Bitachon Weekly

By: Rabbi Yehudah Mandel Shlita

‫פרשת דברים תשפ"ה‬
Hashem Carries Each Yid as If He Is His Son
and He Is the Only One
Moshe describes how the Meraglim came back with a good report and said that the land is very good. But only
Yehoshua and Kalev said this, but the rest of the Meraglim said Lashon Hara! Why does Moshe suddenly make
believe that Yehoshua and Kalev were the only Meraglim, and they only said good. A few Pesukim later, Moshe
says: ‫ִשּׂא ִאישׁ אֶ ת ְבּנוֹ א לא‬ ָ ‫ְשׂאֲ ה' אֱ ֶקי כַּאֲ ֶשׁר י‬ ָ ‫ אֲ ֶשׁר נ‬Hashem carried you like a person carries his son. We can
suggest that when Moshe describes Hashem as if each Yid is the only one, and Hashem carries him like a father
with a son, he expects Klal Yisroel to
have this same mentality. The “Frum” Trap Of “I Deserve This Punishment and I Know
And a person with such a mentality who Why I’m Getting It”!
always feels extreme personal love The Yidden felt like Hashem took them out of Mitzrayim only to kill
doesn’t even hear the 10 wicked them, and the Seforno explains that they were afraid since they had
Meraglim. He only hears positive! As if worshipped idols in Mitzrayim. But is that not a good reason for a
Yehoshua and Kalev were the only person to suspect that Hashem is super-angry at him, and is
ones. A true positive thinker who feels planning to kill him? After all, an Oved Avoda Zara is Chayav Missa.
like a: ‫“ בֵּ ן ָי ִחיד‬only son” to Hashem has So why were they wrong when they were scared and cried in a way
no Makom in his head for Lashon Hara that Chazal describe as: ‫ ְבּכִ יָה ֶשׁל ִחנָם‬baseless without merit?
and negatives. It all goes over his head One thing is for sure: Don’t run after Fruma negatives! They could
as if he didn’t hear anything! be a total Yetzer Hara. “But I sinned and Hashem is punishing me
Dovid HaMelech was notoriously like for good reason!” Beware! (On the other hand, maybe your Cha’rata
this. He was very trusting and soft and (regret) and pain about your sin does wonders for you! Every case
giving in. Just like he had Bitachon in is different.) Be very, very careful not to fall into the “frum” trap of “I
Hashem, so was he a big Ayin Tova to deserve this punishment and I know why I’m getting it!”
people, and he loved to see only good I had a bad case of Roiz (cellulitis), Rachmana Litzlan, which keeps
(and indeed, people tricked him). me in bed normally at least 2-3 weeks! I immediately discredited all
Perhaps this is why in these Pesukim my sins as the reason for the Roiz. I started defending myself and
we have Yehoshua and Kalev being Dan myself L'kaf Zechus, and the Roiz disappeared in two
mentioned separately. Moshe looked at days, with Hashem’s help. Remember, there is a major Yetzer Hara
each person as if he’s the only one in to feel guilty and wrong and being punished.
the world. But being Osek in Teshuva in a light, happy way is the most
Geshmake experience, and it should always be done. The more
Perhaps this is why Moshe became:
serious, the better; as long as it’s Geshmak and B'simcha. But
‫ש ָראֵ ל‬
ֹ ְ ‫ ָשׁקוּל כְּ ֶנגֶד כָּל ִי‬equal to the entire
blaming your issues on your sins is predominately a total Yetzer
Klal Yisroel, because he truly believed
Hara, no matter how much it looks like that’s the reason (unless you
in Chazal who say: ‫ֶשׁחַ יָּב כָּל אֶ חָ ד וְאֶ חָ ד‬ have a positive doable Tachlis with your blaming).
‫ילי ִנ ְב ָרא הָ עוֹלָ ם סנהדרין לז א‬ ִ ‫ לוֹמַ ר ִבּ ְשׁ ִב‬that
every person is obligated to say: “the entire universe was created just for ME”. Indeed, this could be the trick of
how Moshe became so unusually great; i.e., those who think that they are special, actually become special! And
indeed, he wrote: ‫משׁה ﬠָ נָו ְמ ֹאד ִמכֹּל הָ אָ ָדם יב ג‬ ֶ ‫ וְהָ ִאישׁ‬Moshe was the most-humble person on the face of the earth.
Look how he called himself a special person, and: ‫יתי נֶאֱ מָ ן הוּא בהעלותך יב ז‬ ִ ֵ‫ ְבּכָל בּ‬in all Hashem’s house he is faithful.
For sure he felt like he was a: ‫ בֵּ ן ָי ִחיד‬only son to Hashem. He felt Hashem’s individual love more than others.
Perhaps this is the secret of his success. And the Rambam says that anyone can become a Moshe! It depends
how you look at yourself!

‫תשעה באב‬

Being Broken About the Bais Hamikdash Will Eventually Bring You to the Greatest Simcha
If Chazal say: ‫ְרוּשׁלַ יִם זוֹכֶה וְרוֹאֶ ה ְב ִשׂ ְמחָ ָתהּ תענית ל ב‬ָ ‫“ כָּל הַ ִמּ ְתאַ בֵּ ל ﬠַ ל י‬Whoever mourns over Yerushalayim, will be
Zoche to see its Simcha”, then being all broken these days about the Bais Hamikdash is worth millions. In the
end, those people will have much more Simcha than all their friends.
Remember the delicious Lechem HaPanim and the beautiful Menorah and the: ‫ ִניסוּ הַ ַי ִין‬wine that was poured
on the Mizbeach after the Korban, and: ‫ ִניסוּ הַ מַ ִים‬the water that was poured on the Mizbeach during the seven
days of Succos, the dazzling Simchas Bais HaSho'eva, the giant: ‫ אוּלָ ם‬Ulam, the Heichal and Kodesh
HaKodoshim! And imagine those Z'rizus’dik Cohanim running to do Avoda with such a Geshmak and Simcha,
and the city of Simcha (Yerushalayim) where you weren’t allowed to do a math problem, since for a few minutes
you’re sad until you figure out the answer.
Imagine yourself and your friends marching upwards to Yerushalayim with beautiful Bikkurim f ruits, singing:
‫ֹמ ִרים ִלי בֵּ ית ה' נֵלֵ תהלים קכב א‬
ְ ‫ ָשׂמַ ְח ִתּי ְבּא‬I rejoiced that they said to me: "Let us go to the house of Hashem", and once
they entered Yerushalayim, they said: ‫ְרוּשׁלָ ִם תהלים קכב ב‬ ָ ‫“ ע ְֹמדוֹת הָ יוּ ַרגְ לֵ ינוּ ִבּ ְשׁﬠָ ַר ִי י‬Our feet stood within your gates,
O Yerushalayim (i.e., our feet stood still within the gates of Yerushalayim, as if transfixed by the view of the city
which spread out before our eyes. RSRH). Watch all the Chashuva Cohanim coming out to greet you, and all
Yerushalmi shop-keepers standing up for you and giving Kavod to you and all your friends. Imagine how
Geshmak was the Torah and Tefila those days!

Feel the Pain of All Our Unrealized Ruchaniyus Potential

We can say that: ‫ְרוּשׁלַ יִם זוֹכֶה וְרוֹאֶ ה ְב ִשׂ ְמחָ ָתהּ תענית ל ב‬ ָ ‫ כָּל הַ ִמּ ְתאַ בֵּ ל ﬠַ ל י‬mourning over Yerushalayim, includes a general
love and yearning for all kinds of Ruchaniyus'dik experiences that aren’t happening, Rachmana Litzlan. For
example, I can’t figure out a Rambam, or finish the Masechta, or smile more, or have more Chi'yus in Avodas
Hashem. I’m somewhat dead and dysfunctional, with all my Bittul Torah, Kin'ah, Ta'ava, Kavod, and Ka'as
issues.
You usually have bottomless potential to become a true Adam Gadol and Tzadik, but our bitter Galus stops
everything. Keep crying! The more you show a desire for the truth and for Kavod Shamayim, and for the pain of
Klal Yisroel, especially for those millions of holy Jews who sound just like Goyim, Rachmana Litzlan, the more
Simcha you’ll end up getting. But this is just for Tisha B’av. Normally, we all need much more practice in thanking,
than always feeling bad we aren’t better.
PS. There are plenty of us who Davka shouldn’t cry even Tisha B’av. They are way too depressive, and the
crying business can be detrimental, Chas V'shalom. They need to spend these days doing Teshuva on: ‫ַתּחַ ת‬
‫וּבטוּב לֵ בָ ב תבא כח מז‬
ְ ‫ אֲ ֶשׁר ל ֹא ﬠָ בַ ְד ָתּ אֶ ת ה' אֱ ֶקי ְבּ ִשׂ ְמחָ ה‬serving Hashem without enough Simcha. They may need to
go extreme, and almost totally forget about any sadness during this Matzav. Of course with a Rebbe, who is
monitoring your actions.
Even during Eicha and Kinos, these people keep writing down the happy things going on in their lives, as many
as possible, especially their own greatness and that Hashem hurts them because they have super lofty souls,
and they need to be tested in order to save Klal Yisroel with their pain and difficulties.

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