"And every wise hearted person among you shall come and make everything that the Lord has commanded." (Shemos 35:10)
Listening to Hashem's Messages
The first time the Toldos Yaakov Yoseif met the Baal Shem Tov, they had a conversation about the concept of hashgacha pratis, Divine Providence.
During this conversation, the Baal Shem Tov explained that everything someone hears or sees, everything, is with an exacting Divine Providence, a Divine design, a hashgacha pratis. Therefore, whenever someone hears or sees something, when they experience anything in their lives, there is a Divine message within that experience that is entering his life for a purpose. Therefore, a person must reflect and contemplate: what is the message that Hashem is sending me through this experience? This, explained the Baal Shem Tov, is the equivalent of a bas kol, a heavenly voice speaking directly with the individual.
While they were meeting, a non-Jewish handyman was passing by the home and knocked on the door. When he came into the room where the Baal Shem Tov was, the handyman asked, "Is there anything in the house that I might be able to fix?"
"There is nothing here that needs fixing," answered the Baal Shem Tov.
"Perhaps," inquired the handyman, "there is some small thing in the house that could use fixing?"
The Baal Shem Tov turned towards the Toldos Yaakov Yoseif and said, "See! Hashem is sending me this non-Jewish handyman to awaken with in me the realization that I still have work to do, that I still have areas in my ruchniyos, spirituality, and my Avodas Hashem, that needs some repairing."
The Toldos Yaakov Yoseif couldn't accept the idea that Hashem was sending a message to the Baal Shem Tov from the words of a non-Jew. And, he told the Baal Shem Tov, "I am unable to accept what the Rebbe is teaching me."
"You are able to, you just don't want to," answered the Baal Shem Tov.
With that, the Toldos Yaakov Yoseif left to return to his lodgings. On the way, he passed by a non-Jew whose wagon had turned over and was stuck. He was trying to find someone to help him turn the wagon right side up. When he saw the Toldos Yaakov Yoseif, he asked him, "Can you please help me lift my wagon?"
The Toldos Yaakov Yoseif was already older and frail. "I am unable to help," answered the Rebbe.
"You are able, you just do not want to," replied the non-Jew.
When the Toldos Yaakov Yoseif heard this wagon driver use the same exact terminology as the Baal Shem Tov, he realized that this was Hashem sending him a message. He accepted the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov and became a devout follower of his Rebbe.
Reb Yaakov Glinsky related a story that encapsulates this very idea and it worthwhile for everyone to hear:
Reb Yaakov was learning in the Novardik Yeshiva leading up to the outbreak of World War II. One day, the Rosh HaYeshiva asked him to go to the Jewish bakery near the town's square and bring back bread for the yeshiva students.
When Reb Yaakov reached the town square, he saw a large crowd gathering awaiting a critical speech by the Polish president. At the time, there was a tremendous debate in the parliament whether Poland should succumb to Hitler's demand for the port city of Danzing or to enter the war. Reb Yaakov waited with the crowd. A few moments later, the Polish president began his speech saying, "As you all know, the leader of Germany is demanding that we give him Danzing. If all he wanted was this port city, I would be willing to offer it in exchange for our sovereignty. However, Hitler doesn't want Danzing. He wants Warsaw. It is just easier now to ask for Danzing. But make no mistake about it. Appeasing Hitler now will only delay the inevitable: we will have to fight the Nazis. I rather not give them Danzing now, making their conquest easier. Therefore, I reject the German proposal.``
All of Poland knew that this declaration would be the beginning of World War II for the Polish people. The Jewish baker immediately shut his store and went home to prepare with his family. Reb Yaakov had to return to the yeshiva without the bread.
When he returned to the Yeshiva, they asked him where the bread was. And, he answered, "I was unable to get any bread, but I did get a Divine Calling from the Polish president."
The students were puzzled, and Reb Yaakov explained everything that he saw and heard in the town square. And, then he explained, that everyone is constantly battling their yetzer harah, they are constantly engaging in a war. At first, the yetzer harah, comes and "attacks" the seemingly meaningless customs, traditions, the less "important" Jewish laws. He demands small concessions that would appear to be harmless and a worthwhile compromise. However, that won't satisfy the yetzer harah for long. His goal is the utter spiritual defeat and annihilation of the individual. He will begin by demanding small concessions but he will inevitably start waging war against more critical elements of a Torah life. He will attack kosher, Shabbos and other pillars of Yiddishkeit. Therefore, the yid must draw the battlelines early. They must not concede even the smallest, most lenient of the Jewish laws. The yid must fight the yetzer harah from the very beginning. Wage the war now, because it is inevitable.
This story teaches us how important it us to even glean lessons from the words we hear. As the Maggid of Mezritch taught that we must elevate and internalize the words of the warring non-Jewish nations because they too carry an important Divine lesson for our Avodas Hashem.
In Pirkei Avos (4:1) the Mishna teaches that a wise person is someone who learns from "everyone". The Baal Shem Tov explained that there are Divine messages, lessons to be learned from everyone, even non-Jews. They might be discussing or engaging in things of this world, and the yid needs to take those lessons and apply them to their spiritual growth.
This is what our pasuk means. When the pasuk says, "And every wise hearted person among you shall come," teaches us that everyone we see and hear in this world needs to be used for our spiritual growth. As the pausk continues, "make everything that the Lord has commanded." Everything should be utilized for the life Hashem has commanded us to live, a life of Torah and mitzvos.
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