The Klausenberg Rebbe, zt"l, experienced the horrors of the Holocaust and suffered tremendously throughout the war. When the war ended, the Rebbe learned that his Rebbetzin and his 11 children were murdered Al Kiddush Hashem. He was the sole survivor. Despite all the tragedy and hardships he endured, even after learning that his entire family had been murdered, the Rebbe was not broken. He strengthened and increased his emunah and bitachon and built a new generation of yidden.
When people would ask the Rebbe how he was able to remain a man of faith, he would answer, "When we accept upon ourselves the yoke of Heaven and recite the words 'Shema Yisroel Havaya Elokeinu Havaya Echad" we mention two of Hashem's names: Havayah and Elokeinu. Havayah represents Hashem's attribute of mercy and Elokeinu His attribute of din and judgment. And we conclude, "Havayah Echad. " Both the mercy and judgment we feel in our lives are truly only Hashem's mercy. However, in this world, it is difficult for us to see that reality. Therefore, we close our eyes when we say the Shema. But we nevertheless, have the emunah that this is true."
Chazal (Brachos 60a) relates a story about R' Akiva that contains a critical and practical lesson for everyone.
Once, while traveling, R' Akiva reached a certain town. The citizens, however, did not allow him to stay at their inn. And he was forced to sleep in the fields. All he had with him was a single rooster to wake him in the morning, a donkey to ride, and a candle for light. Suddenly, a strong wind blew through the fields and the candle was extinguished. While sleeping in complete darkness, a cat came and ate his rooster. And a wild beast devoured his donkey.
R' Akiva found himself alone, in utter darkness and with nothing. However, R' Akiva did not become angry by his bleak circumstances. Rather, he repeated to himself the phrase that he commonly would say, "Everything that Hashem does will be for the good."
The gemara recounts how during the night while R' Akiva was in the fields, capturers came to that town and kidnapped all the citizens. When he heard this, R' Akiva said, "This is what I meant when I said that everything Hashem does is for the best. If my candle was lit, or my rooster or donkey were making a noise, these capturers would have noticed me in the field and taken me as well."
R' Akiva lived by this philosophy, and he was an example for his entire generation of how one can see the good that is concealed in everything that appears bad.
We find in Sanhedrin (101a) a similar example. When R' Akiva's teacher, R; Eliezer HaGadol fell ill, his students came to visit him. When the students saw his agonizing pain, they all started to cry. Except, R' Akiva who was laughing. And other students asked him, "Why are you laughing?"
"If I didn't see the Rebbe in pain, I would have been suspicious that he received his Heavenly reward in this world. Now that I see his suffering, I am laughing because I know that his heavenly reward is safely awaiting him in the World to Come."
The Haggadah relates how the great sages would leave their homes on the Seder Night and travel to Bnei Brak to be at R' Akiva's Seder. Why would they do that?
The Seforim HaKedoshim explain that one of the central themes of Pesach is to thank Hashem for both the bondage and the redemption, the hardships, and the salvations.
Therefore, we eat Maror after Matzah. Logically, it would be sensible to eat the Maror first. It represents the harsh labor and slavery, which clearly occurred before the redemption symbolized by the Matzah. However, on Pesach, at the Seder, we realize that the Maror was the catalyst for redemption. It was precisely the harshness and severity imposed by the Egyptians that hastened the redemption before its appointed time. What seemed like suffering, was for Bnei Yisroel's ultimate good.
Additionally, it was the intensity of the labor's harshness that prepared Bnei Yisroel for receiving the Torah. As Chazal taught, we were taken out "from the Yoke of Iron to the Yoke of Torah because the Torah is acquired through suffering."
Therefore, these sages gathered by R' Akiva's Seder. He had mastered the theme of the night: everything that Hashem does is for the ultimate good.
We can see this idea and lesson in emunah permeate throughout the story of the Galus Mitzrayim. The story begins with Yoseif HaTzadik who endured unimaginable trials and tribulations. He was wrongfully accused and imprisoned. Later on, we saw each of those tests, those challenges, each aspect of his suffering was preparing him for the coronation as viceroy, a position that enabled him to support his entire family. And, spiritually, it was through his efforts and his merit that Jews were able to leave Mitzrayim generations later and see the miracles and wonders in Mitzrayim and at Kriyas Yam Suf. This story teaches us how, even when we are in pain, when we are suffering, we need to bless that challenge and accept it with love and joy. Since, concealed within that pain and tragedy, is the ultimate Chesed and mercy.
The Ramban had many questions about reconciling the ways of Hashgacha Pratis and what his generation was experiencing. When one of his students was dying, the Ramban asked him to bring these questions before the Heavenly Court and report back to him in a dream.
Shortly after the student passed away, he appeared to the Ramban in a dream and told him, "When I arrived before the Heavenly Courts, I had nothing to ask. I recognized that all of the questions were not questions at all."
The Divrei Chaim from Tzanz, would often quote the Roshpitzer Ruv who said in the future, when Moshiach arrives, the grace and compassion that was in each moment of pain will be revealed.
At the Seder we conduct ourselves like free men. We demonstrate our emunah and our eager anticipation for the final redemption, which will complete what had begun during Yetzias Mitzrayim. Therefore, we begin the Seder by saying, "This year we are here, next year in the land of Israel. This year we are slaves, next year we will be free people…"
This can also explain why we eat Korech, a sandwich with the Maror placed between two Matzos. This alludes to the future, when we will not see any bitterness, and we will only see that everything that Hashem does is for the best. And this should encourage us now, to always be joyful regardless of our circumstances. A simcha that is born from pure emunah and bitachon.
Comments
Post a Comment