(1) The LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you. (2) I will make of you a great nation, And I will bless you; I will make your name great, And you shall be a blessing. (3) I will bless those who bless you And curse him that curses you; And all the families of the earth Shall bless themselves by you.”
(1) Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Let My people go that they may celebrate a festival for Me in the wilderness.” (2) But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD that I should heed Him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.” (3) They answered, “The God of the Hebrews has manifested Himself to us. Let us go, we pray, a distance of three days into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest He strike us with pestilence or sword.” (4) But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you distract the people from their tasks? Get to your labors!” (5) And Pharaoh continued, “The people of the land are already so numerous, and you would have them cease from their labors!”
(6) That same day Pharaoh charged the taskmasters and foremen of the people, saying, (7) “You shall no longer provide the people with straw for making bricks as heretofore; let them go and gather straw for themselves. (8) But impose upon them the same quota of bricks as they have been making heretofore; do not reduce it, for they are shirkers; that is why they cry, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God!’ (9) Let heavier work be laid upon the men; let them keep at it and not pay attention to deceitful promises.” (10) So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh: I will not give you any straw. (11) You must go and get the straw yourselves wherever you can find it; but there shall be no decrease whatever in your work.”
(12) Then the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. (13) And the taskmasters pressed them, saying, “You must complete the same work assignment each day as when you had straw.” (14) And the foremen of the Israelites, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten. “Why,” they were asked, “did you not complete the prescribed amount of bricks, either yesterday or today, as you did before?” (15) Then the foremen of the Israelites came to Pharaoh and cried: “Why do you deal thus with your servants? (16) No straw is issued to your servants, yet they demand of us: Make bricks! Thus your servants are being beaten, when the fault is with your own people.” (17) He replied, “You are shirkers, shirkers! That is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ (18) Be off now to your work! No straw shall be issued to you, but you must produce your quota of bricks!” (19) Now the foremen of the Israelites found themselves in trouble because of the order, “You must not reduce your daily quantity of bricks.”
(20) As they left Pharaoh’s presence, they came upon Moses and Aaron standing in their path, (21) and they said to them, “May the LORD look upon you and punish you for making us loathsome to Pharaoh and his courtiers—putting a sword in their hands to slay us.” (22) Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why did You bring harm upon this people? Why did You send me? (23) Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has dealt worse with this people; and still You have not delivered Your people.”
There are four types of character in human beings:One that says: “mine is mine, and yours is yours”: this is a commonplace type; and some say this is a sodom-type of character. [One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is mine”: is an unlearned person (am haaretz); [One that says:] “mine is yours and yours is yours” is a pious person. [One that says:] “mine is mine, and yours is mine” is a wicked person.
(1) When God began to create heaven and earth— (2) the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water— (3) God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. (4) God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. (5) God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, a first day.
אש קודש: פרשת שופתים , שנת תש''א (עמ' קעט)
והנה בכל הצרות שרואים שבאם ידעו כולם שתכיף למחר יושעו כי אז חלק גדול דם מן המתיאשים עוד היו יכולים להתחזק,
אבל דא עקא שאינם רואים את הקץ לחושך,
והרבה אים להם במה להתחזק וחס וחלילה מתיאשים ורוחם נופל.
וזה ''תמים תהיה עם ד' אלוקיך'' אפילו אם אתה שבור ומרוסס מכל מקום תהיה תמים ושלם והתחזק עם ד' אלוקיך, כי יודע אתא שד' אלוקיך עמך בצרה, לכן לא תחזור אחר עתידות לומר איני רואה קץ לחושך אלא כל מה שיבוא עליך קבל בתמימות ואז תהיה עמו ולחלקו, וממילא על ידי זה יקרב ישועתך כמו שביקש משה רבינו ''והם עמך ונחלתך'' (דברים ט, כט)
Esh Kodesh - Holy Fire: Parashat Shoftim, August 1941
It is clear, amidst all this suffering, that if only everyone knew that they would be rescued tomorrow, then a great majority - even of those who have already despaired - would be able to find courage.
This problem is that they cannot see any end to the darkness.
Many find nothing with which to bolster their spirits, and so, God forbid, they despair and become dispirited.
This is the meaning of "Be guileless (sincere) with G!d your Lord." Even if you are broken and oppressed, nevertheless be whole. Take strength in God your Lord because you know that God your Lord is with you in your suffering. Do not attempt to project into the future, saying, "I cannot see an end to the darkness," but simply accept whatever happens to you, and then you will be with God, to be His portion. Then, naturally, your salvation will draw close, for, as Moshe said (Deut. 9:29), "They are Your people and Your inheritance."
(א) וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וגו' (בראשית יב:א), רַבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח (תהלים מה:יא): שִׁמְעִי בַת וּרְאִי וְהַטִּי אָזְנֵךְ וְשִׁכְחִי עַמֵּךְ וּבֵית אָבִיךְ, אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק מָשָׁל לְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה עוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם, וְרָאָה בִּירָה אַחַת דּוֹלֶקֶת, אָמַר תֹּאמַר שֶׁהַבִּירָה הַזּוֹ בְּלֹא מַנְהִיג, הֵצִיץ עָלָיו בַּעַל הַבִּירָה, אָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי הוּא בַּעַל הַבִּירָה. כָּךְ לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה אָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם אוֹמֵר תֹּאמַר שֶׁהָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּלֹא מַנְהִיג, הֵצִיץ עָלָיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְאָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי הוּא בַּעַל הָעוֹלָם.
(1) God said to Avram, "Go you forth from your land…" Rabbi Yitzchak opened: "Take heed, lass, and note, incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house" (Psalms 45:11). Rabbi Yitzchak said: this may be compared to a man who was traveling from place to place when he saw a bira doleket. He said, "Is it possible that this bira lacks a person to look after it? The owner looked out and said, “I am the owner.” Similarly, because Avraham our father said, “Is it possible that this world has no guide, no one to look after it?," the Holy Blessed One looked out and said to him, “I am the Master of the Universe.”
(16) Seven times the righteous man falls and gets up, While the wicked are tripped by one misfortune.
אבל ישראל נופלין ועומדין וכן הוא אומר אל תשמחי אויבתי לי כי נפלתי קמתי והוא שע"י הנפילה זה עצמו יהי' סיבה לקימה
ע"ד לשון חז"ל (מכות ז':) ירידה שהוא צורך עלי' שע"י הירידה יכול להיות העלי' יותר
וכן הוא אומר כי שבע יפול צדיק וקם שע"י הנפילה דייקא יהיה הקימה.
But Israel falls and stands as it says, "Do not rejoice over me, Oh my enemy! Though I have fallen, I rise again." This is that through the act of falling this is the reason that one rises.
This is the language of the rabbis, "Downward motion for the sake of upward motion." That through the descent one can reach an even greater ascent.
Likewise it says, "Seven times the righteous man falls and gets up." That specifically through falling, he is able to get up.
This letter was written by R’ Yitzchak Hutner z”l (1904-1980; Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn) in response to a former student. The correspondent apparently had bemoaned the fact that he faced spiritual struggles; as quoted by R’ Hutner, he had written: “I will never forget the desire that I once had to succeed and to climb ‘from strength to strength,’ but now, my hope is lost.” The letter is found in Pachad Yitzchak: Igrot U’ketavim No. 128.
Your letter reached my hand, and your words touched my heart. Know, my friend, that your very letter belies the descriptions that it contains. Now, let me explain this statement.
It is a terrible problem that when we discuss the greatness of our gedolim, we actually deal only with the end of their stories. We tell about their perfection, but we omit any mention of the inner battles which raged in their souls. The impression one gets is that they were created with their full stature.
For example, everyone is impressed by the purity of the Chafetz Chaim’s speech. [Ed. Note: The Chafetz Chaim led the battle against lashon hara and is held up as the model of how a Jew should speak.] However, who knows about all the wars, the battles, the impediments, the downfalls, and the retreats that the Chafetz Chaim experienced in his fight with the evil inclination?!
As a result [of this gap in our knowledge of gedolim], when a young man who is imbued with a [holy] spirit and with ambition experiences impediments and downfalls, he believes that he is not planted in the house of Hashem. This is because this young man thinks that being planted in Hashem’s house means experiencing tranquility of the soul “in lush meadows beside tranquil waters” [Tehilim 23:2].
However, know my friend, that the key for your soul is not the tranquility of the yetzer hatov, but the war against the yetzer hara. Your letter testifies that you are a faithful warrior in the army of the yetzer hatov. There is a saying in English, “Lose the battle and win the war.” You surely have stumbled and will stumble again, and you will be vanquished in many battles. However, I promise you that after you have lost those battles, you will emerge from the war with a victor’s wreath on your head.
The wisest of all men [King Shlomo] said [Mishlei 24:16], “The tzaddik will fall seven times and will rise.” The unlearned think that this means, “Even though a tzaddik falls seven times, he will rise.” The wise know well that the meaning is: “Because a tzaddik falls seven times, he will rise.” On the verse [Bereishit 1:31], “And Elokim saw all that He had made and it was very good,” the midrash comments, “‘Good’ refers to the yetzer hatov; ‘Very good’ refers to the yetzer hara.” [In line with this midrash, R’ Hutner continues:] If you had written to me of your mitzvot and good deeds, I would have said that it was a good letter. Now that you tell me of your falls and stumbles, I say that I have received a very good letter. Please, don’t picture to yourself that a gadol and his yetzer hatov are one and the same; rather, imagine the gedolim at war with all types of base tendencies . . .
I have seen fit to write these words to you so that you can refer to them from time to time. Regarding specific details, it is preferable to speak face-to-face.
You are one who is planted in Hashem’s house!
Sharing in your suffering,
Confident that you will prevail,
Praying for your success,
[Signed] Yitzchak Hutner.
P.S. Now you understand the opening sentence.
Translation by Shlomo Katz, https://torah.org/torah-portion/hamaayan-5772-lechlecha/
Read letter in Hebrew here: https://tinyurl.com/ravhutnerletter