Hashem is Everywhere

A servant of the king can live a very pleasant life. He lives in the castle with all the amenities amidst regal splendor. The honor of the king is reflected upon him. If, however, the servant begins to act like he is the king and tries to usurp the king’s authority, he subjects himself to great tribulations.

In the emuna CD, Hashem is Everywhere, Rabbi Lazer Brody tells us that we need to recognize that we are servants and crown Hashem as our King. When we do this, we will live our lives with a different orientation. When we plan to do something, we will ask ourselves: Will this bring glory to the King? If it does we’ll do it, if not we should desist.

It’s especially vital to use this approach in making important life decisions like career, marriage, and raising children. We need to consider: What does the King want me to do? When we do this Hashem will be before us at all times. He’ll help direct our paths and make us successful.

Rabbi Nosson says that the main aspect of repentance is to realize that Hashem is always with you. There is no greater source of happiness, encouragement or self-confidence than the knowledge that wherever you are the King is right there with you.

Sin is due to a folly of spirit and momentarily forgetting Hashem’s presence. Who would commit a transgression while walking down the street, holding your Father’s hand? Would you worry about money when your Father and King is right there with you? When you realize that Hashem is constantly with you, there is no room for despair.

We need to internalize this and make it part of our inner reality. In order to do this, we need to traverse the greatest distance in the world. No, Rabbi Brody is not talking about the distance between Tel Aviv and Honolulu; he’s referring to the distance between the brain and the heart.

Rabbi Brody recounted the experience of the holy Baal Shem Tov when he was a five year old boy. His father, Rabbi Eliezer, knew that he was nearing the end of his life. He wanted to give his young son final instructions and make a deep and powerful impression. They walked a great distance into the forest to have a heart-to-heart talk. He told his young son “No matter what, remember that Hashem is always with you.” The Baal Shem Tov testified that he never forgot this throughout his life. This realization gave him great inner strength and helped disarm the evil inclination.

We need to visualize ourselves as soldiers in an army camped in hostile territory with guards posted all around the encampment. We can’t let the guards fall asleep. Our guard system to keep us happy, optimistic and free of negative emotions is knowing that Hashem is everywhere and right there with us. If our guard is not up, the Evil Inclination can breach our borders and trigger negative emotions. Despair, anxiety and anger exist as soon as a person forgets. A person can fall into a fantasy world of lies and make bad decisions.

How can we strengthen our feeling that Hashem is right there? Rebbe Nachman says that there is one sure way and that is personal prayer. Personal prayer is a virtue above all virtues. Why? Because it’s the best way to internalize He’s always there with you. Anyone who spends 60 minutes a day speaking to Hashem will know he is always there.

A major component of daily personal prayer is a thorough self-assessment. We review the prior 24 hour period and identify instances in which we have sinned or fallen short in our service to Hashem. We ask Hashem to forgive us and request help to improve going forward. This is true repentance with love.

Rabbi Brody discusses major principles set forth in tractate Yoma. Rabbi Meir says when one person does teshuva, he can bring forgiveness to the entire world. Rabbi Chama ben Chanina says that repentance brings healing to the world. Rabbi Yonatan says that repentance can hasten the Redemption.

These principles are relevant not only to great Tzaddikim and spiritual giants. These apply to every person, i.e. to you and me!

Sincere repentance and speaking to Hashem like a loving Father gives Him tremendous gratification. Happiness, self-confidence, and inner peace are the products of this type of personal prayer and repentance. This will surely hasten our personal redemptions and bring about the full redemption of our people.