No Matter Where You Are – You're in Father's Hands: 5 Parables for Reflection

Focus on the Essential, Not the Trivial

A 42-year-old woman came to the rabbi for advice and said: "Rabbi, my house is falling apart. It's old and worn out, and my husband and I don't have the money to replace it. Our children run around outside all day and don't spend enough time on their homework. Our car broke down, and for my birthday, my husband gave me a greeting card and a book... so unromantic... everything is just so bad... I don't know what to do".

The rabbi responded: "Indeed, you said what you said, but I heard something different: your house is old, but thank G-d, you have a house. The children running outside show that they are healthy and full of energy. The car may have broken, but you have a car, which not everyone does. Your husband may not have chosen the ideal gift, but he thought of you and invested for you...

Friends, we have so many beautiful and good things in life - family, health, love, friends around us, livelihood. But we always find ourselves focusing on the black spot: 'how bad our financial situation is'... 'problems with my wife'...

We need to open our eyes,and not focus on the black spot. We should look and thank the Creator of the world for all the goodness and abundance He has given us, for every breath, for each day of life, for our wonderful bodies, for all the gifts surrounding us, which the Creator bestowed upon us with great kindness and goodness.

The Butterfly and the Cocoon

One day the grandson asked his grandfather: "Grandpa, what's in your hand?"

"A cocoon," the grandfather replied, "and inside the cocoon is a butterfly. Soon the cocoon will open, and the butterfly will emerge."

The child became very excited and asked, "Can you give it to me?"

"Yes," said the grandfather, "but promise me, when the cocoon opens and the butterfly tries to jump and hit the sides of the cocoon, you will not help it to get out. Let it come out on its own."

The child promised and took the cocoon home. At home, he sat watching the cocoon. Suddenly he saw the cocoon begin to move and shake until finally, a small opening was made, and it broke. Inside the cocoon was a moist and beautiful butterfly that was struggling to break free but was unsuccessful.

The boy felt sorry for the helpless creature and wanted to help the butterfly escape, but he remembered his grandfather's words and refrained from assisting it.

After a while, the boy couldn't resist anymore. His heart could not bear it, and his pity overpowered his promise to his grandfather. He opened the two halves of the cocoon wide open, allowing the butterfly to escape.

The freed creature flapped its wings a little and flew out. But the boy's smile did not have time to stretch across his face before the butterfly fell and died.

The child picked up the dead butterfly and burst into tears. While holding the butterfly in his hand, the boy went to his grandfather and showed it to him without saying a word.

The grandfather looked at the boy and said: "Did you help it to get out?"

"Yes," replied the boy.

"Do you understand, my child?", said the grandfather, "The butterfly's struggle inside the cocoon strengthens its wings. When it hits the walls of the cocoon, its wing muscles get stronger. By helping it, you prevented it from developing the wing muscles it needed to survive..."

Many times, what seems to be the worst from our perspective may be the most important springboard in our lives. Never think that difficulty is a problem; sometimes it's just the training that the Creator of the world has designated for us to strengthen our 'wing muscles' just before we succeed in soaring upward, towards a better life.

All the trials, difficulties, and challenges we encounter during our lives are the same 'tough camp conditions' that come to forge and strengthen us, to prepare our souls for spiritual, noble, and exalted lives.

A Reminder...

There is a story about a grandfather who used to write letters every week to his grandson living abroad. Many months and many letters went by, and the grandson did not respond or acknowledge, nothing.

The grandfather decided to write another regular letter, but at the bottom of the letter, he added: "I enclosed $100 as a gift." And he sent the letter, of course, without the money...

The grandson received the letter and did not find the money...

As expected, within a few days, the grandfather received a return letter by express mail: "I'm doing great here. The friends are good and nice, and the job I just started is excellent. Everything is good... By the way, you forgot to enclose the money in the letter. Love you very much, your dear grandson"...

We also behave like that grandson. When we forget the Creator of the world, He sends us reminders to make us respond to Him, to take notice of our attention. It is all for our own personal benefit. Sometimes the Creator of the world takes something away from us, causes us loss, and puts us in distress, solely to make us look up to the heavens and offer a heartfelt prayer. Only then, when we pray, He will send us His help from heaven and fulfill our needs.

Especially when Hashem sees that a person has somewhat distanced themselves and forgotten about Him, he sends a few problems so that they will have to pray. Thus they will remember and draw nearer and reconnect with Him. For it is the Creator's will that His beloved children come closer to Him, and therefore He gave us a special commandment – prayer. When we pray properly, we can connect with Him and merit abundant blessings.

I Will Thank You for You Have Answered Me and Become My Salvation

There is a story of a new immigrant whose livelihood was very difficult. He did not know how to write and couldn't even sign his name. He approached the employment office, but to no avail, he did not fit into the job market, and the only thing he managed to do was be a sexton in the synagogue.

One day, furniture was ordered for the synagogue. He waited for the furniture, and the deliverymen asked him to sign. He didn't know how to sign, and they didn't deliver the goods to him. When the synagogue's manager heard about this, he immediately fired him.

With no other choice, he stood on the street and began to repair shoes. In this job, he succeeded beyond expectations, and everyone knew that he offered the best shoes. Slowly, he began supplying his goods to shops, and in time he became very wealthy.

One day, a big merchant came to him, wanted to order a large shipment, and asked him to sign. He said, "I don't know how to sign." "A wealthy man like you doesn't know how to sign?!", asked the merchant. The rich man replied: "If I knew how to sign, I would still be a sexton today..."

Friends, the solutions to your problem are not hidden from the Creator of the world; He knows precisely how to get you out of the thicket. Reality shows that most of the time, salvation comes from a place you would never have imagined it would come from.

We must know that everything we go through is for the good, even if it seems somewhat different. For this, King David thanked the Creator of the world in the Psalms: "I will thank You for You have answered and become my salvation."

In Mother's Hands

A woman was traveling to Jerusalem with her small baby to meet her husband there.

Her husband called her every half hour to ask where she was. Once she replied, "I just left Rishon LeZion," then "Now, climbing the Jerusalem hills," after that, "I am passing the tunnel," and finally: "Here I am, just getting off the bus."

If it were possible to call the baby and ask him where he was every half hour, what would he say? Every half hour he would have the same answer: "I am in my mother's hands." No matter where he was, he was in his mother's hands anyway.

Similarly, no matter where we are, we must remember we are always in Father's hands! "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me." Lay your head on your Father, and let Him solve all your problems in the best way and at the right time... for you!