Delays and Salvation: How to Know When to Act and When to Let Go

Life is full of delays on the way to the long-awaited salvation. How can we know how much effort we should invest (or when to let go) in order to hasten what we seek? What are the three guiding principles by which we can measure the right level of hishtadlut (human effort)?

In his book Living with Faith (Chai Be’emunah), Rabbi Yisrael Lugasi addresses this very question and offers practical and uplifting advice.

Recognizing Delays as Divine, Not Coincidental

The starting point is that delays are from God, not from chance or “natural” circumstances as people often mistakenly assume. Sometimes a person experiences long, drawn-out delays, but the moment the true time of salvation arrives, everything falls into place with astonishing ease and speed.

“When the right match comes, everything suddenly moves quickly, and there is clear divine assistance. When a person is destined to recover from illness, the moment that decree comes from heaven, the circumstances roll out in wondrous ways to bring about his healing.”

A person can know that the delays he experienced were indeed from God and not from chance because once the time of salvation arrives, it happens immediately, without even a moment’s delay. The very swiftness of the salvation reveals that all the earlier delays were also orchestrated by God, as part of a larger plan.

When Salvation Seems Close, Then Vanishes

Sometimes it feels as though the light of redemption is just around the corner. Signs of salvation appear, only to collapse suddenly, leaving us disappointed, confused, and back at square one.

Rabbi Lugasi explains that this too is part of the divine process. Heaven may show a person a glimpse of salvation only to delay it again. This difficult moment — when mercy seems near and suddenly everything turns dark again, is itself part of the spiritual correction of “delay.” When the true time of redemption arrives, the salvation comes quickly and unmistakably. Careful reflection reveals the truth of this pattern.

Three Divine Patterns for Effort (Hishtadlut)

If salvation has a set time, how far should a person go in exerting effort? Rabbi Lugasi cites a great Torah sage who taught that God deals with us through three distinct patterns, and by recognizing which one we are in, we can gauge our appropriate level of effort.

1. When success comes easily, without obstacles – reexamine your deeds.
   If something material or spiritual flows to a person effortlessly, without toil or delay, he must examine carefully whether this path is truly good. This world is a world of toil (olam ha’amal), and if something comes without effort, it may be a trap from the forces of negativity.

2. When endless delays block every attempt – step back and stop pushing.
   If, no matter how much effort one invests, success is utterly absent — whether in livelihood, acquiring a home, or even in spiritual projects like opening a yeshiva or starting a charity, this is a sign not to force the matter. It is time to withdraw one’s efforts and trust God’s timing.

3. When beginnings are difficult but progress becomes smoother – continue forward.
   If the start is marked by hardship and toil, but later the way opens up and success flows, this is a sign from heaven to persist. This is God’s will. Many who wished to establish a yeshiva, a kollel, or a charitable project, or even in personal matters like building a home or teaching Torah and ethics, found the beginnings very tough. However once the gates of success and wisdom opened, it was clear they were on the right path.

Rabbi Lugasi teaches that delays are not random setbacks but part of God’s design. By discerning which of the three patterns we are experiencing, we can know whether to push harder, to stop, or to persist. Ultimately, the true moment of salvation will always arrive with divine speed and clarity.