Hidden Miracles

Translated from Rabbi Arush’s feature article in the weekly Chut shel Chessed newsletter. The articles focus on his main message: “Loving others as yourself” and emuna. 

Nothing Can Be Taken for Granted 

By the time he arrived home, he was so hungry that he was ready to bite off a piece of the door. The aroma and the sight of pots on the stovetop gave him some relief – there was food waiting for him. He filled a plate and sat down to eat. Just as he finished, his wife walked in and asked him if the meal was okay, expecting a compliment for her efforts. Now that her husband was no longer famished, however, he was already absorbed in his cellphone, and he completely ignored her. 

She decided not to take this lying down. “You know,” she said, “those potatoes did not hop into the pot by themselves. They didn’t get to this house by themselves either. There was a woman who walked out in the stifling heat to get to the store and then carried several heavy sacks of food home. And as you can imagine, the potatoes did not come already peeled. There was a woman who peeled and cooked them. 

“The chicken did not fly out of the freezer, thaw itself out, and cook itself. Yes, every item in this meal, which took you just minutes to guzzle down, represents several hours of work, planning, and love. It’s about time you realized this. 

“How would you have felt if you had not found anything ready to eat when you arrived home? I’m sure you would have let me know, loud and clear, how you felt. So when you find that everything is just the way you would want it, don’t take it for granted!” 

Miracles While You Slept 

“An ox knows its owner, and a donkey recognizes its master’s feeding bag.”¹ A donkey is less intelligent, and it can relate only to its feeding bag. An ox, on the other hand, understands that someone fills its feeding trough. Human beings are supposed to be even smarter than an ox. They should be able to conceive of a Being Who exists even though He cannot be seen or heard. 

A person ought to thank Hashem every day for the fact that he has eyes that see, ears that hear, teeth with which he can eat, and all the other systems that function within his body. And beyond all that, we ought to thank Hashem for things that we cannot see or feel, even for things that we have no knowledge of. 

After someone relieves himself and walks out of the restroom, he should realize that many miracles were wrought on his behalf since the time he ate his meal. The food he ate could have sat in his belly and simply rotted, but instead Hashem installed an incredible system that grinds and mashes up the food and then separates the nutrients from the extraneous material. At the same time, the system neutralizes any toxins contained in the food and kills any harmful bacteria and germs. We see the results of this wonderful process after we rid ourselves of these waste products in the restroom, and this is supposed to inspire us to bless Hashem, Who performs miraculously (mafli la’asot). 

During a person’s lifetime, his body is attacked by an infinite number of germs and other illnesses, and he is completely unaware of the constant battles his immune system wages to protect him. The person rests peacefully while all this wonderful process is happening, silently and painlessly. He gets up in the morning in full health and goes out to work, totally unaware of what has taken place within his body during the night. 

Do you know when a person begins to pay attention to all this? When he feels pain because something went wrong inside. He then becomes filled with worry, fearing the worst. If he would only thank Hashem for the myriad acts of kindness that He performs without his feeling or seeing them, he would feel so secure and loved that this disturbance would not stress him in the least. 

Do you realize how much Hashem loves you? Think about what happened to our ancestors in the wilderness. The nation of Yisrael felt quite secure after they wiped out the two powerful kings Sichon and Og, along with their entire armies. All the surrounding nations trembled with fear upon witnessing this, while the people of Yisrael felt supremely confident. Who would dare try to attack them now? 

No one was aware that at that very moment they faced a threat more powerful and dangerous than a ballistic missile bearing a nuclear bomb. After all, any explosion can affect a limited area, and it is possible to hide in bomb shelters built for such a scenario. But there was no escaping a curse from Bilam. If he had been able to utter a one-word curse, no one would have survived it. That’s no laughing matter. Moshe Rabbeinu had to record the episode of Bilam in the Torah so that we would be aware that it took place and remember how Hashem is constantly protecting us. 

Just before this took place, as the nation of Yisrael traveled through the Arnon canyon, they marched at ease, totally unaware that high above them, enemies were planning to massacre them. In a single moment, Hashem crushed the bodies of their would-be attackers, but the people of Yisrael knew nothing about it until they were out of the canyon and continuing on their journey. Suddenly, they saw the bloody remains of their enemies washing down the Arnon River, revealing to them the miracle that had just taken place.² This was yet another reminder that Hashem was watching over them and protecting them at all times. This is what the Torah tells us this week: “Hashem, your Master, stays in the midst of your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies before you.”³ Bnei Yisrael were so inspired by this revelation that they broke into song. 

This was not a one-time occurrence. Throughout the forty years they spent in the wilderness, Hashem exterminated the venomous snakes, serpents, and scorpions that abounded in their vicinity, and the people never even saw them, alive or dead. 

If You Believe in the One, You Fear No One 

We wrote last week that simple faith and trust in Hashem is the antidote to every fear and anxiety, whether from natural dangers or from wars or illnesses. When a person is confident that Hashem is with him and loves him, he knows that Hashem protects him at all times and will always give him the best. Simple faith is the antidote for fears of all dangers, whether real or imagined. We ourselves have seen how thousands of missiles and drones have been fired at the Jews in Eretz Yisrael, and how we have remained unaffected by almost all of them. 

The episode of Bilam and his curses tells us something else. Never mind all the miracles that you see or find out about. Hashem performs countless miracles for you, miracles that could fill volumes, and you will never know that they took place. 

We know that Heaven protects us from the dangers and threats that lurk on our right and on our left. If we would be aware of all the attempts being made to attack us every minute of the day and night, we would go out of our minds. The story of Bilam serves to remind the true believer how Hashem’s protection never takes a break. This faith enables us to remain calm and stress-free at all times. 

Why can we feel such confidence? It is because Hashem loves us, and that love will never be taken away and will never be diminished. He will continue to love and protect us in the same way He always has. The events recorded in the Torah about our sojourn in the wilderness prove that Hashem still protects us, and for the same reason – because He love us. 

Dear precious Jewish men and women! Hashem is with you, and therefore you should all be filled with joy and tranquility. There is no need for anxiety or fear. If someone feels attacks of stress and anxiety, he should contemplate the story of Bilam. This ought to instill the perfect faith and confidence that Hashem is taking care of us and that He loves us. 

We should talk about these concepts all the time and reinforce them in our minds. This will dispel the darkness of fear and stress from our hearts, making us calm and confident, and filling us with the joy of life and with everything good. 

Editor’s Notes: 

¹ Yeshayahu (Isaiah), 1:3

² Midrash Tanchuma (Chukat 20) and the Talmud (Berachot 54a) which Rashi brings in his commentary to Bamidbar 21:14-16 

³ Devarim (Deuteronomy) 23:15