There are times in life when a person's struggle is not only the difficulty he is facing, but the loneliness he feels while going through it. A person may believe in Hashem his entire life. He knows the teachings of emunah. He knows that Hashem runs the world — yet inside he is still shaking. Not because he stopped believing, but because the burden feels too heavy to carry alone. At such times, a few words of chizuk can give a person tremendous strength. A man once told me he had been going through a very painful situation. For months he was living with uncertainty about his livelihood. Every morning he woke up with the same knot in his stomach. He tried to learn, he tried to pray, but inside he felt drained. One day he spoke to his rabbi and told him everything he was going through. The rabbi listened with empathy and then told him that he needed to know that Hashem was worrying about his bills more than he was. Hashem loves him with an infinite love — more than a father could ever love his son — and would never abandon him in his time of need. The message lasted less than thirty seconds. Yet the man later said those few words lifted a weight off his chest that he had been carrying for months. Nothing changed externally. The bills were still there. The uncertainty was still there. But instead of feeling alone, he felt accompanied — and not just by anyone, but by the Creator of the world Who loves him so much. Within a few weeks, his situation changed for the better. He later said the salvation did not begin the day the money came. It began the day the rabbi reminded him that Hashem was with him. It should be pointed out that although words of chizuk can help tremendously, there is a time and a place for them. Sometimes a person is not ready to hear those words. He first needs a listening ear and empathy. Furthermore, it must come from the right person and be said in the right way, because if it is not delivered properly, it could have the opposite effect. But when the right words are spoken, they can do wonders. I read a story from the Chafetz Chaim Heritage Foundation about a girl named Rivka who discovered she had a serious kidney condition when she gave birth to her first baby. The medicine she was given not only failed to help, it attacked the nerves in her inner ear, leaving her constantly dizzy and nauseous. She could not even hold her new baby. The young mother was brokenhearted from all her troubles. One day she sought help from a neurologist experienced with vertigo. He told her there was not much he could do and that she should arrange for someone else to help care for her baby. She was so distraught by those words that she stumbled out of his office to the sidewalk and into a waiting cab, where her tears began to flow. After a few moments, the Jewish driver gently asked if he could listen to her problem. For some reason, Rivka later said, she told him her entire story. After hearing everything, he spoke in a tone that stirred her courage. "Listen," he said, "promise me that when you walk into the house you will be smiling. Then your husband and parents will smile. You are like the carousel. When you move, the horses move and the music plays. If you smile, everyone will smile too. I will see you again in the future, and you will be doing fine." Rivka never met that driver again. But his encouraging words changed her perspective and infused her with new energy. She was not the horse being dragged around in circles — she was the carousel. Whichever direction she chose, her world would move with her. Those wise and compassionate words became her motto during her difficult period and continued giving her the strength she needed to keep going through her ups and downs. The right words, spoken at the right time, can truly change a person's life.

Our rabbis teach that we were created to perform a mission in this world so that we may enjoy the eternal bliss of the next. The task we are given is to serve Hashem from the exact place and circumstances in which He puts us. Every person receives a different life and a different set of conditions. If he fulfills the role Hashem sent him here to perform within those conditions, he will merit the delights of the World to Come. The Gemara teaches that no human eye has ever seen what the World to Come truly is — only Hashem knows its nature. When a person leaves this world, his soul enters Gan Eden, the world of souls, but Olam HaBa will only begin after the days of Mashiach. If we could imagine gathering the greatest pleasures ever experienced in this world since the beginning of time, compressing them into a single capsule, and a person were to swallow it, the joy he would feel at that moment would not even approach one second of the pleasure of Olam HaBa. This world is fleeting and its pleasures are finite. The World to Come is everlasting, and its pleasure never ends. Everything that Hashem does with a person in this world is with both worlds in mind. Hashem wants us to have the ultimate eternal pleasure, and therefore He guides us here in the precise way needed to attain it. The Mesillat Yesharim describes the pleasure of the World to Come as the soul "basking in the radiance of the Shechinah." This is a spiritual delight beyond our comprehension, because we live in physical bodies. It is a closeness to Hashem so profound that the pleasure cannot be described. In His great love, Hashem even gave us ways to taste a faint semblance of that future bliss already in this world. The Chazon Ish wrote a sefer on Emunah and Bitachon that was not published during his lifetime. Some say this was because he did not want people to recognize the extraordinary heights of Emunah he had reached, which are evident from his writings. In that work he explains that when a person truly grasps the reality of Hashem's existence, he is immediately filled with a boundless inner jubilation. His soul becomes suffused with sweetness. He tastes the sweetness of Hashem, and his desire for physical pleasures begins to fall away, while his delicate neshamah becomes enveloped in holiness, almost as if it has separated from the body and risen to the highest heavens. A new world opens before him. It is possible for a person even in this world to have moments in which he resembles an angel and actually delights in the glory of Hashem. At such times, all the pleasures of this world are like nothing compared to the joy of cleaving to his beloved Creator. The Chazon Ish himself clearly experienced such moments. When a person internalizes the reality of Hashem's presence, he can already experience a taste of the eternal pleasures that await. The closer we draw to Hashem in this world and the more we cling to Him, the more pleasure we will experience — both here and in the next.

The pasuk says in this week's Parashat Terumah, וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם Hashem commanded the Jewish people to make a Mishkan so that He could rest His Presence among them. Obviously, the Presence of Hashem cannot be contained in a physical building. Perhaps one of the lessons we can learn from here is that if we make a place for Hashem to come into our lives, He will reveal His Presence to us in ways that can transcend nature. How do we make that place? By believing in His control and His abilities. The Be'er HaParasha related a story that recently took place, heard directly from the man involved. A man whom we'll call Yehuda had just merited his first baby after four years of marriage. Last year on Chol HaMoed Pesach he was learning the sefer Netivot Shalom, and there he read that if a person has proper emunah — namely, that nothing is hard for Hashem and He can always help no matter what the issue is — then he can merit his own personal Keriat Yam Suf. The sefer advised having those thoughts and feelings especially on the seventh day of Pesach, when Keriat Yam Suf occurred. Yehuda came home that day very excited to put into practice what he had just learned. He was going to work on believing that Hashem can do anything, including giving him and his wife a baby. He also invited his sister to stay with them for Shevi'i shel Pesach, as she had been struggling with shidduchim for almost seven years. He wanted her to also have this emunah so she could have her very own Keriat Yam Suf as well. They read stories about emunah and statements of Chazal about Hashem, and they truly took to heart that Hashem could help them in an instant. They felt so strong in their emunah that they could already feel the joy of salvation. Now, less than a year later, on the Sunday of Parashat Beshalach, this sister celebrated her wedding. And on Tuesday of Parashat Beshalach, Yehuda and his wife celebrated the birth of their very first baby. True belief in Hashem's salvation can do wonders. A woman told me she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was instructed to schedule surgery immediately to have it removed. The doctors sounded very negative and instilled a great deal of fear in her. She is a woman who learns emunah daily and refused to let the diagnosis overtake her. She focused on emunah, on Hashem, and on praying, and two weeks later the surgery was done. They told her they believed they removed everything, but she would need months of chemotherapy going forward. She asked them to please take a biopsy before starting any chemo. They told her it was ninety-nine percent certain cancer and she would definitely need treatment. She answered, "I am going to be from the one percent. Please check it." She then went and strengthened her emunah even more, reviewing articles she had saved about how doctors' prognoses are meaningless when it comes to Hashem. She even sent them to her family to strengthen them as well. At the next appointment she asked again if they had taken the biopsy. Once again they told her it was ninety-nine percent a problem, but they had done the test and were waiting for results. Once again she said, "Ninety-nine percent means there is one percent that it is fine, and I believe Hashem can put me in that one percent." The next day, Erev Shabbat, she received a call from one of the doctors who told her, "Your prayers must have been answered. Everything is fine. You don't need any chemotherapy." She felt the greatest feeling — the feeling of Hashem's salvation, the feeling that her emunah was rewarded. She was overwhelmed with gratitude. The more we want Hashem in our lives, the more He reveals Himself to us. Shabbat Shalom.

The pasuk tells us that Hashem will always remember the kindness we did for Him when we left Mitzrayim. What was that kindness? לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא זְרוּעָה — we followed Hashem into a desert, into a land with no vegetation. In an extraordinary display of bitachon, the Jewish people went with their families, even their young children, into a place where, in the natural order of the world, they could have died of starvation. Yet they trusted fully that Hashem would provide for them. They could never have imagined that food would literally rain down from Heaven. They did not know how their needs would be met — but they went anyway, relying on Hashem. Why is this called a chesed? One explanation is that just as a parent cherishes when a child trusts him, so too Hashem cherishes when we trust in Him. Imagine a young child learning to swim while his parent stands in the water and tells him to jump. Beyond teaching the child how to swim, the parent wants the child to trust him — to feel secure that he will be caught and protected. Hashem loves us more than any parent could ever love a child, and He wants us to feel secure in the knowledge that He will care for us. When we trust Him, He considers that a kindness we are doing for Him. When the Jewish people placed their trust in Hashem, He surrounded them with the Clouds of Glory and gave them mann from the heavens. The pasuk testifies that one who trusts in Hashem is surrounded by His kindness- הַבּוֹטֵחַ בַּה׳ חֶסֶד יְסוֹבְבֶנּוּ . If someone is struggling financially — or facing any challenge — and finds himself lying awake at night consumed by worry, he should realize that he has a precious opportunity to do a chesed for Hashem by placing his trust in Him. If he can calm himself and feel secure in the awareness that Hashem runs the world and his life, and that He will provide in the best possible way, then he has accomplished this chesed. Hashem knows what is in a person's heart, so the feeling must be genuine. A person can strengthen this by learning sefarim on emunah and bitachon. And when he does this chesed for Hashem, Hashem in turn surrounds him with chesed. A young woman told me that a few years ago her father told the family he was struggling badly in business. It became so severe that he feared he would not be able to afford the necessities for the upcoming Yom Tov. But instead of becoming anxious, he calmed his family and told them that Hashem had always taken care of them and that all they needed to do now was trust in Him. His bitachon was contagious, and the entire family felt a sense of calm even during that very difficult time. He did not tell a single person about his situation. He spoke only to Hashem. A few days before Yom Tov, some friends came to his home with a large package. They explained that they had long appreciated how much he had helped them in the past, and now they wanted to express their hakarat hatov. They brought hundreds of dollars' worth of meat and groceries — along with an envelope containing thousands of dollars in cash. This family performed a chesed for Hashem by trusting in Him, and He performed a chesed for them by surrounding them with His kindness.

The Gemara says that one of the things that constantly needs chizuk is tefillah. We know in the back of our minds how great tefillah is, but when it is not at the forefront, we may unwittingly fail to take full advantage of it. In Pressburg, where the Ketav Sofer served as the rabbi, a non-Jewish worker once stole the wallet of the head of the city in broad daylight. The official was so outraged that he ordered the entire police force to focus on finding the thief. The worker hid the wallet in the home of the Jew he worked for. When the police searched the house, they found the wallet and immediately jailed the Jew. The head of the city ordered the death penalty. When the Ketav Sofer heard that this innocent Jewish family man was suddenly on death row, he did everything in his power to save him. He spoke to leaders and dignitaries, but nothing helped. The evening before the execution, he made one last desperate attempt — again without success. He returned home exhausted and distraught and eventually fell asleep. In his dream, his father, The Chatam Sofer, appeared with an angry expression and asked how he could sleep while an innocent Jew was about to be killed. The Ketav Sofer replied that he had tried everything in his power but could not free him. The Chatam Sofer answered, "What do you mean you tried everything? Why didn't you pray?" At that moment the Ketav Sofer awoke. He immediately gathered the people of the city to the shul, and they spent the entire night crying out in tefillah. The next morning, the authorities decided to re-examine the case. When they questioned the gentile worker again, he confessed — and the Jew was saved. Sometimes we forget the most important hishtadlut we can make: tefillah. A woman told me she had begun saying a special Yehi Ratzon in the berachah of Hashivenu Avinu LeToratecha , praying that her son should grow closer to Hashem. The progress, she said, has been unbelievable. Her son improved in ways she never could have imagined. A man related to me that he was facing severe financial hardship. One of his most urgent problems was an unpaid electric bill of over $15,000. He had already received multiple shut-off notices, and it seemed only a matter of time before the electricity would be cut. Every time he came home, the first thing he did was check whether the power was still on. He tried hinting to relatives for help, but nothing materialized. He applied for a city assistance program and received only $50 a month. Realizing how desperate the situation was, he decided to focus intensely on heartfelt tefillah. He prayed like never before, believing that Hashem could create a salvation he could not foresee. With no real plan, he called the electric company once again — something he had already done many times. The representative repeated what all the others had said: the best she could offer was a 12-month payment plan with a large down payment. He asked if there was anything else possible, explaining how much he was struggling. This time, she did something no other representative had done. She asked a series of detailed questions about his finances and placed him on hold. During those moments, he again poured out his heart to Hashem. When she returned, she told him she could offer a payment plan of $10 a month for the next 125 years — something completely unheard of. His next bill reflected the change, adding only $10 to his regular monthly charge. He had been told repeatedly that they never offer more than a 12-month plan, and suddenly he received a 125-year plan. Tefillah can accomplish wonders. But it is up to us to give it the importance it truly deserves.

As mentioned previously, one of the reasons Hashem may give a person suffering in this world is to save him from something far worse. Sometimes a person endures such hardship that he cannot imagine anything being worse. It is important to remember that there are endless reasons why a person may have to suffer, even if he is completely righteous. The Chovot HaLevavot in Shaar HaBitachon lists several possibilities and then cautions that we will never be able to determine why any individual is experiencing what he is going through. Hashem has a different calculation for every person, and only He knows the true reasons. What we do need to know is that whatever the reason may be, when a person eventually discovers why Hashem dealt with him this way — whether when Mashiach comes or when he reaches the next world — he will be grateful for every moment of the life Hashem gave him. If he can trust in Hashem now and accept it with joy even before understanding, his spiritual level will rise tremendously and his reward will be beyond imagination. One of the explanations given by the Chovot HaLevavot for why a tzaddik may suffer in this world is that through that suffering, Hashem grants him a far greater Olam Haba. We know from Chazal that even the faintest taste of Olam Haba is more pleasurable than all the delights of this world combined. And Olam Haba is eternal, while this world is temporary. But how does suffering here produce a higher Olam Haba? One explanation is based on the teaching of Chazal that one mitzvah performed with difficulty is worth far more than the same mitzvah performed easily. When someone is going through hardship, illness, or pain and still manages to perform a mitzvah, still manages to pray, still manages to learn, everything he does carries infinitely greater value. One minute of his avodah may outweigh hours of effortless service. Two people may be praying in the same shul, learning in the same class, appearing identical in this world. Yet in the next world, one may stand far higher than the other — because the effort required of him was so much greater. For him, getting to shul or opening a sefer demanded real sacrifice, while the other person had it easy. We do not ask for hardship, because we fear we may not accept it properly. But if hardship does come, we must understand that it carries within it a golden opportunity to earn reward beyond anything we can imagine. It may be that someone who appears to be an ordinary Jew in this world is in truth among the greatest of the generation — not because of how much he accomplishes , but because of what he must endure to accomplish whatever he does manage to accomplish. He keeps going with a smile. He keeps doing mitzvot even when it is painfully difficult. He keeps his emunah in Hashem even when life feels unbearably hard. This may also explain the Gemara which tells that when Rav Yosef became ill, his soul briefly departed and then returned. Afterward he said he saw an upside-down world — those who appeared lowly here were elevated there, and those who appeared elevated here were low there. His father told him, "You saw a clear world." A person who looks like a simple Jew down here may occupy the highest place in the upper world because of the enormous difficulty he faces in serving Hashem within the life he was given. There are infinite reasons for suffering in this world. For now, our task is to trust that every one of them is for the best. If a person can accept that Hashem is doing what is best for him and continue to serve Him with joy, he will merit the highest places in Olam Haba for all eternity.

When a person experiences any kind of suffering, he must understand that it comes only from the great love that Hashem has for him. The Tanach as well as Chazal are filled with statements attesting to this truth. When a person internalizes this and wholeheartedly accepts that Hashem is actually helping him when he has a difficulty, it is a wondrous expression of emunah, which is heavily rewarded in the next world. We must remind ourselves of this again and again, because when a person is hurting, he naturally wants to complain and bemoan his fate. There is a story brought down in the introduction to the sefer Divrei Yechezkel Shraga about Rabbi Yosef Teitelbaum, who served as the rav of a large city in Europe before the Holocaust. He took care of all the city's religious needs, and they paid his rent and supported him. One day, his non-Jewish landlord informed him that he was selling their apartment and they would have to vacate within the month. At that time, there were no other apartments available for rent in the city, and this meant the rabbi would not only lose his apartment, but his entire community and life's work, as he would have to move to a new city. A few days later, an argument broke out on a street corner between two women from the community. They were each saying hurtful words to each other. At one point, one of the women said to the other, "You are a difficult and terrible person. Even the rebbetzin said you're a dangerous woman." The other woman, hurt by this accusation, was filled with anger toward the rebbetzin for supposedly saying that. She immediately went to the rebbetzin's house and knocked on her door. The rebbetzin answered with a pleasant smile, but the woman burst out loudly and publicly, "How dare you say I'm a difficult and bad woman? Shame on you. You're a miserable woman yourself." The rebbetzin froze in shock. She had no idea what this woman was talking about. She told the woman she had never said anything of the sort, but the other woman was so swept away by her emotions that she continued mercilessly attacking the rebbetzin with harsh words. The rebbetzin could not bear the shame. She ran to her room, locked the door, and burst into tears. She sobbed bitterly. "Ribono Shel Olam I can't endure all of these hardships. First we find out that we have to leave the kehillah that we invested our entire lives in, from which we earn our livelihood and feed our children. And now this terrible pain and humiliation that is unbearable. Why so much suffering?" The rebbetzin cried until she fell asleep. Suddenly, the image of her holy father, Rav Yechezkel Shraga, appeared to her in a dream. He said, "I am ashamed of you, my daughter. Your crying and complaining is bringing me shame and pain in the upper world. "There was a harsh decree, and you were supposed to pass away. I exerted all of my strength to be an advocate for you and your children to annul the decree and keep you alive. After begging and pleading for mercy, my request was accepted. "It was decided in Shamayim to replace the decree with suffering instead. Your landlord would cause you distress by telling you he was going to sell your apartment so that you would have to leave behind your entire life and livelihood for an unknown future. As well, you would be shamed in public. "This was to give you a new life for years to come. How could you be crying and complaining?" The rebbetzin woke up in a sweat, remembering every detail she had just seen. A few minutes later, the woman returned to apologize. She had found out the other woman made it up, and she felt horrible for the way she acted. The rebbetzin told her not to worry. It was all for her best. A few hours later, the landlord came to say that he had decided not to sell the apartment and they could stay living there. The rebbetzin then shared with her husband all that had happened and felt terrible for not accepting her suffering with love. Rabbi Tzvi Nakar quoted the Baal Shem Tov, who said that every time suffering befalls a Jew and he accepts it without complaining, he builds immeasurable structures for himself in Shamayim. He elevates Hashem's honor and brings tikkunim that could not have been accomplished any other way. We always have to remember that Hashem is acting in our best interests, even if sometimes it hurts.

The pasuk says in this week's parashah Mishpatim, regarding one who injures another, וְרַפֹּא יְרַפֵּא — verapoh yerapeh. Chazal learn from those words that a doctor was given permission to heal. The Gemara explains that one might have thought that since illness comes from Hashem, perhaps people do not have the right to intervene. The Torah therefore explicitly grants permission. The Torah uses a double expression — verapoh yerapeh. One explanation is that although the visible healer may be the doctor, we know that the true healer is HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Hashem commands us to go to doctors because He wants the world to function through teva, through natural means. Therefore, we must take medications, we must follow treatment instructions, and we must do our hishtadlut. At the same time, we must know the entire time that healing will only come if Hashem decrees that it should. There have been times when the greatest specialists gave a grim prognosis and suddenly everything turned around and the patient recovered. There have been times when treatment options appeared limited, yet the body responded far beyond expectations. There have been times when two people received the exact same diagnosis, went to the same doctor, followed the same treatments, and yet their outcomes were completely different. Why? Because Hashem decided that this one would be healed and that one would not. Believing that Hashem is the One who brings the healing is a tremendous zechut which can hasten the process. It is not easy to maintain that clarity when we are sitting in doctors' offices, filling prescriptions, and pursuing every possible avenue to get better. And that is precisely why the zechut of seeing through all of it is so great. We have seen so many times when we thought healing would come through one channel, and in the end it came from somewhere completely different. That is a reminder that it is not the avenue that brings the healing — it is only Hashem. Rabbi Rosen from A-Time shared a story that began in 2017. Their organization had developed an innovative medical machine for couples struggling with infertility who had already exhausted every option. When the rabbi shared the news of the discovery, many childless couples felt renewed hope, especially a man named Binyamin and his wife, who had already been waiting for ten long years. After so many disappointments, this finally seemed promising. As they waited for final approval to use the machine, obstacles began to mount. There were restrictions, safety concerns, and endless regulatory requirements. Before anything could proceed, laboratory testing had to verify that the laser and special dye were safe. Then the hospital stalled. Months turned into years. With every delay, the window of opportunity for Binyamin and his wife was narrowing. In the end, they were forced to confront the painful reality that this path was no longer viable. A-Time then attempted to pursue a similar approach in Israel, where regulations were somewhat more flexible and innovation could move faster. They acquired another machine and began testing there. Hope was renewed. Then COVID struck, and everything came to a halt. When the world gradually reopened, they resumed where they had left off. They sent samples to one of the most advanced genetic teams in the world. The results that came back were devastating. The project would not succeed. Binyamin and his wife felt their hope drain away once more. It seemed that nothing else could be done, that the road had ended. Yet with Hashem running the world, there is always hope. Out of nowhere, a group of infertility specialists discovered a new technique utilizing modern technology. The Borei Refu'ot revealed yet another pathway for healing. Baruch Hashem, after nineteen long years of waiting, just a few months ago, Binyamin and his wife were blessed with their own baby. Hashem is the only Healer. We must place our bitachon in Him. With Hashem's help, He will open our eyes to see the cures He has already created for every illness in the world. Shabbat Shalom.

There are people who have to face overwhelming challenges in life. A potentially fatal illness that turns their world upside down. Suddenly, the entire focus of their lives changes. What was once taken for granted is now put into question. Some people have to endure great difficulties when it comes to shidduchim. Rejection, disappointment, and loneliness are just some of the issues they have to confront. Others face the test of infertility. Their dream of raising a family is thrown into doubt, and they find it difficult to focus on anything else. To go through even one of these challenges is a daunting task that requires enormous strength and perseverance. One of the hardest parts of any challenge is the feeling that it may never end. What if the illness cannot be cured? What if I never find my zivug? What if I never have a child? Those thoughts can slowly eat away at a person. But for this, Hashem gave us a precious gift. The gift of emunah—an understanding that there is always hope. Even if the doctors do not have a cure, Hashem can create one. Even if the shadchanim have not called for years, Hashem can still send a shidduch. And even if there seems to be no natural path to having a child, Hashem can still make it happen. The length of time that has passed is irrelevant. The moment Hashem decides that salvation should come, it will come. For someone striving to live with emunah, hearing stories of others with similar challenges who were helped brings tremendous chizuk. The proper attitude is not to feel left out and wonder why others were helped while I was not. Rather, it is to say: Just as Hashem helped them, He can help me. These stories are meant to instill strength and hope, to reinforce the belief that salvation can arrive in the blink of an eye. Recently, at the ATIME Shasathon, a man named Yosef Chaim shared how he faced not just one of the challenges mentioned above, but all three: battling a potentially fatal illness, struggling with shidduchim, and confronting infertility. The odds were stacked against him on every front, yet his emunah and inner strength allowed him to grow through them. He was diagnosed with a tumor. After a ten-hour surgery to remove it, his brain had forgotten how to walk. He was left immobile. After enduring infections and additional surgeries, he relearned how to walk—but then the tumor returned. Again and again it came back. He underwent five surgeries and extensive chemotherapy. As a side effect of the multiple operations, doctors told him he would never be able to walk again. When the tumor returned once more, they decided to try something new—a medication recently developed for a different form of cancer. Miraculously, it worked. Against all odds, the Borei Refu'ot granted him a new lease on life. During that same period, his mother was diagnosed with a similar form of cancer, and lo aleinu, she passed away from it. After losing his ability to walk and then losing his mother, Yosef Chaim went to receive chizuk from Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky. He asked how we can say that Hashem is malei rachamim—filled with mercy—when his life felt like the opposite of mercy. After a few minutes of silence, the Rav answered gently: Hashem being merciful is a reality. That is who He is. There is nothing but mercy when it comes to Hashem. If we do not see it, it is only because we are unable to understand Him. Those words gave Yosef Chaim tremendous chizuk. Shidduchim were naturally difficult for someone confined to a wheelchair. To make matters even harder, doctors told him that in all probability he would not be able to have children. But the Mezaveg Zivugim has already prepared a match for every person, and when Hashem wants it to happen, it will happen. Yosef Chaim was set up on a shidduch, and it progressed beautifully. His rabbi advised him to disclose the infertility concern on the fourth date. Remarkably, she agreed to continue. Baruch Hashem, they were married. Eventually, with Hashem's help—and with ATIME serving as the messenger—against all odds, they became the proud parents of a baby boy. Although Yosef Chaim endured so many struggles, he witnessed miracle after miracle, as Hashem guided him through each one. Everyone can be healed. Everyone can get married. Everyone can have children. We must always maintain hope and continue praying to HaKadosh Baruch Hu to help us through all of our challenges.

There are people who do the right thing, making a difficult decision guided by the Torah, fully expecting to one day see the good that will come from it. Yet sometimes, not only do they fail to see any immediate benefit, but with time it can even appear as though the decision was a mistake. Years pass, and from our limited vantage point it may look as if the person actually lost by doing what Hashem wanted. But Hashem does not test a person only for a week, a month, or even a year. At times, tests in emunah are designed to last for decades. Throughout those years, the Yetzer Hara repeatedly tries to convince the person to regret his decision and to discourage him from making similar choices in the future. But the rule never changes. A person always gains by following Hashem. No one ever fulfilled His will and lost as a result. It may look like a loss, because that is part of the test, but in the end the person will see that he only gained, and that the gain was far greater than he could have ever imagined. The longer the test lasts, the greater the reward. When a person must hold on to his emunah for many years, continuing to trust that choosing correctly will ultimately bring blessing, the reward becomes exponentially greater. Eventually, he will see not only how much he gained in this world, but even more so how much he gained in the next. The Be'er HaParashah related a story of a man from Israel, whom we will call Shemuel. Shortly after his marriage, Shemuel received a very large inheritance, enough at the time to purchase two apartments outright, without any mortgage. He planned to invest the money in real estate so that one day he could give apartments to his children when they married. Before doing anything, he went to ask a rabbi for guidance. The rabbi advised him to invest the money in a loan gemach instead. The funds would help many people over the years, and when the time came, the money would still be there. This, the rabbi said, would be a far better investment. Shemuel accepted the advice. Twenty years later, when his first son was ready to get married, he withdrew the money from the gemach. By then, housing prices had skyrocketed, and the amount was no longer enough to buy even one standard apartment. He began questioning himself: Why did I ask the rabbi? Friends added to the pain, telling him that when it comes to investing money, one should consult financial experts, not rabbis. But the story did not end there. Several years later, after Shemuel merited, with Hashem's help, to marry off all eight of his children, he reflected on the entire shidduch process and realized something remarkable. Six of his children received full apartments from their in-laws. Two received only partial help. At that moment, Hashem illuminated his mind with a powerful insight. According to his own calculations, the inheritance should have been enough to easily take care of two children, while for the remaining six he would have had to struggle mightily to raise the necessary funds. In reality, Hashem reversed the picture entirely. The six children for whom he had no plan and no money were completely taken care of from Heaven. The two children he thought he was financially prepared for were the ones for whom he had to contribute significantly from his own pocket. It took many years for him to recognize the good hidden within his decision, and throughout that time the Yetzer Hara tried to convince him to regret it. In the end, as always, he gained far more than he could have ever dreamed of. And that is only what was visible. The true gains are infinitely greater. When a person can hold on to his emunah for years, trusting in Hashem's system even when the results are delayed, he will see that he did not only gain in this world. His greatest reward is preserved for all eternity.