Master of the World, I Understand You Decided My Back Should Hurt

There are several types of believers.

Type One: These are people who say that Hashem definitely created the world, but left the management in our hands, and everyone does what is right in their own eyes. If someone offends us, we immediately retaliate. Likewise, if someone is lacking something, they are simply unfortunate, and those who have everything are happy.

Of course, this view is flawed, as every creation has a purpose and reason for its existence. The Creator, who created such a wonderful world, surely created it with a purpose. Anyone who contemplates our holy Torah sees clear evidence of the tradition we received from our ancestors. For the people of Israel, numbering over three million, witnessed firsthand when Hashem revealed Himself to them and said, "I am Hashem your God," and all of Israel accepted His sovereignty and said "We will do and we will hear."

Type Two: These individuals recognize the Creator during prayer, the observance of mitzvot, and while studying Torah. Still, in their everyday activities, they tend to forget Him. For instance, when a person is angry at a friend who has not repaid a loan and tries every way to get their money back, even though the Torah commands "Do not be a creditor to him" if he cannot repay, do not pursue him. This shows that everything, including this, was ordained by Hashem, and He is the one who decreed the loss. One must remember that the Creator alone governs everything, and in His decree, the matter was done. At that moment, one should turn to Him to annul the decree and return the money instead of being angry at the friend, accepting Hashem's will with love.

Why Did David Merit to Be the Fourth Leg of the Chariot?

King David testified about himself in Psalms, "I have set Hashem before me always," meaning there was no action in his life where he did not see the hand of the Creator. The greatest proof of this was when Shimei son of Gera cursed him severely during a time of great distress while fleeing from his son Absalom. Abishai son of Zeruiah requested permission from King David to kill Shimei for his words, but David stopped him, saying, "Hashem said to him to curse, who will say otherwise?" This indicates that nobody in the world can harm another unless it is Hashem's will, and with His permission, they are given the power to do so. If it comes from Him, we must accept it with love and humility. When David said, "Hashem said to him to curse," our Sages teach that because of this, David merited to be the fourth leg of the upper chariot. Apparently, the question is, wasn't David already a great righteous person who did tremendous deeds for the people of Israel, like his encounter with Goliath? So why was it precisely at this moment that he merited to be the fourth leg of the chariot? The answer is, the greatest test of faith comes precisely when a friend harms us with words, physically or financially, and not during prayer or the observance of mitzvot. If, at that moment, we show the Creator that we recognize there is none other than Him, and only He governs the world, and that everything is from Him, it demonstrates a high level of faith.

A higher level is when a Jew knows that everything that happens to him, including actions from friends, is guided by the Creator and not dependent on anyone's will. Moreover, knowing that everything occurring in one's life is for their benefit since the Creator is a loving Father, everything decreed for them is for their good. With Hashem's help, I'll elaborate more on this level.

I will provide several examples where we can assess the extent to which we recognize the Creator governing the world.

What to Do When Your Back Hurts?

For example, in health matters, a Jew experiencing sharp back pain may initially think: Is there an orthopedic doctor available today? Which medication can help me the fastest?! But the first thought that should arise is: Master of the World, I understand you've decided my back should hurt. Please send me a complete recovery, and if I did something wrong for which I deserve this punishment, I regret it and resolve to correct my deeds. I know in my heart that You, the omnipotent Creator, can heal me now without any medication or treatment, and I hereby recite a chapter of Psalms for my recovery, adding charity for the poor. If the Creator decides my back should still hurt, only then can we seek a doctor, as our Sages taught, "And heal, you will heal," signifying that permission was granted to heal, meaning the doctor is given permission by the Creator to be an agent to bring the remedy. Even if the remedy helped and I feel better, I must acknowledge that the Creator decided that the medication would work, and that’s why I feel better. If the Creator did not want it, even the medication wouldn’t have worked.

I do not mean not to visit doctors, but rather, to examine where our hearts lie. Do we truly know that the Creator is the sole healer?! After all, He is the one who brings illnesses, and only in His hands can healing occur at that very moment without limitation. If we truly think this way, then our immediate effort should be directed toward the Creator, to please Him, and understand the message from Him. After internalizing His message and examining what He wants from us, and if we are still not saved, only then should we turn to His agents, the doctors, to alleviate our pain.

The book ‘Yagel Libi B'Yeshuaatecha’ can be found in selected stores and at Hidabrut shops.