Daily Bitachon: Shaar Habechina Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We are currently studying Shaar Habechina (The Gate of Reflection). Today, we explore a powerful principle of bitachon : the importance of contemplating the "end" of an event. Often, we experience difficulties in the moment and look at them with wonderment or frustration. Things happen against our will that leave us distraught, yet in the end, we are overjoyed. Conversely, things we initially celebrate sometimes turn out to be detrimental. Lessons from the Unexpected The Chovot Halevavot shares stories of divine intervention disguised as misfortune: The Fallen Wall: A traveler lay down to sleep next to a wall. A dog came by and soiled him, waking him up in a mess. Frustrated, he went to a nearby river to clean himself, distancing himself from his group. Moments later, the wall collapsed, killing everyone else. His "misfortune" was his salvation. The Overslept Traveler: A man stepped away from his camp at night to use the bathroom and fell asleep nearby. He woke up horrified to find he had overslept, only to realize that bandits had wiped out the entire camp while he slept safely in the brush. The Vision of Rav Chatzkel Levenstein In Ohr Yechezkel Michtavim (Letter 309), Rav Chatzkel Levenstein offers a beautiful insight based on this principle. He asks us to imagine standing by as Yosef HaTzaddik was sold to the Ishmaelites. You would be overcome with worry, unable to sleep at the sight of such a horrific act. In reality, you would be watching a coronation—it just needed time to develop. The opposite is also true. Imagine watching Yaakov Avinu entering Pharaoh's royal chariots to see Yosef. It looks like the "top of the world," but in truth, it was the beginning of 210 years of Galut (exile). Rav Chatzkel applies this to his own life. He was once forced out of the Kletsk Yeshiva. Naturally, he was upset. However, that transition led him to the Mirrer Yeshiva , which eventually escaped to Shanghai and Kobe, Japan, saving his life during the war. He cites Tehillim 37 : " שמר תם וראה ישר כי אחרית לאיש שלום " "Guard your simplicity and look at things straight, for there is a happy ending for the man of peace." The lesson is simple: It isn't over until it's over—and because Hashem is in control, all's well that ends well. If you are in a struggle right now, hope for that happy ending. The Shadow and the Hidden Miracle The Chasam Sofer (in his Shabbat Shuva Drasha of year 1838) notes that the Purim story follows this pattern. Vashti is killed, Haman rises, and Esther is taken forcibly. None of it "looks" good. Yet, the killing of Vashti was a miracle on the scale of the Splitting of the Sea; we just didn't recognize it yet. He explains that it is the responsibility of every person, as they age, to look back and connect the dots of their life to see how Hashem orchestrated one cause after another. This is the meaning of the verses in Tehillim 71 : "I will come with the mighty acts of Hashem... I will mention Your righteousness... You have taught me from my youth, and until today I tell of Your wonders. Even unto old age... do not forsake me, until I tell of Your strength to the next generation." A Modern Reflection My father recently celebrated his 80th birthday. He shared a story from his youth that changed his life's trajectory. He had been accepted to Columbia University but deferred for a year to study in Israel. Due to a war skirmish at the time, his father insisted he stay home. When he called Columbia to reclaim his spot, they told him it was gone. Devastated and lost, he consulted his rabbi, who told him to go to Yeshiva University. There, he was exposed to the depth of Gemara learning by the elder Mirrer rabbis. He became enamored with Torah, moved to Monsey, and raised a family dedicated to serious learning. What felt like a "terrible" missed opportunity at Columbia was actually the catalyst for his entire spiritual legacy. If we look back at our own lives with open eyes, we will find endless miracles hidden within our greatest frustrations.