For You Are With Me: Hashem Is With You. You Are Not Alone

Footprints...

A man had a dream. In his dream, he was walking along the beach on the path of his life, and Hashem was with him. On the horizon, the events of his life flashed before his eyes, and alongside each event, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one set belonging to him, and the other to Hashem. He understood that Hashem was walking with him through all the events of his life.

Upon a contemplative look at the path, he suddenly noticed that many times during his life, there appeared only one set of footprints in the sand! He also noticed that those periods were the saddest times of his life. This bothered him. He asked Hashem about it: "My God, You promised to walk with me throughout the entire journey. But I noticed that during the most distressing periods of my life, there was only one set of footprints! Why, especially then, when I needed You most, did You abandon and forsake me?!"

And Hashem replied: "My dear child, I love you, and I will never abandon you! During those periods of trial and suffering in your life, when you saw only one set of footprints, it was because I was carrying you in My arms!" (From the booklet "Nitzozot")

Mom is here!

A parable about a child who became ill and needed surgery. On the day he entered the hospital, his family members accompanied him to the hospital gates and gave him many gifts and sweets. Only his father and mother entered the hospital with him and stayed with him until the time of the surgery approached. When he was taken to the operating room, he was greeted by a stern-looking doctor who asked the parents to remain outside the operating room. The parents kissed and hugged their son and followed him with their eyes until the moment the door closed in front of them, and he was left alone. The child looked around and saw that everyone present was wrapped in greenish gowns with serious expressions. On the table beside him lay all the tools needed for the surgery, and above his head, a bright light shone from the large lamp hanging over him. He burst into tears. Suddenly, he noticed a small window in one of the corners of the room, and when he looked at it carefully, he saw his dear mother's reassuring face peering through the window! Immediately he calmed down, stopped crying, and smiled!

What actually changed? Isn't the frightening scene still in place?!

Indeed, but undergoing surgery, even a difficult one, with mom present, is something entirely different!

The knowledge and feeling that "I am with you in distress" changes the entire picture! Father is with you, you are not alone here! "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me" - thus testifies King David about himself. His words constitute an echo resounding throughout the world, calling to every Jew wherever they may be, saying: Aren't you a precious child to our Father in Heaven, and in His boundless love for you, His eye is upon you at all times, and He protects you and accompanies you every step of the way. Therefore, fortunate are you to have someone to trust. He will protect you from all harm, everything that happens to you is only good, because Hashem will guard your going out and your coming in from now and forever! (Rabbi Mordechai Pogermansky)

"God Full of Mercy"

One of the elders of the holy city of Safed told the congregants of his synagogue on the anniversary of his mother's passing: Let me tell you the last things I heard from my late mother. When she lay on her deathbed, my mother called me and said: "Come near to me, my child (and I was less than bar mitzvah age), and I will explain to you what 'God Full of Mercy' means. When a cup is filled with water to its brim, just the slightest touch to the cup causes water to spill out. Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, is so full of mercy that it takes just a slight touch, and already a sea of mercy flows from Him!" These were the mother's last words to her son. And the elder told these words he had heard more than seventy years ago with trembling and emotion, as if they had been spoken just yesterday.

Father of Mercy

The daughter of one of the great Torah scholars of the generation, who was widowed at a young age, was asked: How did your father comfort you after your husband's death?

The woman replied and related that after the seven days of mourning, he said to her: "Did you see how many people came to comfort you in your days of mourning? They all feel great compassion for you. But know that the Holy One, blessed be He, has much more compassion for you than all their compassion combined."

From a letter of condolence by Rabbi Yonatan Eybeschutz to his sister-in-law:

What reason do we have to cry over the actions of the Holy One, blessed be He? Do we know what is good and what is bad? Are we as wise as Hashem? Are we as merciful as He is? As beneficent as He is? As compassionate to orphans as He is? As loving of kindness and mercy as He is? As foresighted as He is? As charitable as the Holy One, blessed be He? For He Himself is wisdom, mercy, and truth!

From a condolence letter sent by Rabbi Dan Segal:

Sometimes, if even a spark of thought arises, as if to say: "Why does Hashem do this?" I am immediately overcome with shame and embarrassment, because He, blessed be He, is called "Father of Mercy," meaning the Father of all feelings of compassion that exist in creation, all of which come from Him, blessed be He. If so, if I, truly lowly, who am not prepared to do for others, nevertheless feel compassion for another's pain - then He, blessed be He, who is all mercy, doesn't understand this?! But what? Nevertheless, He brings suffering! This is proof that this is the good and the mercy.