Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto’s talks are known throughout the Jewish world. They combine chassidic teachings and philosophy, along with tips for a better life. We have collected pearls from his teachings that are relevant to our daily lives. This week he comments on the Torah section of Vayishlach.
"And Jacob was very afraid and and was distressed."
We need an explanation for why our patriarch Jacob was gripped by fear - "And Jacob was very afraid and and was distressed." Our holy rabbis explain it this way: “And Jacob was afraid” - Why was Jacob afraid? Because he realized that he felt distress in his heart. What our patriarch Jacob feared was his discovery of this emotion lurking inside his heart. It meant that he had a flaw in his trust in God. If there are things that cause him fear or worry in his heart, it means that his trust in God was weak.
If a person believes and has strong trust in God, nothing in the world should worry him or cause him distress. Everything is in God’s hands. God is managing His world so there is nothing to fear, no reason to feel sad and nothing to worry about. Whatever God does is always good. If our patriarch Jacob felt distress, he understood that it demonstrated a lack of trust in God and this alone filled him with worry.
It is an important life fundamental that one should have strong faith and trust in God, and not feel sorrow over any thing, because everything God does is for the good. If a person has something he fears or is causing him distress, it is a sign that he lacks faith. A person should have deep faith and trust in God. As the verse says: "If a war is thrusted upon me, I will trust in this" (Psalms 27:3). If a person is in the midst of a war or tribulation, in this he should trust - he should trust in God and nothing else. But if he is afraid and stressed out, it is a sign that he lacks trust in God.
The Chatam Sofer called his attendant one night and told him to go bring the head of the Jewish community. When the man came, the Chatam Sofer said to him, "In the governor’s drawer is a signed document containing a decree that will cause suffering and deportation to the Jews. Go quickly to the governor right now, talk to him and try to get him to cancel the decree."
The head of the community told him, "Going to the governor in the middle of the night?! This is just not done! He will be angry with us and only harm and evil will come out of it! Now is not the time to go." But the Chatam Sofer said, "I command you in the name of the Torah to go now to the governor and convince him to cancel the decree." Having no choice, the head of the community took with him two other dignitaries and they set out for the governor's house on the other side of the river that crossed the city.
It was not easy for the head of the community and the dignitaries to find a boat that would take them across the river in the middle of the night. When they reached the other side, a policemen lambasted them for coming at such an unearthly hour. His loud talk woke up the governor. "Who's yelling outside?" he asked. "Three Jews have come who want to meet with you," they replied and he ordered them to enter his mansion.
The governor asked his house attendant for a glass of milk, and invited his guests to drink with him. They turned down his offer, apologizing that they could not drink cholov akum.
"What is cholov akum?" the governor wanted to know. They explained to him that Jews are only allowed to drink milk that is milked from kosher animals. "Since we don’t know if the milk served to us may have come from an unclean animal such as a camel, we are not allowed to drink milk that was not milked in the presence of a Jew."
"There is no such thing," the governor answered sharply."I only serve cow's milk. Let us call the person in charge of the kitchen and ask him." The manager arrived and when he was asked for the source of the milk, he started stammering and began to apologize. "Just today the cow was sick and it was impossible to milk her. Having no choice, we brought milk from a camel."
The governor was not stupid. He understood that there was a heavenly message here and the hand of God at work. "Your Torah is true and you are speaking the truth," he said to his night guests. "Please tell me why you came here in the middle of the night."
"Our rabbi the Chatam Sofer told us that there is a harsh decree about to be passed against the Jews," they replied. Due to his awe for the Jews’ far-sighted wisdom, he right away canceled the decree.
Our holy sages say that it is of the essence to walk wholeheartedly with God, without questions or doubts. If this is our relationship to God, then God will solve all our problems, even if we don’t see how He can possibly do it. The Chatam Sofer calls it "Go to the governor in the middle of the night." It seems illogical and incomprehensible - to go cancel a decree in the middle of the night? You have to go at a convenient time and find the right approach. But one who goes wholeheartedly with God, can also go at night. When one goes in the way of the Torah and listens to the Torah’s advice, God will save him.
When a person is wholehearted and trusting in God - "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear evil because You are with me" (Psalms 23:4). Even when going through difficult tribulations, he has nothing to worry about because the Almighty is with him.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel