”… You will know that I am Hashem Who takes you out from under the burdens of Egypt.” (Shemos 6:7)
Our sages ask: What does it mean “you will know that I am Hashem?” They also question the use of the unusual expression “sivlos Mitzrayim – the burden of Mitzrayim.”
The Torah is teaching us that the preeminent merit that redeemed the Jewish people from Mitzrayim is the fact that they remained the special children of Yaakov, a holy nation, even when enslaved in Mitzrayim, the most corrupt, immoral, and evil country. The Jewish people were tenacious in maintaining their complete faith in Hashem. They never questioned their circumstances or why they were persecuted and oppressed more than any other nation. They withstood the conditions because they knew that in the eyes of Hashem it was good.
That is the connotation of the words (Shemos 2:11), “Moshe observed their burdens (sivlosam).” Was he the only one who saw this? It means that, with the Divine Spirit, Moshe saw the fortitude (savlanus) of the Jewish people. They understood that their suffering had been decreed by Hashem, and they accepted His judgment with love. For this reason, they merited to be redeemed.
The Talmud (Brachos 54a) teaches us, “One is obligated to recite a blessing for the bad just as he recites a blessing for the good.” The Chozeh of Lublin was asked how it was possible for one to feel the same way about an unfortunate event as he did for a happy event. He explained that the underlying concept is that both events are accepted with happiness, with the understanding that “whatever Hashem does is for the best.” In fact, he wondered aloud whether there was any event in the world that could be considered unfortunate.
When a person is beleaguered with problems that disrupt his avodas Hashem and his Torah learning, he may ponder why he is suffering when his friend – who is not as devout – enjoys the good life, is well-to-do and at peace. In truth, though, mortal human beings cannot fathom the ways of Hashem, as it says (Yeshaya 55:8), “For My thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not My ways …” Our charge is to see the light shining in the darkness. Our sages expound that when we say in Krias Shema, “You shall love Hashem … with all your heart, with all your soul …” it means to the extent that even if Hashem takes your soul.
The Talmud (Brachos 60a) relates that Hillel was on the road when he heard shouting in the city. He said: I am certain that the shouting is not coming from my house. The Talmud continues that of him it is said (Tehillim 112:7), “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in Hashem.” Our sages explicate that his household was educated and practiced in their unswerving loyalty to Hashem, and he was therefore certain that no panic was originating from his house.
The well-known city of Netanya in Eretz Yisrael and Rechov Strauss in Yerushalayim are named after Nosson Strauss, who was a major philanthropist and patron of the old yishuv. Nathan (Nosson) Strauss was a wealthy Jew from America. When he once visited Eretz Yisrael and saw the poverty and destitution of its citizenry he was visibly shaken. He immediately invested large amounts of funds to improve their conditions – establishing soup kitchens, medical centers, and other organizations and institutions that could help the population. Every few years he would come personally to review the work that was being done.
One year, as he was touring one of the soup kitchens, he slipped, fell and broke his leg. He was taken to the hospital and it was determined that they needed to operate on the leg. There were those who were thinking, “This is the reward he gets for all his chesed work?” If he had fallen while mountain climbing that could be understood. But he had expended large amounts of money to help the citizenry of Eretz Yisrael and now his leg had broken in his own soup kitchen, one of the sites of his chesed.
Our sages teach us that the hidden things are for Hashem, but the revealed things are for us to know….” Because he needed the operation, Mr. Strauss had to cancel his flight to England the next morning. He was also unable to be among the passengers who set sail on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, the largest passenger ship in the world at the time that was considered unsinkable. As we know, though, the ship struck an iceberg and sank. More than fifteen hundred people lost their lives, among them the brother of Nosson Strauss, Isidor.
Nosson Strauss gave great praise and thanks to Hashem who had prevented him from joining the voyage in the merit of his Torah and expansive chesed. His broken leg had saved him from a cruel death.
Although we do not always understand our circumstances, everything is Heavenly ordained. If one is calm, trusts Hashem and believes that He always does good for us, he will merit to be saved. Great is the power of bitachon, as it says (Tehillim 32:10), “Many are the agonies of the wicked, but one who trusts in Hashem, kindness encompasses him.”
