Hashem.” He was saying that it is up to you. By recognizing that nothing occurs by chance, you can transform the middah of strict judgment into the middah of Divine mercy.
Emunah Peshutah:
The pasuk in Tehillim states (73:22): “I was brutish and I did not know; I was like an animal with You.” The Yismach Yisroel (Parshas Toldos) explains that one’s main focus in life should be on believing and trusting in Hashem completely and unquestioningly. He relates that before the Baal Shem Tov Hakadosh’s petirah, he said, “I put aside all the lofty knowledge I have attained and choose to be a ‘brute who does not know.’ I choose to focus solely on believing in Hashem with emunah peshutah.”
When one lives like this, he merits the fulfillment of the verse (Tehillim 23:3): “He leads me beside peaceful waters (mei menuchos).” The Arizal (Likutei Torah, Tehillim 23) explains that “mei menuchos” refers to Hashem’s chasadim which we can see and understand. If we have simple, pure emunah in Him, He will reciprocate measure-for-measure by granting us simple chasadim that we can clearly see are for our good.
Never Questioning Hashem:
On the words “And Hashem spoke to Moshe”, Rashi states: “He called him to account since he had spoken harshly by saying, ‘Why have You harmed this people?’”
The Shlah Hakadosh says that we learn from this that one should never question anything Hashem does, whether it appears good or bad to him, because Hashem is righteous and is always correct. It often occurs that a person thinks something is bad, when it is, in fact, good.
Knowing Hashem:
The Toldos Aharon Rebbe zy”a (Divrei Emunah, Likutim, Va’eira) writes that Rav Yehuda Horowitz of Dzikov zy”a related that he once met a man who told him that on the day that he became bar mitzvah, the Sanzer Rov zy”a put tefillin on him for the first time. As he wrapped the retzuah around his fingers and recited the pesukim of “V’arastich li l’olam”, he came to the words “V’yadat es Hashem.” Since he wasn’t familiar with the dikduk of these pesukim, he incorrectly read it as “V’yadata es Hashem” – with a “kamatz” under the taf. The Rov immediately screamed out, “It is ‘V’yadat es Hashem with a shvah!”
This man related that the image of seeing and hearing the Sanzer Rov screaming the words “V’Yadat es Hashem” (and you shall know Hashem) entered into his very soul, to the extent that throughout his subsequent life, whenever he had a small spiritual decline, he would remember that image and use it to strengthen his avodas Hashem.
Swearing That There is a Creator:
Rav Yaakov Yosef of Ostroha zy”a explained in a lighthearted manner that Hashem commanded Moshe to tell the Jewish people that “I am Hashem”. He told him to swear to them that this world has a Creator. This is seen from the fact that the word “lachein” (therefore) is used, as this word indicates swearing (see Shmuel 1:3).
Davening to Serve Him Properly:
Sefer Zera Kodesh writes that this verse teaches us that one should never stop davening. Even if one thinks he is unworthy of being heard by Hashem, he should still turn to Him in prayer. He writes: The Sefarim Hakedoshim say that during the exile in Egypt, “speech was in golus”, meaning that people did not speak appropriately. That is why the time of the exodus from Mitzrayim is called “Pesach”, which stands for “peh sach” (their mouths now spoke properly).
We can ask a question on this: It is stated (Shemos 2:23) that the nation cried out to Hashem and their prayers ascended to Hashem. If their words were so holy that they rose up to Hashem, how can it be said that they didn’t speak appropriately?
The answer to this question is seen in the verse (Vayikroh 26:44): “And despite all this, while they are in the land of their enemies, I will not despise them nor will I reject them to annihilate them.” The Sefarim explain that as long as Klal Yisroel has a “teshuka”, a desire to speak to Hashem, He will never reject them.
Therefore, no one should ever give up hope. No one should ever think that he is so far from kedusha that he is unable to daven to Hashem. If one thinks that his words are not holy enough to be heard by Hashem, he should know that he is mistaken, as Hashem still will accept his prayers as long as he truly desires to connect with Him.
Even if it would be true that this individual is unable to formulate holy words, just the fact that he has a teshuka to daven and feels bad that he is unable to do so is enough for Hashem to accept his tefillos. In fact, he can compose a prayer based on this. He can cry out to Hashem: “I am so far from You that I cannot speak to You properly. I ask You to have mercy upon me and grant my mouth the ability to utter a proper prayer...” If one does this, He certainly will assist him. (This is as the Sefarim Hakedoshim say that we recite the words “Hashem sefasai tiftach” before Shemonah Esrei as a prayer for Hashem to open our mouths and grant us the ability to daven properly.)
When the Jewish people were in Egypt, their prayers are referred to as “na’akasam” (Shemos 2:24 and 6:5). It is known that this word refers to a tefillah said in the heart, without being formulated by the mouth. Thus, the pasuk is saying that Hashem “heard” the teshuka of their hearts and valued this form of tefillah.
We further see that they davened for the ability to daven properly. It says that they groaned “from the avodah” (2:23). This can be understood to mean that they cried out to be able to do avodas Hashem properly, and Hashem granted their request.
This also explains Moshe’s statement: “I am aral sefasayim (impeded of speech).”
Moshe represented the neshamos of every member of Klal Yisroel. Since Klal Yisroel was unable to speak properly, his soul contained this flaw as well. Therefore, he sensed their inability to speak on a high level of kedusha, which was rectified when they left Egypt and experienced the “peh sach”.
Fix Yourself Before Fixing Others:
Chazal (Yerushalmi, Rosh Hashanah 3:5) relate that before Klal Yisroel was redeemed from Mitzrayim, they were commanded to free their own slaves. The Meshech Chochmah explains that if they hadn’t released their slaves, Pharaoh could have claimed that they were hypocrites for asking to be freed. This is the rule of “adorn yourself before adorning others.”
The Gemara (Bava Basra 60A) relates that Rav Yanai owned a tree that was sticking out from his yard into public property. There was another man in the same city who also had a tree that stuck out into public space, and passersby became upset about it. They came to Rav Yanai to complain and to ask if the man was halachically obligated to trim his tree.
Rav Yanai told them to come back tomorrow for their answer. Meanwhile, he ran to trim his own tree. The next day, Rav Yanai ordered the man to trim his tree. The man responded, “Don’t you also have a tree like that?”
Rav Yanai replied, “Go take a look at my tree. If my tree is cut, you should cut yours too. If mine isn’t cut, you don’t have to cut yours.”
The Gemara says that the reason Rav Yanai didn’t give his ruling right away was because of the rule that one must “adorn himself before adorning others.” The Maharsha explains these words to mean that one must fix his own ways before trying to fix others.
The Chofetz Chaim zt”l related the story of a man who wanted to help others. He decided to travel to a large city to deliver mussar drashos to help the residents improve their ways. When he got there, he entered the bais medrash and began to speak, but no one paid him any attention. They said, “Who is this guy? He probably just wants a few coins for his drasha. Give him some money so that he’ll leave us alone!”
The man realized that it’s very hard to influence people in a big city, so he decided to travel to a small village and try there instead. However, no one was interested in listening to his drasha there either. He tried a third, even smaller, place, but failed there as well.
He then realized he had erred. He decided to go back home, where everyone knew him, and see what he could do there. He entered his local bais knesses and started giving the people mussar, but they yelled at him, “What do you want from us? If you want to give someone mussar, give it to your own family!”
He listened to them and went home to give mussar to his children. He beseeched them to learn more Torah and serve Hashem better, but they told him, “Why are you bothering us? You want us to become tzadikim overnight?”
He thought to himself and concluded, “I guess I have to start with myself.”
He went into isolation for years, completing Shas and Poskim. He wrote numerous sefarim, which became highly-regarded all over the land. He then decided that the time had come to go out and teach Torah and mussar to others.
He sent a letter to the Rov of a big city, saying that he wanted to come visit. When he arrived, thousands of Yidden were there to greet him. They eagerly pushed forward to give “shalom” to the famed tzadik and to receive his blessing.
When he got to his hotel room, he saw that scores of people were lining up to see him and heard words of Torah and chizuk from his mouth. When he went to shul, it was packed with people who listened intently to the drasha he delivered.
The Chofetz Chaim said, “We see from this story that if someone wants to influence the public, he must start with himself!”
Not Embarrassing Pharaoh:
Rashi states: “’And He commanded them concerning the children of Yisroel.’ He commanded Moshe and Aharon regarding them to lead them gently and to be patient with them. “And concerning Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.” He commanded them concerning him to speak to him respectfully.”
The Chasam Sofer (Sefer Toras Moshe) writes: “He warned them not to shame Pharaoh so that his sins would not be atoned for, which could have caused the makkos to not occur.”
This is an incredible concept. Pharaoh was a wicked and cruel man who butchered thousands of Jewish babies and bathed in their blood. He was a heretic who dared to ask, “Who is Hashem that I should listen to Him?” He forced the Jewish people to slave away for him, and he had absolutely no mercy on them. Still and all, if he had been shamed, his sins would have been forgiven and Hashem would not have struck him with the makkos. We see from this how beneficial it is for a person to be embarrassed, as shame atones for all sins.
Shame Atones for Sins:
The Tomer Devorah (Perek 2) writes: “What is the best form of suffering one can have in this world? The type that does not disturb him from serving Hashem. The most beloved form of this is when one is embarrassed by his friend but does not respond. This does not make one sick and does not sap his strength. It does not cause him a lack of food or clothing, children, or good life. Therefore, one should desire this.
One should say: Why should I fast or strike myself or afflict my body, which takes away my strength and ability to serve Hashem? It is better to suffer embarrassment, which does not remove any of my strength.
Therefore, when one is shamed in public, he should rejoice.
We see that if one would realize how embarrassment can purify the soul, he would run after it and pay a fortune to get it in order to atone for his sins.
Shame Purifies:
Before their greatness became revealed to the world, the holy brothers, Rav Elimelech zy”a and Rav Zusha zy”a, went into golus and traveled from city to city. Wherever they went, they engaged in behavior that would cause them embarrassment. They later said that the shame purified them more than anything else in their lives and allowed them to reach extremely lofty levels.
Adding Merits and Reducing Debts:
The Chovos Halevavos writes (Shaar Hachniah, Perek 7) that many people will come to their Day of Judgment and discover that their Book of Merits contains zechusim for things they never did. When they ask why their account contains actions they didn’t do, they will be told that a certain person who shamed them or spoke badly about them did this thing, and they were given his zechusim. So too, people will find that their account of misbehavior contains acts that they never did because they were given the sins of the people they had shamed or badmouthed.
It is Easier to Jump Into a Fire Than to Guard One’s Tongue:
Two animals received reward for the way they acted in Egypt: the frogs and the dogs. The frogs were rewarded for risking their lives by jumping into the ovens and furnaces (Pesachim 53B). Their reward was that the fire did not kill them. The dogs were rewarded for remaining silent when the Jews passed by. Their reward was that they are given our treif meat, and they retain this reward until today.
Rav Dovid of Tolna zy”a famously asks why the dogs got a much bigger reward than the frogs. The frogs risked their lives but only received a one-time reward, whereas the dogs merely remained quiet for a short while, and their reward is eternal. He answers that we see from here that it is easier to jump into a fire than to keep one’s mouth shut.
Meriting the Hidden Light:
The Vilna Gaon zy”a writes in his famous letter that for every second a person closes his mouth, he merits seeing the hidden light that no angel or creation can imagine.
With what we have previously quoted in mind, we can understand why one receives such a great reward for remaining silent. It is not easy to keep one’s mouth closed. Doing so requires great self-control and mesiras nefesh, and is even harder than allowing oneself to be thrown into a fire. Thus, every second of silence is extremely valuable.
The Baal Hatanya’s Kavanos for Kriyas Shema:
On the topic of mesiras nefesh, it is known that the most ideal time to accept upon oneself to serve Hashem with self-sacrifice is during the recitation of Kiryas Shema. It is related that Rav Aharon Strosheler zy”a, author of Sefer Shaar Hayichus V’Haemunah, once asked his rebbi, the Baal Hatanya zy”a, what kavanos he has while saying Shema. The Baal Hatanya pointed out of the window to a bird flying in the air and asked Rav Aharon, “Could I possibly explain to this bird what I think about during the first pasuk of Kriyas Shema? Just like I can’t explain it to a bird, I can’t explain it to you.”
We can learn from this story how far we are from understanding the thoughts of such a great and holy man.
