Rav Shaya Cohen on "Rising Above the Challenges of Life and Flourishing"

Welcome everybody. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Congregation Ahavas Israel for a special shear with Rabbi Shauly Cohen, the founder of Priority One and Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Zichron Aryeh. It's a five-time big honor for us to have him once again in our community. Thank you very much to all of you for coming. Uh just a few quick announcements before we begin tonight's amazing shear. Uh this Thursday night uh chazak will be having a special kumsitz in Congregation Bais Eliyahu in Fresh Meadows with Rabbi Yonasan Ahimeir. It should be very inspirational. A musical inspiration is what we call it. Uh men and women are welcome. Food will be served Thursday uh in Fresh Meadows, 173rd or no, 73rd Avenue. I believe you'll see flyers around the community. Uh next week Sunday, a week from today is a massive carnival in Yeshiva Central Queens. Free of charge rides, bounces, games, uh prizes for kids. Come one, come all. It should be very nice as well. From noon to 3:00. Uh and Monday night uh there's a very special chazak event with Rabbi Zechariah Wallerstein live at the Young Israel of Queens Valley, Rabbi Peretz Steinberg Shul. All are welcome to that, men and women, at 8:15 p.m. Many other events and programs happening in very near future. Too many to announce. Uh but please uh look out for them. Please come. Please spread the word. Let others know as well uh about these amazing programs. Uh I guess uh I wanted to thank the shul for hosting uh this event. And I guess without further ado, it's our pleasure to call upon Rabbi Shauly Cohen. Thank you very much. Pleasure and honor to be here. And especially to talk about a topic and unfortunately is so critical in our day and age as in truth it has been since the very beginning since the beginning of creation almost I imagine. The Vilna Gaon writes in Mishlei an amazing statement. He says Ikar Nesinas HaTorah L'Yisrael Hu Sheyosimo B'Elokim Kislo. The essence of the giving of the Torah to Klal Yisrael was that Klal Yisrael should place their trust in Hashem. That's the essence. That's the ikar of Kabbalas HaTorah. Seems very strange to boil down the essence the ikar of the giving of the Torah to Klal Yisrael just in order that we should have bitachon. Bitachon is very important but doesn't it seem a little bit overrated? The Ikar Nesinas HaTorah L'Yisrael. And I'd like in the context of this evening's talk to try to elaborate on this statement from the Vilna Gaon and maybe come to some some tentative possible explanation of what it all means. We certainly live in trying times. The history of Klal Yisrael especially in the last 2,000 close to 2,000 years of the golus have certainly been very trying. Truth be told the parsha that we read this Shabbos tells us that there were trying times even in the midbar. We're we're melumad. We're very used to trying times. And trying times require very, very strong, I would say, weapons, koichos. Uh the accessibility of means to cope with the trying times, to overpower and achieve beyond the difficulties of these trying times, and to be able to maintain our strength, our equilibrium, our ability to function, and our ability to do that which we have to do in order to alleviate the difficulties of these trying times. And I would like to suggest that this middah, which it is, called bitachon, trust in Hashem, and all of these subsidiaries and the corollaries that exist under that general title, are all means of achieving these three accomplishments. Number one, to literally change the outcome of events. To have an influence in the face of struggle, in the face of challenge, in the face of difficulty, to literally be able to change the course of events and make things happen for us, in our favor, according to that which we want, according to that which we need, according to that which we desire. That's one power that this family of middos, let's call them, or nuances of bitachon have. Secondly, it also has the power to create, I guess what we could call menuchas hanefesh, a peace of mind, a tranquility, a sense that I can function. There's a problem, I face the problem, I know there's a difficulty, I know there's a challenge, the challenge is serious, but we have menuchas hanefesh, we have peace of mind, we need not worry. And number three, it can energize us and give us the ability to continue functioning, to continue what we call being mishtadel, to continue putting in our efforts towards the achievement of the goal, despite the fact that the goal seems so elusive, so remote, so overwhelmingly difficult, and yet we can find the strength and enhance the strength that we have through that bitachon. And allow me to elaborate. Let's look first about menuchas hanefesh, and we'll leave the accomplishments of bitachon to last. Peace of mind. Wonderful state of being, coveted by everyone. To be able to be tranquil, to be able to be at peace, to be able not to worry about anything. Rashi says in parshas Behar, where the Torah says vishavtem lovetach beartzechem, you will dwell in security. Lovetach is a loshon bitachon, trust, but meaning security, beartzechem, in your land. And Rashi says, shelo sidagu. What is lovetach? What is security? What is the definition of bitachon? The absence of worry. There's nothing to worry about. We won't worry. A person who can achieve that feeling, that emotion, that meter of bitochen in Hashem has nothing to worry about. There's no worries. If there's nothing to worry about and there's no worrying, wow, what a state of being. What a state of being. What would we not give to be able not to have any worries and not to have to worry and not to be able to worry and not to feel the need to worry about anything. How does that state of being come about? Well, simply put, when we realize a number of basic principles, those are the principles which will eliminate, which will reduce and eventually eliminate any worry, any need for worry, and any worry. Number one, ain mikreh v'fonah. There's no accidents in this world. Hashem is in control of everything. There is nothing that happens in this world, be it earth-shattering or totally insignificant, that happens in the life of mankind and all that has come over come of cloudy soil, of hidden, that isn't orchestrated directly through the hashgacha, through the brotus, through Hashem's direct, intricate, and intimate involvement in every aspect of our existence. So, ain mikreh v'fonah, there are no accidents. Nothing happens by chance. These words are misnomers. They don't mean anything. They're not the reality. The reality is everything is bashgacha. Number two, there's another reality. That reality is ain matzora la'ashem lo yeshua. there's nothing that prevents Hashem from saving us. There's no situation too dire that has any ingredient in it that can prevent Hashem from changing it in our favor. Nothing. That's number two. I can take off that Hashem put it very dramatically and say Even if a sharp sword is lying right on the neck of a person Don't withhold the opportunity. Don't deny the opportunity. Don't interfere with the opportunity. Don't give up on the fact that Hashem has a bonus and can in fact at the last moment in the most miraculous and unbelievable way determine change the apparent reality which is represented by the sword already on the back of a person's neck. So Hashem is involved in everything and Hashem is nothing nothing restraining him from doing anything in this world. But it takes a little bit more than just that to really establish the full Hashem has a fish. And the truth of the matter is that those two ingredients are really more ingredients of what we call a moon and our basic belief system in Hashem in his powers and his involvement rather than specifically the be talking. The next ingredient which also very critical, which begins to speak or begins to to to bridge the gap from emunah, I believe in Hashem, I believe in his in his involvement, I believe in his control, I believe in his power, I believe in his lack of any limitation. But then there's something else. The knowledge of his chesed. Hashem is all about chesed. He created the world only through chesed. He needed not this world nor anything else. And yet he created a world out of his goodness, out of his hatovah, out of the shleimus of his hatovah, the shleimus, the fulfillment, the completeness of goodness is to share that goodness. And Hashem only wanted to share that goodness. Olam chesed yibaneh, the pasuk says, until him, the world is built upon chesed only for the purpose of doing chesed. Now, chesed is a very complex system. Why? If you notice, you remember, I'm sure we all do, Bereishit bara Elohim, the Torah tells us Hashem created the world. Elohim is a loshon of mishpat, justice, not chesed, not rachamim, but justice. Hashem created the world with justice. Why? Truth be told, because justice is the greatest chesed. What's the great chesed? When I give someone something that he doesn't earn, that he didn't earn, that really is not his due, that's really really not true, it's really not honest? We call that in the loshon of Chazal nahama d'kisufa. That's the bread of embarrassment. It's embarrassing. It would be embarrassing to be honored at a dinner for all the great deeds and the great gifts and the great accomplishments when I did absolutely nothing. It's not real. I can't enjoy. I can't appreciate that which I didn't deserve. So, the greatest hesed is to create a system where we can earn what Hashem wants to give us. And when we earn that hatovah, that good, he is giving us the greatest hesed because it's a benefit that we can truly appreciate, that we truly deserve, that is truly true, that doesn't carry with it that embarrassment. However, in order for there to be mishpat and justice, in order for there to be reward and punishment, in order for there to be sakhar, in order for there to be hesed, Hashem had to give us free will. Without free will, we'd be just pre-programmed to do good, which would not be any good at all. So, he had to give us bechirah chofshit, free choice. Now that we have free choice, we have a problem. Yes, the biggest hesed is to earn the good that Hashem wants to give us. But what if I don't earn it? What if I fall short? What if in my free choice, I don't exactly make the grade? Then what do I do? And here is where the second perek tells us in the next in parashat Bereishit, not in parashat Bereishit, it says, "Vayo'eyn baro Hashem Elohim." Hashem tempered the justice with mercy, with rachamim. So, now he has like this, a system of justice. I give hesed as it is deserved. You earn that hesed and therefore you can deserve it, it's true, you can appreciate it, it's not embarrassing. But in case you fall short because of the fact that there is a there is free choice and therefore one might then fall short and make a a move or a decision or a a an act that's inappropriate. So to that Hashem says, I temper mishpat with rachamim. So that I use the rachamim and rachamim means Yeah, it's true. You You talk it didn't deserve this completely, but there are extenuating circumstances, but this is a special case, but this, but that. Ah, the rachmanus and the rachmanus allows us to earn with the justification of rachmanus even not the justification of absolute mishpat, but with justification that it shouldn't be so embarrassing. I think in the legal system too that sometimes the lawyer prays for mercy. That you ask the judge for clemency. In other words, there's a din, there's a mishpat, there's a there's a there's justice and then sometimes there are extenuating circumstances, there's room to feel a little bit of human sympathy and to not deny and not controvert the justice system, but to temper it a little bit and that's what Hashem does with us. Now, bitachon steps in and performs an amazing an amazing role. And that's the role that allows it number one to accomplish what it accomplishes. It allows us then to feel totally the lack of any worry and complete and total menuchas hanefesh. It even allows us to energize ourselves and let me explain. There's a mitzvah in parshas mishpatim of to pay a s'char socher b'zmano. When a person works, a day worker, and you hire him for a day, then you're supposed to pay his salary that day. And the Torah says that it's very important and aval nefesh is nafsho, he's counting on it, and you pray you work for it, and that's the halacha and so forth. Chazal in the medrish give a moshol. A person had a donkey that was leading and walking along, and he found some very good food that he wanted to purchase. He buys the food, puts it on his shoulder, on the rope he's leading the donkey, the donkey's following him, going home. But this donkey has his eye on the food, and he wants to eat it. And he's hoping, the loshon of Chazal is, he's hoping that when he gets home he'll be able to eat it. He sees it. He's hoping to be able to eat it. He gets home, and the master, the the the owner, puts the food high up, and the donkey can't reach it. And Chazal call him a rosha. A rosha? Why? Because you disappointed his whole He was hoping for it, and you didn't allow him to get that for which he was hoping. And that's what they say happens when you don't pay a day worker in time. But l'chumra, it doesn't make any sense. The comparison is very very difficult. Because the day worker worked for the money. The day worker, the money belongs to him. The day worker, that is you promised him that money, and it's his money. HOW DO YOU COMPARE THAT TO THE DONKEY? The donkey didn't work for it, you didn't promise it to him, it doesn't belong to him. He desired IT, HE WAS HOPING. SO HOPING, what do you want from my life? They come prove that's what it is. If you don't pay the s'char socher, it's comparable to not giving the donkey that which he hoped for. And the answer I believe is very simple but yet very profound. A disappointed hope a hope that's being frustrated, that's being refused to to allow to to to to it to have results is so devastating, is so painful that it's it it dwarfs by comparison all the other considerations. You know, this man worked for his money and he's hoping to GET IT. I FORGET THE FACT THAT IT BELONGS to him. Forget the fact that he worked for it. Forget the fact THAT YOU PROMISED HIM. BUT THE WORST PART OF IT ALL, STRONG ENOUGH, AND mean enough, cruel enough that it dwarfs every other feeling that he has is he was hoping, he was counting on it, and you frustrated that hope. That frustration, that that pain is so acute that everything else in comparison is considered irrelevant, and therefore Hazal felt comfortable comparing the case of one who doesn't pay the worker on time to the donkey who hoped to get the food even though he had no claim, no right, no promise, no work for nothing. A frustrated hope is a very painful thing. And maybe now we can understand what happens when we put our hope to Hashem. Hashem looks at us. We have a problem. There's difficulties, there's challenges, there's things going on out there that are overwhelming. And I refuse to give up hope. And I'm I I'm not even sure that Hashem's going to help me. We'll discuss that in a moment or in a few moments, but I'm hoping. I'm hoping. I'm hoping. I won't give up hope. I It's getting dismal. It's getting darker. It's getting less likely. It's bleaker. It doesn't look It doesn't look the hair of is getting close closer to the shalom. It's almost almost almost over. I don't give up hope. I should look at that and says, I can't I can't let you down. I can't disappoint that hope. And because of the fact that we hope, even though we may not deserve that which we're hoping for, but that hope is so painful that I should look and says, I have a lot of something. I have to be more even though in din maybe maybe you don't deserve it. You really can't Why don't you give up hope? How can you still hoping? Maybe you're not supposed to get it. Maybe you don't deserve it. But see see the hope that would be so painful if it would be disappointed evokes the divine in and the mail I should grant me that which I'm hoping for. And that's the source of this message. Because I know when I refuse to give up hope, when I refuse to accept when I refuse to accept prognosis, accept diagnosis, but not prognosis, when I refuse to give up, when I refuse to be disillusioned or or or overwhelmed by how close it seems to be getting that it looks like it's almost beyond any hope, and I still remain hoping against hope, and I refuse to give up, and I should look and says, you may not deserve it, but that must have just like the poor donkey, just like the that his hope to disappoint would be so tragic that it dwarfs all of the other considerations for which the money should be given to him and just says, it's comparable to the donkey who is hoping for that food because a disappointed hope is a devastation to a person. And I should apply them rather coming and sometimes because of that the din which would have been differently, will now change baruch Hashem. That's the power that our hope has. If that's the case, then certainly when one hopes to Hashem, one can feel a great measure of menuchas hanefesh, a great measure of peace of mind, a great measure of lack of worry because I'm not hoping I know I'm I'm doing I'm engaged in something that is so significant to Hashem that I'm really I can I can see I can see why even if I didn't deserve it, he's now having rachmanus and now I will be able to get something just because I refused to give up hope. And that of course brings a person to menuchas hanefesh and that is a zechus which entitles a person to be able to achieve the things that he or she may want despite the fact that I may not be fully deserving. But there's another level that goes even beyond hope. And that's something which I think has to be mentioned even though it may be far more difficult than just refusing to give up hope. And that's when my refusal to give up hope leads me to a level of confidence almost irrational. Better said, emotional not logical. I just know Hashem's not going to let me down. There's just something inside which which just tells me that it's like it's it's it's logical it isn't because maybe or there mishpatei Hashem shama goram acheres, maybe I'm not worthy of it. But there's just something in me I just know I just feel it. Maybe partially because I refuse to give up hope and then I feel that his rachmanus would be falling at the place. But maybe I tach a don't deserve even that rachmanus but something just from just gives me I think about his kindness, I think about his rahamim, I think about how much he knows how much this means to me and how painful this would be if I would be disappointed. And how much suffering I'm going to have if I don't achieve that which I would which I desire and how painful it will be. He created the world to do hesed, that's what he's all about, that's what this whole creation is he born of and therefore it just leads me to feel not only hopeful, not only refusing to give up hope, but to feel a sense of confidence that in fact Hashem is not going to let me down. This is of course a even greater assurance and entitlement to get everything I desire. It's all there because Hashem doesn't want to disappoint my hope and Hashem is um a response to the one who puts his trust in David Hamelach said it's very succinctly in one pasuk. He said in chapter 13 in Tehillim My heart will rejoice in your salvation and I will sing to Hashem because he has been good to me. I need for me the hesed and your hesed and your kindness I trusted which means what? Not that I trust that you're going to deliver a certain result but I trust your hesed, I know you're all about hesed, I know that's what Hashem is, I know you created the world only for the purpose of doing hesed and therefore with hesed I trusted, I am totally and completely confident in your hesed. But then what happens? David Hamelach continues My heart begins to rejoice in the future salvation, in the future yeshua that's going to come about. Because I'm so confident in your hesed so I begin to rejoice in the Yeshua even before it comes. And I'm I'm feeling something. The knowledge, the awareness, the focus, the internalization of the extent of Hashem's Hesed and his Rachamim bring me to just feel I just I just know it I just know it I just feel it I just Yeah, I know maybe I don't deserve it, but he's all about Hesed and Rachamim Hesed and then if I hope this Rachamim and then and if I'm I just get I get I get something inside just tells me it's going to happen. Of course there's a very important footnote to this. And that's "Ashira Lashem Ki Gamal Alai." One of the things and one of the Zechusim for which we're Zocheh to Hashem's Hesed is the promise and the commitment that after he delivers, we will sing his praise or "Ashira Lashem Ki Gamal Alai." After he is Gamal and he bestows this Hesed on me, I will sing his praises. But I'd like to elaborate on that as a side point just for a moment. The problem is and one of the reasons that often times our prayers and our hopes are not immediately answered is there's a danger. You know the famous story they tell about this this individual who was looking for parking space in in Manhattan. He had a very important appointment at 5:00 in the afternoon. It was 10:00 to 5:00. This is the most important affair of his business uh dealings and and and and millions of dollars is dependent on it. Can't find a parking space. And and around and around and around and around. Ribbono shel Olam, please help me. Please please I'll beg I'll be your best friend. Please help me. Oy, I BEG RACHAMIM. I THIS is the most important appointment that ever happened in my life. I beg of you, please help me. And all of a sudden, wait a little bit over there he sees a parking space and he says "Never mind, Hashem, I got it all under control." That's what Hashem is afraid of, kaveyochol. O shira laHashem ki gamal alai. I trust in your hesed, and that lets me feel that sense of trust that you're actually going to bring about the yeshua. But I promise you that when that yeshua comes, I will not deny it. I will not hide it. I will proclaim it publicly with shira. And that's agav, and I just think it's a mitzvah rabba to mention to people why the Kaffa Chaim brings from Rebbe Yehuda Hachasid that there's a special segulah when a person has a tzara, if he's mekabel on himself or herself that when the tzara will be resolved, they will say Nishmas in front of a minyan of people. And Nishmas means you say Nishmas until Baruch atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech ha'olam, not to say the last bracha, that we only say on Shabbos it in the nusach of the P'sukei D'Zimra. But I will say Nishmas, and then he says, "Harbei nitzelu derech zeh." Many people were saved through this. Why? Because it's a it's a statement that says, "I will not forget. Help me. Deliver. Don't worry about me forgetting and denying and saying, 'I got everything under control.' I promise you I won't say it. I'll sing your praises barabim, and therefore don't withhold that which your rachmanus would want to give me and make it even more difficult because you're afraid that I'm going to lose my connection with you and going to um to give up on it." So this Nishmas is a very very very um powerful thing. In fact, you know, maybe to to just to give you a a sense, um number of years ago I had a serious often have serious financial crisis with our voices. This was the end of our fiscal year was 2 weeks before the end of fiscal year August 31st and this was August 15th and I was nowhere's near what I needed. The numbers were a bit staggering. I needed actually six $600,000 to close a gap and an extra three for some special reason and I had to have it in by August 31st so it should be on this fiscal year on this audited statement August 15th I was 900 in the hole and nothing was happening. I don't know why. Based on this Kafa Chaim and I don't know, you know, I guess maybe shame of shame of Hashem. So I sent out a letter to 100 I think it was 101 local supporters and I said on August 31st at 7:00 in the Yeshiva building we're going to have a suda saying nishmas and celebrating the financial achievements that we are anticipating. August 31st came nothing. I had was already ill so I had to give I was giving my sheer or two sheer at a time and then I came at 1:15 come into the office and I say no the bank was closing at 4:00 a couple hours work only $900,000 for a couple of hours that shouldn't be too daunting a task. Don't ask how but I managed to come up with six which was the first goal that I needed deposited in the bank before 4:00 but the three was missing. I was a little bit disappointed a little bit uh confused uh nishmas Harbei need so I I I wasn't one of those Harvey. Something Something didn't Okay, but six I went to the party at night, you know, $600,000 not bad for 2 hours work. I mean, how many people here make $600,000 in 2 hours, you know? So, 3 hours so I was there 1:15 it was 1:30 till 4:00. Not bad. I went to the party. And as I walk in and remember it had to be deposited in the bank and the bank already closed so it was too late for this fiscal period. In the most unusual event of my my career an individual walks over to me and gives me a deposit slip. He had deposited $300,000 in the bank before 4:00 unbeknownst to me. Oh, did we say Nishmas? And that's really what we have to realize. Oh, Shira La Shem, he go my way. Anyway, that's a little bit off topic, but it's a good piece of advice. I mean, don't send out letters that you're going to have $900,000, but but anyway, Nishmas is a very powerful powerful tool. Um anyway, to be let's continue. There's a darga as we mentioned which goes even beyond the key void, the hope. And that is this sense of absolute bitachon. Now, here's something that's a little bit dangerous because it's very easy to say, "I have 100% trust." I had a grandson who recently, you know, he must have been listening to one of my speeches and he he he he he entered a lottery or some kind of a raffle for $3,600 and he has 100% trust he's going to win. He didn't. I tried to prepare him before that 100% is a high number and you know, don't you can't and it's easy to fool yourself in this, but oh, I don't know if he's still recuperated from that yet. But, we have to be very careful. But, maseh, to the degree that we can muster that confidence that Hashem will not let us down based on our I put my trust I know your person and I know your that even when I don't deserve when I keep hoping and hoping and hoping you're going to have just like on that donkey that you had or that one should have not to dash his hopes. And that leads me to some emotional sense inside that I just feel I just know it something's telling me that at once two of my kids twins young three-year-olds we were leaving to go to a sauna and they came out and I saw in the eyes they said we know you're just not going to leave us or it was a babysitter or my daughter or whatever. We know you're just not going to leave us here alone. Well we left them. But, anyway, this there's such a thing that you know it's just a feeling like I just I just I can't imagine I can't imagine you're going to do it I just know I know it I know it. And when it comes to that now that's a very elusive type of a feeling. It's very easy to fool ourselves. And there's a classic story which is very famous from Israel Salanter which really points out the danger in such a concept of trust. And that is the story goes that somebody came to Israel with a dire need and he needed 10,000 dollars rubles whatever it was and he says have 100% buy a lottery ticket and have you're going to win and you'll be fine. He buys a lottery ticket 100% I'm very confident nothing to worry about everything is great. Months go by he doesn't win one of those tickets that you could perpetually win. Comes back to Rebbe Yisrael and he says, I had bitachon 100%. I didn't win. What's going on? What are you doing to me? What are you telling me these stories? He says, "Do you have bitachon 100%?" Absolutely. "Do you still have it 100%?" Absolutely, I didn't give up yet, but he says, "Will you sell me the ticket for half price?" Yes, sir. Who are you fooling? If you truly were 100% confident that you are going to win the $10,000, you ain't selling that ticket for a penny less. Maybe a penny cuz you need it now, you know, you're a loner, but I It was It was a joke. He was fooling himself. Yes, I think I have I think It's not a button. There is no button. I've tried all over the buttons to press. There's no button to press. Now I have bitachon. Oh, that's it. In fact, the Chazonish eloquently describes that some people sing the song of bitachon, but it's only a song. It's not in the heart. It's not a reality. It has to be a reality. But the good news is that even the hope that I refuse to give up hope has the power because it says the pasuk says in the Chovos Halvavot it's medayek, "In ain Hashem yireiav, lamiyachelim b'chasdo." These are two separate groups. There's the deserving people who deserve Hashem's chesed, and there's the meyachelim, those who await, who wait. Yichulen, kivuyon, tikvah, and chipuy are all of the same concept of hoping. So those who hope and await His help, He also Hashem looks favorably on them. So there's a power there. And when he when I maintain that hope, and then Hashem has rachmanus on me, and then I elevate myself as much as I can to that state of being where I am confident, confident. More, more, more, as much as I can. In reality, I tried to internalize this message to bring myself more and more to that level of confidence. Then, at least to that extent that we can develop this confidence, we at least influence the results. And that's what the last possible says, and I believe Rabbeinu Bachya was it in the possuk, but I believe Rabbeinu Bachya was alluding to the same thing. Says, Y'hi chasdecha Hashem aleinu, the chesed of Hashem should be upon us, ka'asher yichalnu loch, to the extent that we hope to him. To whatever extent I can maintain the hope, to whatever extent I can muster the bitachon. If I only get 50%, I've increased my chances of the chesed Hashem that much more. So, it's it's a deal that it can't help but helping us to a certain level, if not even if we can't reach the highest and most complete level of that trust in Hashem. So, we have a vehicle to enhance our lives and to bring us everything we want in life. And Agav, you know, Rebbi Yisrael Salanter and many after him, and it seems Rishonim before him that we found uh held that this applies even to luxuries. Not only for necessity. For necessities, yode'a hu maspi'a l'chol cheirotzav, that may be parnassah, that's a necessity. Even luxuries. And there's a famous story with Rebbi Yisrael that he had a machlokes with some of the Rashash, and they argued about whether luxuries bitachon works for luxury, too. So, Rebbi Yisrael held that it did. He says, "I'll prove it to you." He says, "I'm going to have bitachon that I'm going to get a gold watch." That's it. Okay, so the story goes there was a terrible storm at sea. It was a Jewish captain there, and he's praying. He says, "Hashem, if you help me that this storm should you know calm down, or we should be safe, then when we dock in the nearest port, the first port we dock in, I will give my gold watch to the rabbi. The storm stops. The ship docks. The captain goes in to he finds the Rashash there and he he says, "I have a gold watch for you." And the Rashash looks at him and says, "That gold watch doesn't belong to me. That belongs to Rabbi Yisrael Salanter." So, Rabbi Yisrael held even by luxury is bitachon helps. Now, again, it's not a song, it's not a button, it's not an easy task, but to the degree that we can focus on that chesed of Hashem, it's to that degree that we can influence the future. Another eitzah for developing that bitachon. And agav, uh I just want to mention that outside that we left uh there's a little a little just a two-sided thing that we've published many times over. It's one of the most popular items. It's called the bitachon builder. It has like 10 basic principles to review constantly to strengthen one's bitachon. It's filled with other some other information there, but it's something one should take. And also, there's a flyer about a weekly uh bitachon chizuk series series that you call into a telephone number every Wednesday night at 10:00 Eastern time and it's around 15-20 minute uh discussion of you know, the the power and the benefits and the ability to achieve and how and so forth about bitachon. So, if anyone's interested, that information is there. The Vilna Gaon gives us an eitzah of how to achieve bitachon. And interestingly, that eitzah is found in the Nishmas. In Nishmas we say, "Ad heino azavunu rachamecha v'lo azavunu chasadecha v'al titshainu Hashem Elokeinu lanetzach." And the Gaon learns pshat like this, "Ad heino azavunu, that which until now you helped us was only rachamecha, because of mercy, not because we deserved it. V'lo of and that which you have been forsaken us was only not because we deserved it. He says he understands that when we ask how to change we're really strengthening ourselves and finding the the ability to have him. Shout to change you won't forsake us forever. Because he says like this, if what you did for me yesterday was because I deserved it, maybe today I don't deserve it. If what you helped me yesterday was because I deserved it, maybe I don't deserve it. But if what you did was only the life. That which you you helped me was only and that which you didn't forsake me was only the life. Based on that, I can be sure that you'll do the same in the future because your life is constant. And that's not logical because logically maybe I don't deserve it as much as I did before. But it's emotional. When I see everything that I should do in this world and I realize he does far more than what we truly deserve. And I focus on that that means he acts with and me. That can inspire me to feel that sense of confidence in the and me of the future just as he has conducted himself in the past. I'd like to just for a moment to go into one more um aspect of this as I mentioned at the beginning. And that's the we we just discuss the power to achieve. We discuss the peace of mind and the lack of worry. And now just discuss the that to discuss the energizing of a person. And energizing is very important because we live in a world where we work to make a living, where we put in efforts to maintain our health, where we we we we we we don't sit back and just do nothing. We're busy all the time. We're working and that working is that is start list a normal part of our life, but sometimes we're lazy or weak or soft on the start list because we think it's desperate. It's not going to work. The doctor said the the the the the the the market tanked this that the other thing and we get all bent out of shape. There's an interesting Rashi. The possuk says in parshas Vayishlach that um uh v- v- v- v- vayeesa Yaakov es raglav vayelach el beney kedem. Yaakov lifted up his feet and he went to the east. So Rashi says he he was traveling and Rashi says as follows, "Why does the Torah have to tell me he lifted up his feet? What if he didn't lift up his feet? What if he dragged his feet? What if he schlepped his feet? What if he Vayeesa, he lifted up his feet, elevated his feet, who cares? So Rashi says may acher shehuftach bishmira he was promised that Hashem ushmarticha b'chol asher telech l'hatzilcha protect him from Esau. May acher shehuftach bishmira, now that he was promised shmira that he's going to be watched nasa libo es raglav v'naasa kalo leches, his heart lifted up his feet and it became physically easier for him to walk. The assurance that he's going to be protected, the bitachon that he had that he'll be protected from Esau had a physical performed instigated a physical transformation of his ability to walk. Vayeesa es raglav, his heart lifted up his feet and all of a sudden he became lighter. It's a way to lose weight. He became lighter and it was easier to walk all because he had that promise from Hashem or that sense of bitachon that it's going to bitachon gives us energizes us gives us strength and physical power and prowess physical mental emotional medical medicinal that we otherwise wouldn't have had. And by the way, this is documented in so many uh scientific studies about the power of prayer and the power of optimism. They just had recently there was something that was published in the Time magazine, the one that had this picture on it that's about um a little kid that this child might live to 142, something like that. They have a whole study they published there about they they they they did a study on 900 9,700 women, something like that, and they found that the longevity was significantly increased by the ones that were optimistic about life. Always positive, always hopeful, never let themselves, you know, be despair of the future. It has a medicinal effects. One of the things explained in the Medrash Kiba Simchas HaLev, Fluim Chayei HaGuf, in the happiness of the heart depends the life of the body. Physical, medicinal, certainly in koiches that we put in, unbelievable koiches that we have that all come through the person who becomes the baal who becomes who makes himself who transforms himself into the baal bitachon. So, we really have an amazing array of benefits. Menuchas HaNefesh, absence of worry, ability to achieve that which seemed beyond the pale of reasonable possibility, miracle maybe, and the ability to energize ourselves to physically, and emotionally, and psychologically, mentally, and medically achieve much more, accomplish much more, do much more because of the fact that we have that bitachon that we're going to achieve. I'd like to leave you with just one more suggestion. And I believe that all of these things are abstract and practical at the same time. Abstract if you take it as, okay, a lecture, very nice, it's interesting, philosophical, I don't know what it was. Maybe it wasn't interesting. But they're very practical if we internalize the message. If we work on internalizing that message, if we take that message seriously. There's a Sforno in this week's parsha where Moshe Rabbeinu is frustrated at the Klal Yisrael once again complaining they wanted bosor. And he says, "Halo anochi horisi as kol ha'am hazeh?" Says to Hashem, "Did I give birth to these people?" And the Sforno explains that Moshe says, "I'm not the natural father. They don't They aren't sure of the extent of my love for them because I'm not It's not a universal. It's not in the teva. And uh they're not sure that I'll do anything for them. And because of that, they ainon boitchim b'chol. They have no trust in me. Moshe Rabbeinu says Klal Yisrael has zero trust in him cuz he's not They're not 100% sure of his love. Moshe Rabbeinu's love was like this. Moshe Rabbeinu proved himself time and again in his dedication to Klal Yisrael from the time that he put his life in danger for for the one Jew and then went to that the house of Paroh again and again and and and throughout his years and his dedication. Here at the end he says to Hashem, "If you can't support appoint another partner that they will trust a little bit more, then please just kill me cuz I can't bear the suffering of Klal Yisrael." So his dedication was clear. But there was some They weren't 100% sure. There's something maybe how how much How much love does he have for us? Therefore, they couldn't put their trust in him. Not a little bit. I would have said, "Okay, there's something lacking. Maybe that Maybe he's lacking in the love, so maybe they're lacking in the trust." No. He's lacking somewhat ever so slightly in the love, and therefore they can't trust him at all. It seems that the knowledge that the one in whom we trust is so critical that if we're not fully confident in that love then we can't muster the ability to trust. And I think that's something that we have to work on as well. Hashem loves us, loves Klal Yisrael. Despite the fact that we don't see it as blatantly in the as we did in the Bais Hamikdash, as we did in Eretz Yisrael, it's hester ponim, that's true. But in the words of Shir Hashirim, he's mashgiach min ha'acharonim. He's peeking through the windows to make sure everything is all right, despite the fact that we can't see him. You know that one kind of glass, oh that's the kind that you can see in only one way. He's peeking min ha'acharonim. He's metzitz min ha'acharokim. He peeps through the crevices where you can He can see everyone and you can't see him because he's peeking through the crevice. Hashem loves Klal Yisrael, despite the fact that it's hester ponim. And we have to know that and be aware of it and be acutely aware of it. And that love hasn't changed throughout the galus. And he's with us b'tza'ara and he's with us in galus and and he went into galus, the Shchinah went into galus when we went into galus. And the fact that he had to send us into galus pains him even more than it pains us. And it's pained us a lot the last 2,000 years. And his love is intense and total and complete. Then and it seems only then can we really begin to put our trust in him. When we know how much he loves, we know of his chesed as the purpose of his creation, we know of the rachamim with which he tempered the mishpat which would have been the ultimate chesed, but he tempered it with rachamim because he wants to give, he wants to give, he wants to give. And when we look at everything he's given us in the past in the past. And when we realize that it was all chesed v'rachamim, not because we deserve, we can then find the strength to put our trust in Hashem to influence the future, to create a state of mind of total tranquility and Menucha Shenephish, and to energize us in all of the hishtadlus, in all of the efforts that we put in in our life. May Hakadosh Baruch Hu help us that we should be able to work on and to grow and to achieve higher and higher and higher levels in the middos of bitachon. And may may we be mispallel chos techa Hashem aleinu, Hashem's chesed should upon us ka'asher yichalnu loch to the degree that we have put our hope in Hashem. A good evening to all.