DON’T WORRY BE WHOLE

Harav Y. Reuven Rubin Shlita

People often ask me, how do you decide what to write on such a regular basis?  I have been honoured with your forbearance for over twenty five years, and somehow the blank page has been filled regularly. I admit some articles have flowed easier than others, and I want to be transparent on how this all comes about.

Sometimes you hear something, and it just lodges itself in your mind and won’t leave. It sits there telling you, “This is important, and you must write it!”  The empty page stares out at you and your heart tells you, ‘go on then, you know you must do it, just say it and everything will flow from that.’

So, well here it goes, and let’s see where we end up.

There is a Chassidishe vort that says,

‘You shouldn’t worry so much, you will probably be worrying about the wrong thing anyway.’ 

Now there is no dearth of worries today, the menu stretches out in all directions. I won’t make a list, the reader can probably do that on their own, but worries are plentiful and emotionally draining. This ‘vertel’ is underlining a vital truth, most of our worries are about stuff we THINK are the problem, whilst in truth, if we knew the whole picture we would see that we should be focused on another aspect in the first place.

In Parshas Shoftim we are taught:

“Tomim Tehiya….You shall be wholehearted with Hashem, your G-d” (18:13)

The Kedushas Levi explains that that the Eibishter does only good for Bnei Yesroil because we are His children, and a loving Father always does whatever it takes to bring his children the best. Even before the child is aware of his needs, Hashem has seen to it all. Therefor if a Yied is ‘Wholehearted’ with his connection with Hashem, and has real trust with bitochen, then he will experience the awareness that everything is for the good.

Much of our worrying is focused on life’s externals, whilst perhaps the only real worry we should expend is whether we truly feel that level of bitochen that a Yied should have.

Our lives are complicated by the many levels of our emotional landscapes. Sometimes we feel our hearts are clogged up with troubles. The energy we expend on our inner fears only serves to obscure the ‘wholeness’ of kaviyuchal Hashem.

The times we find ourselves in now can be breeding grounds for such fears, but we must step up and seek the clarity of being ‘Wholehearted with Hashem.’

We could say that being ‘Wholehearted with Hashem’ is a high level of truth within oneself, and that it is beyond our pedestrian reach. But that can’t be true, the Torah doesn’t give such clear instructions for something beyond man’s ability .One thing is certain, once reached we begin to experience clarity.

I had the Zechus to live with my Rebbetzin A’H for fifty five years. Our voyage through life was replete with trials and tribulations, just as one would expect of any life. We shared great simchos, and difficult losses, yet one thing was sewn into her tapestry of life. A total belief that Hashem is with us, and His Will is for our good. Yes, life brings tears, as well as laughter, sometimes we will be frozen in the headlights of life’s experiences, but worry never gives us strength, it only saps away our soul. Look around you, see those who believe and learn their truth. It isn’t easy, but it is the cement that bonds us to the Bashefer.

So, I have run with that thought we spoke of in the beginning of this little adventure, and it has taken us to where we are here and now. I pray it has given us some chizuk and strength. Am I happy about where it landed? Only if the reader will have shared our adventure and found strength from that which we have shared.

Worry truly is an exercise of futility, it is demoralising and fraught with doubt and dismay.

Elul has arrived and New Beginnings beckon, let us all be inscribed for a Kesivah Vechasimah Tovah, enshrined with a new understanding of what true Emunah is.