Paths of Faith: Everything According to the Plan - The Divine Plan Prepared for Us by the Creator

R' Leibel Hominier, a Hasidic Jew who survived the Holocaust with all its horrors—losing a wife and children and enduring five years of indescribable suffering in the concentration camps, when asked "How are you?" or "What's new?" would reply: "Everything is according to the plan"...

This answer is chilling and sets us on the right and true Jewish perspective—how are you? What's new? Everything is according to the plan—the same divine plan that the Creator of the World prepared for us, the same plan He knows and realizes is good for us, the plan that guides us, wakes us up in the morning, runs our daily routine, and lays us down at night with impressions of the day's plan... a plan that often we did not foresee, did not know, and sometimes does not appear immediately good to us, but the Creator, who comprehends and knows from beginning to end, optimally adapted it for us.

And who gave such an answer? A Jew who saw hardship and suffering and torment and pain—and yet! At all times he walked calmly, for everything Hashem does—He does for good, even if we do not see the goodness and blessing.

This does not contradict moments of distress and the pain of struggle. Faith brings us back to balance, restores us to the right perspective. Hashem customizes the 'package' that fits everyone best and their rectification.

A broken and crushed man came to the rabbi and complained about his troubles. The rabbi said to him: "There are a few others who came to me with similar claims. Come here tomorrow, all of you, each bring your own package of troubles, and try to exchange with one another. Each one can choose the package that appeals to him."

The next day they all came to the rabbi’s house. Each one opened his bundle of troubles, detailed it in full, and expected someone to take it from him and offer him theirs in exchange.

To everyone's surprise, soon each one wrapped up his own package and hurried to leave the place, before anyone would demand he exchange his package with theirs...

R' Bunim of Pshishcha, of blessed memory, reflects in a saying on the verse: "And they saw and took each his staff" (Numbers 17:24)—each leader took his staff. In the same way, when people lay down their packages—in the end, everyone will take back their own, perfectly fitted for them, accompanying their life journey...

We should strengthen ourselves with the knowledge that Hashem is with us when things are difficult—precisely then He is closer to us.

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