Everything is from Heaven and Everything is for the Best | Faith and Trust in Hashem's Providence

Everything is from Heaven and Everything is for the Best | Faith and Trust in Hashem's Providence

◇ Articles of strengthening faith and trust in Hashem: - How to turn difficulties into salvations ◇ Everything is for the best even when one does not understand ◇ Wondrous stories about personal providence (*hashgacha pratit*) ◇ The power of thanksgiving to Hashem ◇ And the words of our Sages of blessed memory on true faith in every situation.21:42 | 28/05/2026 | 12 Sivan 5786

"A land that devours its inhabitants"

Bamidar (Numbers) Parsha of Shelach, Chapter 13, Verse 32"

Our Rabbis said (Sotah 35a): Rava expounded: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: I intended it for the best and they thought [it] for evil. I intended it for the best, for wherever they arrived, their important person died, so that they would be preoccupied and not ask about them. That is to say, every place they reached, their important man died in that place so that they would be preoccupied and not inquire about the spies. And they thought [it] for evil, as they said: "It is a land that devours its inhabitants."

If we examine the intention of the spies, we will see that they wanted to speak evil about the Land of Israel; therefore, they interpreted everything they saw as proof and reinforcement for the slander that they intended to bring out against the Promised Land. By this, they caused weeping for generations.

Events of this kind occur in our lives as well. Many and even unusual phenomena are revealed to our eyes, various troubles visit us, and we do not understand that in the end, the Holy One, Blessed be He, intended it for the best.

In the book "Emunah Sheleimah" (Parshat Beshalach, page 167) it is written that we can never know how the Holy One, Blessed be He, manages the world. A song that is entirely a uniform tone is not a song; in every song, there are ups and downs. In the song of our lives, there are ups and downs without cease, and it is not for us to ask questions.

It is told about a Jew who entered before the "Pnei Menachem" and lamented his bad fortune: he fails at every step and turn, troubles chase after him, and his life is difficult. He feels that they put "sticks" in his wheels. The "Pnei Menachem" said to him: "A car travels faster than a tank, but a tank can ascend mountains precisely because it has tracks [literally: sticks] in its wheels..."

Everything That They Do - [Everything is] from Heaven

In "Mesillat Yesharim" (Path of the Just, Chapter 19) it is brought down that during a time of distress and trouble, a person must answer to himself that everything they do to him from Heaven is for absolute good, and this is because even the pain and distress that appear evil in his eyes are not truly evil but a true good. And like the parable of the physician who cuts the flesh or the organ that has spoiled so that the rest of the body will heal and not die, that even though the act is seemingly cruel, in truth it is nothing but mercy to benefit him in his end, and the patient will not remove his love from the physician because of this act, but on the contrary, will increase in loving him.

So is this matter, when a person thinks that everything the Holy One, Blessed be He, does with him—for his own good He does it, whether it be in his body or whether it be in his money. And even though he does not see and does not understand how this is for his good, it is certainly for his good; behold, his love for Hashem, Blessed be He, will not weaken because of any distress or any pain, but on the contrary, it will strengthen and increase in him always.One must always remember that in our world, everything is good. It is only that we are blind and cannot truly see inside. And here is our choice: to be saddened and angry about why the Holy One, Blessed be He, did not plan things as we wanted, or to choose to look at the world with joy, and to understand that the world can be wonderful if we look into its interior and understand that no evil descends from Above.

One Who is Given a Cup of Blessing Needs to Thank Hashem

And with this, they explain in Chassidic books the statement of our Rabbis (*Berachot* 55a) regarding "One who is given a cup of blessing to bless and does not bless, his days are shortened." Because (the Hebrew word for) cup" (*כוס*) in Gematria is equal In Gematria value to 'the L-rd', (אלקים), which is the name of the attribute of judgment, and also 'wine' (*yayin*) is judgment, as it is written (Proverbs 23:31): "Do not look upon wine when it is red." Because red hints at judgment, and therefore wine indicates the attribute of judgment.

And if so, we will interpret it like this: "One who is given a cup"—which is judgment, "of wine"—which hints at judgment, "and does not bless"—does not say thank you to Hashem, but rather has questions and grievances—"his days are shortened." One to whom Hashem gives a problem, and he does not know how to say 'thank you' also for the problem—this thing shortens days. If Hashem gave you a problem—say thank you to Him, be happy with the problem! For do you know what was supposed to be in its place?! Do you have any idea what a terrible trouble was supposed to land on your head—and the Holy One, Blessed be He, saved you from it, and replaced it with the problem that He placed before you?!

A person can never know what his life was supposed to summon for him, and how the Holy One, Blessed be He, saved him; he must believe that "everything that the Holy One, Blessed be He, does—everything is for the best." Furthermore, a person does not know to where and in what directions his problem will develop. So many times we see that "the stone that the builders had rejected has become the chief cornerstone," and what appeared to be a terrible trouble turned out very quickly to be gain and rescue. 

The Banknotes That Were Invalidated

In the book "Becha Batachnu" it is told: In the year 1933 (according to their counting system), the Nazi party came to power. Most of the Jewish residents of Europe did not attribute special significance to the matter, but some of them feared, and even very much so, what was to come. The grandfather and his family members were very wealthy people, owners of many properties and factories. They belonged precisely to the second sector. They felt well the burning beneath their feet and decided to leave Germany. They sold their property, wound up their businesses, and immigrated to Holland.

Before their departure, the grandfather gave an instruction to the German bank to convert all the money found in his account to Russian Rubles—which was then a strong currency—and to transfer it to Holland. One morning, the grandfather reads the newspaper and suddenly his eyes grew dark... The headline screams that Russia is canceling the old currency and issuing a new currency. It gives a grace period of only a few days to convert the old currency to the new, and even then not at full value, but in a limited manner per person.He knows that all his money is on the way to Holland, and by the time the shipment arrives—the Russian Ruble will be worth nothing.

In other words: in one moment, the family members became dirt poor. It is not difficult to describe the feeling of disappointment, sorrow, and grief... There are few people whose hearts could stand by them at such a difficult hour... The family accepted the decree. They reached the conclusion that they had nothing more to look for in Holland and decided to immigrate to the Land of Israel.

The family members purchased 'certificates' [immigration visas] and sailed on a ship to the Land of Israel. In the year 1940, the Germans invaded Holland. Eighty percent of the Jews of Holland were murdered, May Hashem avenge their blood (*Hashem Yikom Damam*).

Let us imagine what would have happened if Russia had not canceled the old currency. If these banknotes had economic value, they would have settled in Holland with their money and property—but most chances are that their money would have remained, but they would not... There is no doubt that when the couple received the news about the cancellation of the currency, many questions popped up in their minds: why is this happening? Why does this happen to us? And more wonders. A few years passed and the answer arose by itself... Woe and bitter if the currency had not been invalidated...

Many times, we stand before various occurrences and events which, at the time of their occurrence, appear seemingly puzzling and misunderstood. Only after time, when all is said and done, does their matter become clear, and then a person understands retroactively why and for what purpose they came.

The Shame That Saved

It is told about Rabbi Moshe, a Jew who is meticulous with a light commandment as with a grave one, and a successful businessman, whose business friends recommended that he fly to Morocco—a completely Muslim country. Alone, a Jew, having to wander among millions of Arabs—he waived the "pleasure." His friends did not let go and explained how worthwhile this trip was for him.

The days were the days of the "Oslo Accord," Morocco opened its gates to Jews, and a Jew like him equipped with an American passport could certainly enter this country. In the final analysis, he was convinced that he was indeed losing the opportunity of his life, because the market there is very cheap. Reb Moshe bought a ticket, and indeed, Morocco smiled upon him from the first moment. The clerk at the airport smiled at him and welcomed him perfectly; the local taxi drivers were also amiable and were happy to see a Jew among them.

"I remember," one of them said in English, "that we had many Jewish neighbors here; they were nice people, quiet and wise. It's a shame they went to distant Palestine and did not stay with us here." Thus, from hour to hour, his fears faded. In the first phone call he made from the luxurious hotel where he stayed to his worried wife in Brooklyn, he told her that her worry was in vain. "The people here are nice and welcoming," he said, "there is no reason to fear." Also when he went to his business meetings, he felt the same feeling: the local businessmen were amiable, and the deals they offered were more profitable than he thought they would be. Good and fair prices, comfortable payment terms, and above all, excellent and good merchandise. The locals were eager to reach an agreement with an American businessman and did everything they could to please him.

When he arrived at the airport to return to his home, he felt that something in the image of the Arabs had cracked. The loudspeaker at the airport announced that passengers of the flight to New York are requested to approach the boarding gate. Our acquaintance gathered his belongings, approached the gate, and discovered that everyone surrounding him was Arab. On the flight over there were many American tourists; he felt unpleasant being completely surrounded by Arabs only. Finally, he boarded the plane and sat down in the place reserved for him in business class, wanting to see himself already at home. More and more passengers boarded the plane, crowding it more and more, until the plane was completely full. He waited for the door of the plane to close, but for unknown reasons, the plane was delayed.

Finally, it became clear that an honorable and dignified Arab ascended heavily up the stairs leading to the plane, completely panting from the exertion of the way. He entered inside while waving his ticket, but what could be done since the plane was already completely full, and not one empty seat remained. The Sheikh did not give up on the flight, scanned the plane from end to end, realized that there was indeed no empty seat, and then returned to business class, where he stood in front of Reb Moshe and said: "Get up, Ya Yahud [O Jew], and let me sit." Moshe was stunned. Why should he get up? Behold, this is his seat, he paid for it with full money, and there is no reason for him to give it up, and why should he vacate his seat for the Sheikh who decided to sit in his place?

But the Sheikh stood stubbornly and repeated his words with his voice rising: "Get up already!" The passengers of the plane were indifferent to what was happening. Whether he gets up or not, it is not their business at all. But when things started to heat up, and the tones of the Sheikh grew higher, the passengers began to feel connected to the event. Whose side would they take? More and more passengers began to intervene, initially in a language of: "What do you care, travel on the next plane." The plane crew did not intervene in the matter; they let the passengers close the event among themselves. From moment to moment, the voices grew louder, demanding that he actually get up, and when they saw that he was stubborn, they began to actually threaten. Until one of them hissed from between his teeth: "If you do not get up and get off the plane now, here will be your end." Then his determination broke; he stood up in shame and got off the plane.

Humiliated, he rode back to the hotel, received the room he had left just a few hours prior, and called his wife to inform her of the delay in his arrival home. His wife heard the news with sorrow. She already wanted to see her husband at home far from that Arab country, and behold, there is a delay. Moshe calmed her, saying: "Every delay is for the best, apparently this is how it had to be, and it is only for our benefit." A case of "he prophesied and did not know what he prophesied."

A few hours after the plane from which he was expelled in shame took off on its long way while full and packed with passengers, a severe malfunction happened to it, and it crashed all at once and plunged while enveloped in flames of fire into the freezing waters of the Atlantic Ocean, leaving behind not even a single survivor alive. It became clear to Moshe that the insolent Sheikh was nothing less than a good messenger from Heaven in order to save him from a harsh and certain death.

Moshe returned to New York healthy and whole, while still stunned by his wondrous rescue. In honor of that important rescue, he held a large and festive thanksgiving feast in the synagogue to thank the Creator for the miracle that was done for him.

The Salvation is Seen Only After TimeIn the book "Emunah Sheleimah" it is written that sometimes an event that happens years ago yields its marks only after a long time, and only then does a person understand that everything that happened to him—happened for the best, even though that hour was difficult. But "He who sits in Heaven laughs, Hashem mocks them," the Holy One, Blessed be He, navigates and manages the creation, and we see the salvation only after a long time.

Rabbi Shaul Stern related—a Jewish Holocaust survivor in a labor camp, who wore glasses with a high prescription. He was very afraid that they would break his glasses, and therefore he hid them under his bunk. One day, when he woke up in the morning, he noticed that they had stepped on his glasses; the glasses were broken, and there was no possibility of wearing them. He stood and said: "Master of the Universe, I barely see without the glasses, is it not enough all the troubles we have here, the hunger and the thirst, and now also to be without glasses?". Suddenly the Kapo arrived and said that all owners of glasses must go to the left side immediately. Everyone who wore glasses—went to the left side. Afterward, it became clear that everyone was sent to the gas chambers.Reb Shaul said to himself: "A miracle that they broke my glasses, I received my life as a gift."

Afterward, the Nazis asked if there is anyone here with knowledge in medicine; he was not a doctor, but nevertheless, he said he was a doctor. He understood a little in chemistry, and thus they appointed him as a doctor in the camp clinic, and his job was to prepare and compound medicines, and Blessed be Hashem, he saved many Jews and gave them medicines. In the clinic, there was a lot of food, and he took more food for himself, which he would distribute to his tortured brothers.

It turns out that this fact that his glasses were broken appeared to him as a terrible disaster, but in this precisely was his rescue!

When One Says Everything is for the Best - It Flips to Good

And it is explicit in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim, Chapter 230, Paragraph 5): "A person should always be accustomed to say, 'Everything that Hashem does is for the best.'" And behold, the chapter in the Shulchan Aruch in which it is ruled as the Halacha is 230 (represented by the letters 'Resh' & 'Lamed')— This also serves as the initials for the phrase 'Ragil Lomar' which means,  "Accustomed to say" .

And regarding the magnitude of the benefit in this statement, it is brought down in the book 'Kedushat Levi' by the holy Rabbi of Berditchev, ZY"A, (Beshalach, opening words BaMidrash in the name of the Baal Shem Tov) that through the statement and the thought that everything is for the best, it literally flips to good and blessing, and one merits to see with his own eyes that it is truly for the best.

Let us contemplate now, how does this have such great power, that by believing and saying that it is for the best, everything actually flips to a very great good? Rather, as is known, the Holy One, Blessed be He—is good to all, "and from Him evils do not depart" etc., but rather the accusers are those who incite Him, as it were, for the Holy One, Blessed be He, loves justice; but the moment a person believes that the pain and the sufferings are a great good, then why should they accuse against him, and by this he will also earn this "good," and then they are silenced, and automatically everything turns to good, for if these accusers are silent—the Holy One, Blessed be He, who is good and does good, already flips everything for the best.