"Mom, You Have Nothing to Worry About. Dad is in a Great Place Now. He is Well."

The essence of a Jew is faith. In the Torah, it is written that Hashem said to Abraham: "Your name will now be Abraham" (Genesis 17:5), changing from Abram to Abraham. The righteous explain that Abram stands for "many thoughts in a man's heart," indicating when a person thinks they are the planner and leader, they are not truly a Jew. To be Jewish, one must add the 'heh,' representing "His plan is certain"—the understanding that Hashem leads, and even if plans are made, Hashem ultimately determines their success. Hence, the father of the nation is called Abraham, not Abram, with the addition of the letter 'heh.'

A Jew has the power to believe in every situation. Hashem told Abraham to lift his eyes for everything around him—north, south, east, and west—would be given to his descendants. "Lift your eyes now and see...for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your descendants forever." (Genesis 13:14-15)

The holy "Or HaChaim" explains that Abraham was able to see all directions without turning his head, a great miracle that happened to him for making a tent with four entrances so guests wouldn't need to search for a door. Because he accepted Hashem's word with simplicity, without questions—even amidst trials—he saw the entire picture clearly.

All of Abraham's trials were also Sarah's trials. She had no easier path. For many years she was barren, while her maid Hagar bore children immediately. Yet she believed it was all for the good. Regarding Sarah, it is written that she lived 127 years, and Rashi commented, "They were all equally good." The righteous explain that to Sarah, all her years and experiences were equally for the good.

This power of absolute faith passed on to us, the descendants. Faith is inherent in every Jew, though one might need to work on it constantly to bring it to fruition. We have seen moving expressions of faith within the Jewish people in the most challenging times.

One day after the funeral of the six members of the Shaar family who tragically died in a fire, Eva Sandler, whose husband and two children were killed in the Toulouse attack, came to comfort the widow Avivit Shaar.

Avivit Shaar said to her, "It is clear to me that this is a type of atonement for the Jewish people. We are in some kind of movie, and we too will need to go at some point. I have no doubt they are in the best places, and we want them so. Who truly suffers is us, they are in the best state now."

Shaar added, "I tell you what I told everyone: I truly believe we are not more merciful than Hashem, Hashem truly loves us. Everything He does is for the good, even if we do not understand it because of our limited intellect and knowledge. It's hard for us to see this good."

We must have faith and trust in Hashem that He gives and takes away. Just as He gives, He also takes, blessed be His name. Who is like Your people, Israel!

Moving is also the story of R' David Zvi Gottschstein (Dutzi), whose wife and son, along with his wife's entire family, were killed in a train disaster:

"I have no world. Moti is gone, Mili is gone. Only Hashem is with me, 24 hours a day. I feel it every moment." Speaking of the driver responsible for the terrible accident, he said: "If this had happened, G-d forbid, to non-Jewish families, they would have pursued the driver and his life. I'm not angry at the driver. I have no anger. None. He was a messenger; I believe it's from heaven. A believing Jew sees things differently and recognizes how Hashem arranges everything and guides actions. Hashem wanted it to be this way. If He hadn't, it wouldn't have happened. How can one hold resentment against the driver when this is what Hashem wanted?"

Also touching are the words of Yonatan Saada, orphaned by the brutal attack at the Hyper Cacher in Paris:

"Dad didn't leave us. His body may not be with us, but our father is not the body; it's his soul. The soul that helped everyone. The soul that put others ahead of itself. This soul is still with us."

Yonatan, immediately after hearing the devastating news, told his mother: "Mom, you have nothing to worry about. Dad is in a great place now. He's doing well. Dad was always a soul. His soul remains and it's in excellent condition. He's still my dad, my sister's dad, your husband, and our connection with him will only grow stronger."

"The feeling was unbearable. Beyond the great fracture we are experiencing, we are not together. My mom and some family are in France, and we are in Israel. What has sustained us is the faith that everything is for the good and the trust in Hashem that it was Dad's time to end his life. Our belief in divine providence strengthened after hearing Dad arrived at the store after the event began. The terrorist was already inside and instructed the staff to close the shutters. Dad, arriving just then, wanted to enter, but the saleswoman told him, 'We're closed', to save his life. Dad insisted: 'I just want two challahs for Shabbat!' and slipped inside. The terrorist then shot him multiple times, and Dad died instantly. We must not judge heavenly accounting by thinking perhaps if he delayed somewhere, he might have been saved."

A marvelous example of living with faith was R' Uriya Stein, who passed away from illness after years of severe suffering.

Uriya Stein, of blessed memory, son of the beloved public servant Rabbi Menachem Stein, may he live long, died in his youth of a terrible disease. During his illness, he embodied true faith, saying the following chilling and strengthening words: If a person wakes up and sees a mosquito bite, do they panic it will get infected? No! Does Hashem see a difference between a mosquito bite and a serious tumor? Certainly not. Therefore, I'm not worried.

A boy lying next to him in the hospital said he heard him crying: "It hurts me that it hurts Him". When asked what he meant, he said the pain is knowing that my suffering pains Hashem. When his wife was worried about his health near the end of his life, he calmly told her, "I am in the hands of Tata. There's nothing to be worried about..."

On another occasion, he told her: "Is our 18-month-old daughter anxious? No. We must be like her..."

Thus, he illustrated how a person can become like a weaned child on its mother, trusting that everything is from Him and for the best. During the time when he suffered the greatest pains, he told a friend he was worried about how to keep the closeness to Hashem reached through suffering for a longer time... and when they told him he wouldn't see again, he immediately said, "I do see—I see the kindness of Hashem!" His last words were: "With all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might."

During the shiva, his righteous father said that one must be grateful for six additional years and two more children because during the illness, he wasn't given even a month's chance of life, yet he lived six more years and had two children against all odds.

The stories of those who went through and go through trials are a living bestseller of faith!

Rabbi Tauber brings in his book "Chapters on Thought" about faith and trust a moving story often shared by his teacher and mentor, the revered Rabbi Michoel Dov Weissmandl of blessed memory:

During the dark years, during the final liquidation of his hometown of Nitra in Czechoslovakia, the Germans woke the Jews early, expelled them from their homes, and crowded them into cattle cars. Entire families, fathers, mothers, and young children, had to squeeze in until no seats were left. In the scorching sun that heated and burned the sides of the cars, they stood without bread and water, and there was no savior.

Among those Jews was a 'simple' Jew who raised chickens. Like all the other Jews, he stood in the cramped and crowded car with his family and children. The little ones crying and pleading for a drop of water, but this Jew had other concerns. Through the small train window, he saw a fellow Jew walking freely in the street. This Jew was one of those the Germans left to serve the Reich. The chicken farmer began calling to him: "Moshe, do me a favor, go to my house and feed the chickens, remember: animal suffering is a Torah prohibition!"

This Jew found himself in an awful situation where one could easily lose all semblance of humanity. He might have cried to the heavens: "Master of the Universe, where is Your compassion for animals? If we are not worthy as Jews, have mercy on us as creatures and save us! If I am not even worthy to be considered an animal, what have my children done wrong? They cry for bread and water, and I cannot provide it. Have mercy on them instead!"

Yet, even in this inhumane situation, his dedication and faith in Hashem were intact. This supposedly simple Jew, the chicken farmer, who was in fact not simple at all, was struggling, as it were, with Hashem, saying: "You wish to strip me of faith and Torah, but I still cling to your Torah. I will not let you take it from me, even now. Even in this dire situation, I desire to fulfill your commandments, to uphold the commandment of animal welfare."

These words remind us of what the "Chovot Halevavot" conveys about a chasid who would rise at night and say: "My God, You starved me, left me bare, and sat me in the darkness of night, yet You showed me Your power and greatness. If You burn me in fire, I will only love and rejoice more in You!" (Chovot Halevavot, Gate of Love of Hashem, Chapter 1).

Even if we pray, "Do not bring me to a test," nonetheless, during the trial, we know we have the strength.

Anyone can reach faith

When the Torah was given, there were levels: Moses above Aaron, Aaron above the elders, and the elders above the people. However, at the splitting of the Red Sea, there were no levels—everyone saw the same thing, everyone believed in Hashem regardless of their spiritual level. It is known that a maidservant saw at the sea more than the vision granted to the prophet Ezekiel (Chagigah 2a, Mekhilta DeShirah 3). Because in reality, any person, even the simplest believer, is like the greatest in Israel. Anyone can reach simple faith and attain a high level.

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