Life’s Perspectives
A TINY BIT OF LIGHT CAN BANISH A GREAT DEAL OF DARKNESS By R Avrohom Twerski
Several years ago, there was a popular book, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff,” with a subtitle “And it’s all small stuff.” I could not agree. There are adversities that happen to people that are not “small stuff” at all. In fact, they may be very big things. Getting laid off from one’s job is not small stuff. I then wrote two books entitled, “It’s Not as Tough as You Think,” indicating that even big stuff, while certainly significant, may appear to be greater than it actually is. But even this title is inaccurate. Some adverse happenings can be every bit as tough as we think, and what we need is the strength and courage to survive and cope with these challenges. We are told that Hashem never gives a person a greater challenge than he can withstand, but the Rebbe of Apt did not consider this much of a consolation, saying, “We have the strength to withstand so much.” The Talmud (end of Makkos) relates that when the sages saw the ruins of the Holy
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Temple, they wept, while Rabbi Akiva smiled and explained, “The Scripture approximates the prophesies on the destruction of Jerusalem with its rebuilding.
‘Why should I thank Hashem in advance for the kindness He will do with me in the future?’ Since the first prophesy was fulfilled, we can be sure that the prophesy of its rebuilding will be fulfilled.” The sages responded, “Akiva, you have consoled us. Akiva, you have consoled us.” Why the repetition? Because it was not so much what Rabbi Akiva said that comforted them, but rather it was who he was that comforted them. It was his unshakeable faith that the second prophesy would be fulfilled that was the consolation. We must read it as “ Akiva, you have consoled us.” Alas! We lack the likes of Rabbi Akiva that
can provide us with this quality of chizuk (reinforcement). We can only try our best. Rebbe Baruch of Medziboz, a grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, was reciting the prayer before Kiddush Friday night, and as he said, “I gratefully thank You, Hashem, for all the kindness You have done with me, and which You will do with me,” he paused and reflected, “Why should I thank Hashem in advance for the kindness He will do with me in the future? I can thank Him then, when the kindness occurs.” Then he said, “Ah! I understand. I may not recognize what Hashem will do for me as a kindness, and so I will not thank Him then. That is why I must do so in advance.” Then he began to cry. “How tragic it is! Hashem will be doing a kindness for me and I may not appreciate it.” Our great tzaddikim had true emunah, faith and trust in Hashem, that He is a loving father, and that everything He does with his children is for the good, but
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