His Chosen Messengers

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

The Chovot HaLevavot in the Sha'ar HaBitachon describes numerous benefits that a person with bitachon enjoys. One of these is that his parnassa is guaranteed to come, and Hashem will use every means to ensure the person receives what he needs. One example brought is when Achab sinned by engaging in avodah zara , and as a punishment, Eliyahu HaNavi withheld the rain. Hashem then instructed Eliyahu to go into hiding. How was Eliyahu able to eat during that time? The pasuk says that Hashem commanded the ravens to bring him bread and meat every morning and evening. From this, we see that sometimes Hashem will even use animals as His messengers to help those who trust in Him. A woman told me that she often visits the graves of her grandparents to recite Tehillim and speak to Hashem. However, there was one grandparent whose grave she could never locate. The last time she went to the cemetery, she was determined to try her hardest to find it. She searched and searched but was unsuccessful. She had such a strong yearning to locate that kever . She began praying fervently, asking Hashem to guide her. She worked on strengthening her belief that Hashem could easily help her. And although she was in a cemetery with hundreds, if not thousands, of kevarim , she reinforced her bitachon and kept speaking to Hashem. Suddenly, a tiny bird landed in front of her and playfully hopped around. It caught her attention because it was unlike the other birds she usually saw there. Within seconds, it began walking away from her, weaving between other kevarim . She decided to follow the bird. She had such strong bitachon that Hashem was going to help her. She followed the bird for about a minute until it stopped and perched on a kever . She looked at the name, and it was none other than the grandfather she had been searching for. She stood there, frozen in awe of the hashgacha peratit she had just experienced. Hashem had literally guided her to the place she sought, using one of His little birds as His messenger. When someone truly believes that Hashem can help, it is an enormous zechut and brings about siyata dishmaya . The more a person learns emunah , the more it develops. When a person's emunah is very strong, he is able to put it into practice. Bitachon is putting our emunah into action. It's a feeling in the heart that cannot be feigned. It takes time to develop, but when achieved, it brings about a profound sense of closeness to Hashem.This woman truly felt that sense of bitachon and merited to see the help she sought. Another young lady shared that she recently began giving a shiur on Shabbat afternoons for girls in her area. On Thursdays, she shops for snacks and drinks for them. On her last trip to the store, she bought many items but didn't have access to a car. When she left the store carrying numerous heavy packages, she realized how difficult it would be to reach the shul with all that weight. She tried walking one block but struggled, carrying 10 liters of drinks along with cakes, cookies, and snacks. It was an exhausting challenge. She began talking to Hashem, saying, "Hashem, I know You can get me a ride in an instant. It would be so helpful if someone would pull over now and take me to the shul ." A few seconds later, a car pulled over with a mother and daughter about her age. They asked if she needed a ride with all her heavy bags. The daughter got out of the car, loaded all the bags into the trunk, and they drove her directly to the shul she needed to reach. This lady needed a shaliach to help her, and Hashem sent her the perfect messenger. When a person has that sense of Bitachon , Hashem will use His chosen messengers to help him.