When We Run Out Of Cash
Hi, my name is Brad. I went off to college in the fall and boy was it fun! The parties, the new friends that I made, the interesting courses I was taking. It was a blast. I knew that my folks missed me and wanted to hear from me but frankly I was much too busy to call them. But then it happened! I ran out of cash. What was I to do now? I was compelled to call my Dad and ask him if he could wire me some money. Then I realized that my Dad is smarter than I thought! He is quite loaded [not like a revolver. Like a CEO]. He could have given me enough money to last me for the whole year but then he knew that he would never hear from me. So he purposely gave me limited funds [and no credit card] so that I would keep in touch. My Dad loves me. He wants a relationship with me.
People think that we turn to G-d because we have troubles. But the opposite is true. We have troubles so that we should turn to G-d. The means are the troubles. The end is that we should develop a relationship with G-d. He wants to hear from us and if everything is going smoothly and according to plan [OUR plan] he would never hear from us. So he creates situations which compel us to turn to him.
When the Jews were exiting Egypt they had the sea on one side and the Egyptians pursuing them on the other side. They were trapped! Excuse me but could G-d have not arranged for a smoother exit? The Medrash explains that G-d wanted to hear from us.
As the Pasuk says "VaYitzaku" - They screamed to Hashem. That is what Hashem wanted. Had they turned to Hashem without the emergency situation it would never have been necessary to be placed in mortal danger. But human nature is such that we don't feel a need to connct to our source when things are going well. [And that is why our mothers- Sarah, Rivka and Rachel, were barren. Hashem desires the prayers of the righteous. And if kids would come easily, that intensity of prayer would be lacking.] But then we are missing the point of life - relationship. Hashem wants [kviyachol] relationship.
Min HaMetzar, karasi kah - From my troubles I call out to Hashem. The troubles are there so that you should call out to Hashem. That is the purpose. Hashem doesn't enjoy watcing us suffer. On the contrary, Chazal teach that He suffers along with us. But it is necessary. Otherwise we would simply forget about him. And is worse than any other tzara.
People think that we turn to G-d because we have troubles. But the opposite is true. We have troubles so that we should turn to G-d. The means are the troubles. The end is that we should develop a relationship with G-d. He wants to hear from us and if everything is going smoothly and according to plan [OUR plan] he would never hear from us. So he creates situations which compel us to turn to him.
When the Jews were exiting Egypt they had the sea on one side and the Egyptians pursuing them on the other side. They were trapped! Excuse me but could G-d have not arranged for a smoother exit? The Medrash explains that G-d wanted to hear from us.
As the Pasuk says "VaYitzaku" - They screamed to Hashem. That is what Hashem wanted. Had they turned to Hashem without the emergency situation it would never have been necessary to be placed in mortal danger. But human nature is such that we don't feel a need to connct to our source when things are going well. [And that is why our mothers- Sarah, Rivka and Rachel, were barren. Hashem desires the prayers of the righteous. And if kids would come easily, that intensity of prayer would be lacking.] But then we are missing the point of life - relationship. Hashem wants [kviyachol] relationship.
Min HaMetzar, karasi kah - From my troubles I call out to Hashem. The troubles are there so that you should call out to Hashem. That is the purpose. Hashem doesn't enjoy watcing us suffer. On the contrary, Chazal teach that He suffers along with us. But it is necessary. Otherwise we would simply forget about him. And is worse than any other tzara.
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