Can You Bend God’s Will for Personal Gain? A Lesson in Faith and Integrity

Once, at the conclusion of one of my lectures in the city of Netanya, two young men wearing kippot approached me. They told me that they were trying to strengthen their religious observance while living in Netanya, but they had a question. They explained that it was difficult for them to find a match in their city because most of the local girls are unwilling to date someone who wears a kippah, and was it therefore permissible for them to remove their kippah until they find their match/

I said to them, “Listen, my friends, do you believe in God?” They answered, “Of course.” I continued: “My advice is that you should present this proposal to God Himself. Tomorrow, go to the synagogue, and when the ark is opened, offer your proposal to God. Say to Him: 'Master of the Universe, we see that finding a match is difficult for us. Therefore, we have an idea to help You expedite our match: we will take off our kippah, and in doing so, we will assist You, Master of the Universe, in finding us a spouse.'”

Immediately, the young men were embarrassed and realized their mistake on their own. Is it possible that a believing Jew, who trusts that everything comes from the Creator, would think that it can expedite his salvation by going against the will of the Creator?

Whatever is decreed for you, you will receive, and what is not decreed for you, you will never receive. A person gains nothing from dishonest earnings, for that which is not his will not last, and as is known, dishonest wealth not only destroys itself, but also consumes the person’s honest wealth.

Bitachon (trust in God) is inherently connected with emunah (faith in Divine providence). Even when a person desires to study Torah or pray, and circumstances force him to be idle against his will, it is all under God’s supervision.

As is written in the Tzava’at HaRivash of the Baal Shem Tov: “Every person must serve Hashem with all his strength (i.e., through all his faculties), for everything is necessary for the service of the Creator, because Hashem desires to be served in every way possible. Sometimes a person finds himself in situations where he cannot learn or pray in his usual manner — for example, when he is walking or speaking with people — and he must serve God through these other forms. Therefore, he should not be saddened, because Hashem desires that he serve Him in various ways — sometimes through Torah study, and sometimes through interactions with people, for this too is divine service.”

With these insights, a person can continuously strengthen himself in every time and situation, never falling into despair.