TRANSFORM YOUR EMUNAH!

181 - Bitachon (Part-7)

We've been learning about the tremendous importance of the mitzvah to rely on Hashem - to practice our bitachon. As we've learned, the Torah commentaries write that it is a great sin to not live a life of bitachon. And when one chooses not to rely on Hashem, but rather fear other individuals and circumstances, not only does one now not have the special protection that bitachon provides, but one actually brings about those troubles that they are fearing from coming about.
Life is full of challenges and situations that trigger us to feel feelings of fear and anxiety potentially. When we live lives of bitachon, we are able to feel calm, even when the greatest challenge might be presenting itself. I remind myself, who is looking after me. As the Vilna Gaon writes, Just like a baby nursing from its mother does not have a worry in the world, because it has everything it needs and it knows it will never go hungry, in the same way, Hashem is taking care of all of our needs, those that have already arisen and those that might arise in the future. 
It is not difficult to see the tremendous emphasis that the Torah commentaries place on the importance of living a life of bitachon. But one might say, "I would love to live a life of bitachon and already be there, but the truth is that I don't feel that reliance on Hashem, so how do I get there?" And as always, the solution to all problems is to talk to Hashem about what I need. Every single one of us has the constant opportunity to talk to Hashem about anything and everything, whenever we want. And if we truly are seeing it as our life's mission to grow in our emunah and bitachon, it is vital that we dedicate time to make an effort and give us a space to talk to Hashem and ask Him to help us to grow in our bitachon. 
"Hashem my Father, You are well aware of what just transpired, that just yesterday I lost my job, and the truth of the matter is that I currently don't have a backup plan. I don't know where to from here. I have people that are dependent on me, and without the salary that I was receiving, I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do in the coming months. My natural tendency, Hashem, is that I am petrified. I know that the consequences of this could be devastating, and Hashem, if I don't remind myself to internalize the values of bitachon, I know that I'm going to get tremendously fearful, anxious, depressed, and many other negative feelings. 
But You have taught us that You ultimately run every single detail in our lives, and I've been making an effort to try to grow in my emunah, as well as taking those principles and applying them practically. Hashem, I don't want to rely on any other individual, nor any other circumstance. Help me to internalize the true perspective. My ex-boss was never paying my salary. You Hashem exclusively were always paying my salary, giving me the money that I need. And although until this moment You decided that the way You would like to give me my sustenance is via my ex-boss, the only thing that has changed now is that the method of You delivering my sustenance to me is going to change.
If I am God forbid to think that I am in the hands of my ex-boss, there is so much to fear, because there is no way I am getting this job again. And the truth of the matter is that I don't have an alternative right now, and I don't know where to from here. Please help me not to be fearful, but rather to rely on You. Of course I am going to make an effort to try to find alternatives, to fulfill the mitzvah and my obligation of hishtadlus - to make an effort. But to feel feelings of fear and anxiety is in essence coming from a place of me not having true bitachon, because Hashem, if I know that You are my exclusive provider, You have many ways to provide for me. Thank You so much, Hashem, for giving me the opportunity to talk to You, the King of Kings, the Master of the Universe, in personal conversation, intimately, whenever I choose to."

180 - Bitachon (Part-6)

We've been discussing the potency of bitachon and the tremendous emphasis that the Torah commentaries place on making our maximum effort to excel in bitachon. Let us not forget the words of the Vilna Gaon, who says that a life free of sin but devoid of bitachon, although it might be an achievement that one has not performed sin, but nevertheless, because they are not living a life of bitachon, that is considered worse than living a life of severe transgressions, but excelling in bitachon. And as emphasized previously, of course we are called on to stay far away from every form of sin. But there is even more emphasis placed on striving to excel in bitachon, in our reliance on Hashem. 
We also mentioned the Beis HaLevi who said that it is a great sin to not live life by the values of bitachon. And again we see here the importance the Torah commentaries are placing on and emphasizing in the efforts we need to make to live a life of true reliance on Hashem. The Beis HaLevi also mentioned that whilst bitachon can save a person from the current challenges and fears they might be experiencing, the opposite is also true. When a person is not living by the values of bitachon, but rather giving in to the fears and other powers that seem to be outside of Hashem, that fear in itself is the catalyst that brings about those new troubles that we were fearing. 
Now the question we might ask is, how am I supposed to control my emotions? If I am currently experiencing something that is scary to me and I am fearful, how can I be commanded not to be fearful? And the fantastic Sefer that we have been discussing, the Artscroll version of the Beis HaLevi on bitachon, cite in the notes that the great Steipler Gaon shed some light on this issue. And he writes that one is certainly not held accountable for natural fear or anxiety that one experiences, which is practically uncontrollable. And as the Gemara states, the Torah was not given to angels and does not expect us to be superhuman. However, the Steipler goes on to explain that we are called on to make an active effort to not think about worrisome thoughts on an ongoing basis, as such thoughts may cause additional fear to one's nature or personality. Rather, one must strengthen oneself with thoughts of emunah and bitachon. 
The Torah was not given to angels and as the Staipler writes, we are not expected to live superhuman lives, making our endeavor impossible. But there are many areas where we do have the choice to move our lives towards reliance on Hashem - Bitachon, as opposed to the other side, a life without bitachon, where we bring more and more fears into our lives. 
"Hashem, my Father, what a tremendous gift I have to be able to talk to you about anything and everything, because the truth is that whenever I get stuck in life about anything, I always have somewhere to go. And it's not just an effort that might work, might not work; I am coming to you, Hashem, who is the source of everything, and I know that you're listening to every single word that I am uttering. Hashem, I am trying to internalize the incredible importance of living a life of true emunah, of true bitachon, and the truth of the matter is that I really want to rely on you in all areas of my life, to the point that when I experience something in my life that is causing me to feel anxiety or fear, I want to be able to turn to you, Hashem, and rely on you, and be able to feel calm. 
Please Hashem, help me to advance in my journey to living a life of true bitachon, where I will more and more turn to you, and exclusively to you, regardless of what I am experiencing. Thank you so much, Hashem, for giving me the incredible opportunity to talk to you whenever I want, and especially now, when I might not know exactly how to inculcate the values of bitachon into my life, but more than any other effort, I know that just by talking to you, you are listening to me. Please Hashem, help me to talk to you with sincerity, and truly mean what I say, and I beg you, Hashem, help me to move successfully towards living a life of true bitachon."

179 - Bitachon (Part-5)

We've been talking about the paramount importance that the Torah places on the Mitzvah of bitachon. Remember, the Vilna Gaon says that it's better to live a life with severe transgressions, if that means a life of Bittachin, rather than a life free of transgression but devoid of Bittachin. 
We are of course given no license to perform transgressions by any Torah authorities and have to make our maximum effort to always do the will of Hashem, but we see here the incredible importance and emphasis that the Torah commentaries place on our endeavor to grow in our Bittachin. We also discussed the words of the Beis HaLevi in his classic essay on bitachon, where he writes that the obligation to have bitachon is such a fundamental prerequisite and foundation to the whole Torah itself, and if one lacks bitachon, it is regarded as a great sin. 
As discussed previously, simply speaking, bitachon means to rely on Hashem and feel calm that He is going to take care of me, regardless of what circumstances might be presented to me. When I am not living a life of bitachon, there are many things to fear, people, circumstances, and whatnot, whereas when I am living by the values of bitachon and relying on Hashem that He will always take care of me, regardless of anything else that might be transpiring in my life, that leads to a life of calm, serenity, and lack of fear.
The Beis HaLevi writes further that not having bitachon in Hashem, but rather being fearful instead, is itself the cause for one's downfall. And as he writes, "because when a person trembles in fear of something, rather than relying on Hashem, this itself causes a snare, one that did not even exist previously, to be placed in front of him regarding that very matter that he feared, whereas when one relies on Hashem, he will be saved even from a problem that already existed." 
The Beis HaLevi is teaching us that when one chooses to rely on Hashem, the power of that bitachon can save him from the challenges he might be confronting, whereas when a person is not living by the values of bitachon, but rather by the mistaken illusion that there are other forces in the world, such as some terrorist group that might have the power to do something without Hashem first decreeing it, or if one feels that the only reason for their safety is because of soldiers or an army, or perhaps one might feel that the future might depend on the power and authority of a certain president and the like, then the Beis HaLevi writes that that lack of bitachon is actually what brings on that thing that we might be fearing to transpire.
There are many things that are potential for fear and anxiety. Choosing to work towards living a life of true reliance on Hashem, of true bitachon, is the best anti-anxiety that we can shoot for. And the more we grow in our bitachon, the less fearful we will be from any situation that might present itself.
And on the flip side, the more credibility we give to other forces outside of Hashem, and the more we give in to those fears, as if Hashem was not the one to protect us from them transpiring, the more we bring those things upon ourselves. Bitachon is the foundation of the entire Torah, and as outlined by the Torah commentaries, bitachon is available to every single one of us, regardless of our spiritual level, regardless of our background. Let us make use of this most powerful and important foundation to who and what we are.

178 - Bitachon (Part-4)

We've been discussing how when it comes to Emunah and Bitachon, we want to try, understand what Hashem's perspective is, which is ultimately the only truth that we can rely on. Hashem teaches us His perspective via the many Torah sources that we have available to us. 
We discussed the frighteningly powerful words of the Vilna Gaon, who teaches us that although there are countless Torah sources highlighting the importance to stay away from even the slightest sin, nevertheless the Vilna Gaon writes that bitachon is so important that if one had to choose between one of two options, either a life free of sin, but also a life without bitachon, or alternatively a life of severe transgressions, but however coupled by a life lived according to the values of Bittachon, one would be obligated to choose the latter, because although staying away from sin is of paramount importance, nevertheless a life of bitachon is even more important than that.
Another incredible resource that we're going to be exploring in our journey of bitachon is the fantastic essay of the Beis Halevi on bitachon. I highly recommend anyone who's able to get a copy of the artscroll Beis HaLevi on bitachon, authored by Rabbi David Sutton, which has been written incredibly clearly and easy to understand for all levels. 
The Beis HaLevi opens the first chapter with the following words: "The obligation of bitachon appears in many verses in the Torah, too many to count, and if one lacks bitachon, it is regarded as a great sin." Now firstly what we see from the statement of the Beis HaLevi is that he didn't even deem it necessary to quote the source of what the obligation to have Bitachon is in the Torah, because it is such an obvious preface and foundation to a life of Torah and mitzvos itself. If one is interested in the exact sources, again this incredible book has many fantastic appendixes at the back, and in the first appendix Rabbi Sutton discusses the many different sources offered by the commentaries as to what exactly the source for the obligation of Bittachon is.
It is also important to highlight these very potent words of the Beis HaLevi. Let us remind ourselves that Torah commentaries were very careful with the words that they used, because the slightest misrepresentation could lead readers to making vital mistakes. The Beis HaLevi specifically chose the words that if one lacks bitachon, it is regarded as a great sin. Remember, the only true perspective that we have is what the Torah teaches us. There are many pluses and benefits that we receive from living a life of bitachon that Bezrat Hashem will explore together as we move further into Bittachon. However, here the Torah commentaries are highlighting to us that it is a great sin to not live by the values of bitachon.
"Hashem my Father, please will you help me to find the right resources for me to learn exactly what it means to live a life of bitachon, and please Hashem help me to be able to take the things that I learn and apply them in a practical way, and B'ezrat Hashem, be successful in my endeavor to live a life of true bitachon. 
Thank you so much Hashem for teaching me exactly what my purpose is in this world, and that ultimately the way to achieve my reward in eternity in Olam HaBa is by making every effort to excel in my emunah and bitachon. Obviously Hashem, if this is the main reason that You created me for, it makes sense to me that this needs to be the highest priority in my life, because it's obviously not something that can just come without making a real effort to excel in this area.
Hashem, I know that it's one thing to know the concepts of emunah and bitachon, but as the Torah sources teach us, it's something completely different to be able to take those concepts and sincerely internalize them and live by their values throughout all of the happenings in my life. Please Hashem, will You help me to be successful in all of the areas of my journey to excel in emunah and Bitachon."

177 - Bitachon (Part-3)

As we continue to dive deeper into the most important and vital topic of bitachon, let's remind ourselves that when it comes to any topic, many of us might have many opinions, but as we've discussed many times, everything depends on which perspective one is looking from. And just like many people decided to side with the outrageous values of Hitler, Yemach Shema, as well as currently we can see with the war between Israel and Hamas, that most of the world has sided with Hamas, and of course it is a basic value to all of us that Hitler and his opinions and perspectives, as well as Hamas and their opinions and perspectives, are mistaken and far from the truth.
And although these might be extreme examples, ultimately every question we might discuss depends on the perspective that we use on how we answer that question. Just like many clever people can make mistakes even after it is well thought out, in the same way, we without human limitations are always limited and at risk of making a mistake. 
Now especially when it comes to these important questions, such as what exactly does it mean to fulfil my purpose in this world and how exactly do I practice bitachon, it would be very unwise to try follow our own perspective to find the answer for these questions. The only perspective that can be the absolute truth is Hashem's perspective. And as discussed previously, Hashem does not reveal Himself in the form of a voice speaking to us in today's day and age, but rather has given us the Torah with all its commentaries that express Hashem's perspective to give us the absolute truth. Let's begin discussing what some of the Torah commentaries teach us about the importance of bitachon.
The Vilna Gaon in Even Shleima, chapter 3, writes, "One who commits severe transgressions but nevertheless excells in bitachon, is better than one who does not transgress but does not have bitachon." Now for anyone even slightly familiar with Torah literature, this is a frighteningly powerful statement, because throughout Torah literature there is much emphasis placed on even the slightest Torah transgression, and certainly on severe transgressions. And nevertheless here the Vilna Gaon is teaching us that so important is it to live a life by the values of bitachon, that if one had to choose between a life of bitachon coupled by a life of severe transgressions in comparison to a life clean of transgressions but devoid of bitachon, it is more important to go with the first option, that of bitachon, even though there would be severe transgressions on one's record. 
Now of course nobody is advocating to do any transgressions, because ultimately there will be consequences for anything and everything, as we've learned about many times. However, what we do see here is how much emphasis there is being placed on making efforts to live a life according to the values of bitachon. 
"Hashem, my Father, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to talk to you whenever I want about whatever I want. Hashem, I've been trying to learn about Emunah and ultimately I know that you run the world exclusively and there's no question in the world that the best effort that I can make is to talk to you and to ask you to help me in the areas that I need. Now of course you know that there are many things that I need in my life and I'm going to try and make an effort to talk to you about all of them, to bring you into my life in all areas. 
But certainly when it comes to the most important area, Hashem, to my progress in Emunah and Bittachon, please help me, Hashem, to remember to talk to you on a daily basis to help me to excel in these areas, although many things in this world that we live in might try to distract us, but ultimately I know, Hashem, that the only reason that I exist, as your Torah commentaries have taught us, is to excel in my Emunah and my Bittachon."

176 - Bitachon (Part-2)

Our ultimate purpose in this world is to focus on building our emunah. And as we've been discussing, although emunah is the first level that we are required to dive into, we then take the principles of emunah and apply them in a practical way, moving towards bitachon. What exactly does it mean to have bitachon, trust or reliance on Hashem? 
Emunah teaches us that there is nothing else in the world except for Hashem. Just like if somebody would come and hit you with a stick, it would be the most absurd response to begin fighting against the stick itself, because we all know that a stick is not a power of its own, but rather is an object that has been handled by an individual who is deciding how to use the stick. And in the same way, when we internalize what emunah teaches us, that ein od milvado, there is nothing else in the world except for Hashem, every individual, every circumstance, every happening is ultimately one of Hashem's many puppets, and the values of emunah teach us to internalize that the only power that exists is Hashem Himself. And as we move from emunah to bitachon, we are now called on to exclusively rely on Hashem for all of our needs.
Of course at this point, before we've delved into the subject further, many questions will already arise, such as, if Hashem runs everything and does everything, why do I need to even make the slightest of an effort? And B'ezrat Hashem we'll discuss this more as we continue to talk about bitachon. But for now, before anything, just to define bitachon a little bit, bitachon refers to relying on Hashem rather than on other individuals. 
So of course, everybody needs money to be able to live. If I am not living by the values of bitachon, one might go to work, work hard, and be well-meaning in all areas. However, this individual might think that the only reason they are receiving their sustenance is because they go to work and their boss pays their salary. Now again, we are not now discussing the obligation to make hishtadlus, to make an effort, which we know the Torah commands us to do. But regardless of the obligation of hishtadlus and whatever hishtadlus we might be obligated to make, when one is not living according to the values of bitachon, but rather according to the illusion that their boss is the one who is providing for their needs, that would be a life devoid of Hashem, devoid of emunah, and devoid of bitachon. 
Whereas, when an individual understands that the only source of their parnassa comes directly and exclusively from Hashem, yes in this case, Hashem is giving the money to the boss to give to me, but I am absolutely clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that this boss is just a puppet to the point that I am not afraid of him, that I will not flatter him like sometimes one might be led to do if they have the mistaken illusion of this boss being their provider. As opposed to when one internalizes that Hashem is the only provider, it could be through this boss, it could be through some other means, but I rely exclusively on Hashem. 
It is easy to understand that seeing as emunah and bitachon should be our ultimate focus whilst alive in this world, it is not going to take one day to become proficient in these topics, but of course all Hashem expects from us is to make an effort to grow in these areas, in our purpose of being alive in this world. Let's explore and learn about together the true perspective, Hashem's perspective, which is portrayed in the Torah, about what it truly means to have bitachon.

175 - Bitachon (Part-1)

We've discussed many times the important question of why Hashem decided to create the world. And as the Torah commentaries teach, step number one, the only reason Hashem decided to create the world in the first place was just because of His desire to give to all of us. And of course, if there's no recipient, there is nobody to give to. And therefore, He created us. 
And step number two, as the Torah commentaries teach, the ultimate destination where we'll receive our reward in the future, b'ezrat Hashem, is not in this world, but rather in Olam Haba, in the next world. 
And step number three, that being the case, if so, why did Hashem place us in this world at all? If the only reason You created me is to give me pleasure in Your goodness, and ultimately that takes place in Olam Haba only, in the next world, and not in this world, what am I doing here? Why am I alive in this world? 
And as the Torah commentaries explain, the only reason that we exist in this world is because Hashem, in His great knowledge and wisdom, understood that the ultimate opportunity for pleasure in the next world will be if we are given the opportunity to earn that pleasure for ourselves, rather than having that pleasure being given to us as a free gift. And the way we earn that pleasure is by having our excursion in this world. 
And step number four, exactly what is the process of how we earn our place in the next world? We know there are many components to Judaism, including the learning of Torah and performance of many mitzvos and many other practices that we have. However, as we've discussed many times, the Ramban writes in his commentary on the Torah in the final passage of Parashat Bo - the purpose of all the mitzvos, and in fact, the only reason for Hashem creating us is that we come to have emunah in Hashem.
We've also mentioned previously many others who follow suit, teaching us that ultimately the purpose of all of the mitzvahs and of the Torah and all of Judaism is to come to have faith in Hashem. And therefore our main focus whilst alive in this world should be to make efforts to grow in our emunah and our bitachon. 
What exactly is the difference between emunah and bitachon? Usually emunah is translated as faith and bitachon is translated as trust or reliance. Many Torah commentaries explain that emunah can be viewed as the theoretical principle - that Hashem initially created the world and that Hashem is currently actively involved in all the intricate details of every single one of our lives; that there is no other force or power in the world except for Hashem, and the many other things that emunah teaches. Whereas bitachon refers to taking the theoretical principles of emunah and applying them in a practical way by living our lives according to their values. 
Of course it can be self-understood that both emunah and bitachon are of paramount importance because without knowing the principles of emunah it is impossible to apply them practically and practice bitachon, whereas just learning and internalizing the principles of emunah, although of paramount importance, but of course the ultimate is to apply those principles in a practical way, living our lives according to the values of bitachon.
"Hashem, my Father, please will you help us to learn the correct information as well as internalize everything we need to know about both emunah as well as bitachon and please Hashem guide every single one of us in our own way to be able to apply these principles in a practical way and live the most meaningful lives to our maximum potential."

174 - Even then?

Let us remind ourselves, the only reason Hashem created the world was in order to share His goodness with every single one of us, and therefore anything that ever transpires throughout our lives can only be for our ultimate benefit. And at the same time, let us remind ourselves that we are taught that our main focus in this world, ultimately the foundation of the whole Torah and all the mitzvos, is to practice emunah, belief, specifically when I don't understand, to believe.
Hashem designed the world in a way that everything is conducive for an opportunity to believe. So although we are taught from all the Torah sources unanimously that ultimately Hashem created the world only to give to us, only to be good to us, however, Hashem made the world operate in a way that many times it can seem like bad things are happening to us, thereby giving us an opportunity to be able to exercise our emunah, our belief; although I seem to see what appears to be bad, however, I am going to make an effort to believe and have emunah that the only reason Hashem is doing this is in order to give me an opportunity to choose to believe in what He's taught me, in His Torah sources, which is ultimately the only true perspective, Hashem's perspective, that absolutely anything and everything that transpires throughout my life can only be for my good.
We ought to constantly remind ourselves about what the Mishnah states, which is ultimately coded in the Shulchan Aruch. חייב אדם לברך על הראה כשם שמברך על הטובה - that a person is obligated to bless Hashem for the seemingly bad times in the same way that one would bless Hashem for the seemingly good times. We know that in halacha there are certain blessings prescribed to the birth of children and in the same way there are certain blessings prescribed to when one experiences the death of a family member. And we also have certain blessings prescribed in halacha when one receives a large amount of money or an item of substantial value and in the same way when one loses a large amount of money there is a blessing outlined. 
And ultimately as we've learnt many times, this stems from the fact that we ought to believe that everything that transpires throughout our lives is directly orchestrated from Hashem and can only be for our best because that is why He created us. But again our job is to believe that when other factors seem to indicate the opposite.
There are many great sages and Torah sources that outline the benefits of fulfilling this law where we bless and thank Hashem for not only the things we perceive as good but also for the things we perceive as challenges and tragedy. The main student of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in his book Likutei Halachot writes the following: "If everyone would constantly give thanks and praise to Hashem whether under good circumstances or not, then surely all the troubles and all the exiles would be completely nullified and the complete redemption would take place." There are many Torah passages outlined by many great sages along similar lines.
What we are learning here is that of course by thanking Hashem and being grateful for even the challenges throughout our lives, the ultimate benefit is that we are fulfilling our purpose in this world to have emunah, but an additional fringe benefit is that by choosing to be grateful and thank Hashem for what we perceive as challenges and say, "Hashem you know the fact that I lost all this money it is so hard for me and it hurts me but if that is what you sent me I have no doubt that this is the best thing in the world. Thank you so much Hashem for making me lose one million dollars in this crazy transaction that took place. Although this is such a huge blow to me and I have no idea how I am going to come out of this, I am going to thank you with all my heart because Hashem if you created me and you sent me this situation and I trust that everything you do in the world is only for my best there is no question in the world that this too is for my best. Thank you so much Hashem for making me lose a million dollars."
And as we are taught here, by doing so, one of the great fringe benefits is that that itself is the catalyst to turning the tragedy and challenge into a time of revealed blessing, a time where we perceive it as good. May we all merit to thank Hashem for all the things in our lives, for the things we perceive as good as well as the things we perceive as bad. And Im Yirtzeh Hashem, may we all merit to lives where we can perceive the goodness that Hashem is sending us at every moment throughout our lives.

173 - Dancing Sunset

We've been discussing one of the most important components of what it means to live a life of Torah, the true perspective of Hashem. And as discussed, having a daily commitment of a certain amount of time where I can focus on and contemplate all the things that I perceive as good, just to appreciate them and be grateful for them, is something very conducive to living a life of gratitude, which will ultimately lead to a life of joy and simcha. 
And in addition to that, it would be wise to also devote a certain amount of time to try to contemplate the things that I might perceive as negative and as bad, but nevertheless communicate with Hashem that we trust that whatever He does is for our best, because He only does what is best for us. 
As mentioned, this concept is codified in the Shulchan Aruch where it states that a person is obligated to bless and thank Hashem for both the things that we perceive as good as well as the things that we perceive as bad, because ultimately nothing in the world is bad. Everything that Hashem does can only be for our best.
Remember what all the Torah commentaries teach us as to the most vital question of why Hashem decided to create the world in the first place, and what they all unanimously state is that ultimately, Hashem did not need to create anyone nor anything, but He did so just because He wants to share His goodness with us. That is the starting point to never forget that anything and everything that ever transpires can only be for a positive effect that Hashem is bringing about, because that is the only reason He created the world in the first place. It happens to be that for our ultimate benefit, there needs to be negativity in the world.
There needs to be the potential to sin, to break our relationship with Hashem, and there needs to be tragedy and challenges that transpire. However, ultimately it is only for one purpose. It is ultimately just so that Hashem can give to us in the highest, most potent and powerful way which only He understands, the exact course that will bring about this desired result in the most effective way.
There is a story of the two famous and pious brothers, Rav Zusha and Rav Elimelech. It happened one time that because of the antisemitism, these two great tzaddikim were imprisoned. Not having committed any form of transgression, but just because of the antisemitism, some pretext was found against them. And whilst in prison, one of the brothers started crying, and the other brother said to him, why are you crying? We know Hashem runs the world exclusively. Are you worried? Are you scared? What are you worried about? Just like Hashem put us in here, He could take us out at any moment. And if He wants us to remain here, then of course that is for the best.
So why are you crying? And the brother retorted back, you think I'm crying about that? I'm not scared. I know that everything happens only for the best. And if Hashem wants us to be here right now, that is for sure for the best. And if He wants to take us out, He can do so at any moment, because He runs the world exclusively. You know why I'm crying? Because I see the sun is about to set, and the mincha prayer which I have not yet recited needs to be said before the sun has set. 
However, one is also forbidden to pray if there is a foul odor nearby oneself. And we here are locked in this small room, and right there in the middle of the room, there is a garbage can with a foul odor emanating from it. And therefore, I am unable to pray the mincha services now. And the sun is about to set. I have never missed the mincha prayer before. And now, for the first time in my life, I am going to miss this prayer. This is the reason I am crying.
And the brother retorted back, what is the reason you usually daven mincha? Is it not because Hashem commanded you to daven mincha? Well, if Hashem put you in this situation right now, where you are locked in a room and are unable to daven mincha, then just like Hashem is the one who usually commands you to daven mincha, today Hashem is the one commanding you not to daven mincha. And the two brothers began to dance around the garbage can, celebrating that this was their best way to serve Hashem now, because everything Hashem does is for the best. 
It happened to be that as an anecdote to the story, the prison warden came and saw that there was such tremendous joy about this garbage can that they were dancing around, and because of his hatred for the Jews not wanting them to have any joy, he removed the garbage can, thinking that this was some form of ritual and the brothers were of course now free to continue with their services. 
Sometimes, when we choose to focus on the good, to be appreciative and grateful, and to be full of joy, that itself is the catalyst to removing the heartache and challenges that are presented to us. But perhaps an even deeper message is to contemplate on the fact that anything and everything that happens throughout our lives is always exclusively orchestrated directly from Hashem and therefore can only be for our best.

172 - The Great Discovery

We've been discussing one of the most important and fundamental components to Judaism and Torah. As mentioned, the only animal offering that will remain in the future is the offering of the Todah, because although we might reach such a high spiritual level in the future that we will not need the other offerings, however, the offering that is brought in light of our gratitude to Hashem remains forever. And that is because gratitude is such a fundamental and important component to who and what we are. 
In the same vein, we are taught that all songs will cease to exist in the future. And again, because of the level that we will climb to, we will be beyond what songs can communicate and express. But the one song that will remain is Mizmor L'soda - is the song of gratitude, because thanking Hashem is something that is with us forever. 
We also learnt the Gemara which is codified in the Shulchan Aruch that states that a person is obligated to bless and thank Hashem for the good things that transpire in our lives as well as the bad things that transpire in our lives. And as pointed out, sometimes one might feel like a certain practice is saved for some super pious and righteous individuals, however, this is a law codified in the Shulchan Aruch which is applicable to every single one of us. 
In addition to having a daily commitment of a certain amount of time where one thanks Hashem for all of the good things in our lives, it could be very advisable to also dedicate a certain amount of time where I try contemplate on things which are seemingly bad and difficult and tragedies that I might be experiencing, and nevertheless find it within me to say, "Hashem, I know that this can only be for the best, because if You are sending this to me, there is no question that You will only do what is best for me."
Let's say I am looking after another family member who is elderly and unwell, and being a good person, I make my maximum effort to look after them. I consult doctors, I try get the right guidance to give them their best treatment. I wake up one morning to the sad news that this family member has passed away. And it's also currently going all over the news that only just recently a certain medication was discovered that has a 99% success rate to treat this illness, and for whatever reason I did not see that information on the news. 
The wrong approach would be to say, "if only I knew about this news information, I would have saved my family member's life, I regret so much that I didn't look around more on the news and I didn't talk to more people, because maybe, who knows, I would have found the solution." If a person is responsible and made a reasonable amount of effort to look after their family member, an emunah approach would teach, the fact that I did not see that information on the news is just because Hashem did not want my family member to live more. For whatever reason, it was the best thing that they should be taken from us now, because everything that happens in the world can only be for the best. 
"Thank you Hashem for teaching me this golden information, the true perspective, your perspective, that anything and everything that transpires throughout my life is directly orchestrated by You, and therefore, whether I perceive it as good or if I perceive it as bad is only my perception, but ultimately, anything and everything that happens is always directly orchestrated from You and always only what is absolutely best for me."