29 Nov HASHEM’S HASHGACHAH

The Bas Ayin (Vayigash ד”ה†או

יאמר†על†זה†≠†הדרך†“ ®†writes¨†It†is†known

that†all†dinim†©troubles®†in†the†world†come†because†people†aren’t†conscious†that†Hashem†watches†over†everythingÆ”†Therefore¨†let†us†take†a†moment†to†think∫†“Hashem†sees†me†right†nowƆHe†sees†what†I†am†doingÆ”†This†thought†took†just†a†second¨†but†it†means†a†lotƆIt†removes†the†dinim†from†the†worldƆTherefore¨†one†should†think†about†this†often¨†as†it†states¨†, שויתי†ה’†לנגדי†≠†תמיד

always†remember†Hashemª†always†remember†that†Hashem†sees†youƆThis†awareness†removes†dinim¨†troubles†from†you†and†from†the†worldÆ

The†Bas†Ayin†elaborates¨†“If†a†yid†knows†and†believes†that†all†his†movements†and†feelings†are†seen†by†Hashem¨†for†He†sees†everything†that†happens†in†the†world¨†all†dinim†will†vanishƆFurthermore†thereby¨†he†draws†bounty†and†blessings†from†the†source†of†kindnessƆHe†won’t†be†lacking†anything†at†allƆAs†it†states¨†תמים†תהיה†≠†עם†ה’†אלקיך

¨†he†will†be†¨†תמים†complete†and†lack

nothing¨†when†he†believes†that†‘ everything†he†does†is†עם†ה†אלקיך†¨†under

Hashem’s†surveillanceƆWith†this†focus¨†Hashem†will†bestow†only†good†upon†him¨†and†he†won’t†lack†anythingÆ

‘ Similarly¨†it†states¨†כי†עם†ה’†≠†החסד

והרבה†עמו†≠†פדות†‘ ƆThe†translation†is¨†כי

עם†ה†¨†when†you†believe†that†Hashem

sees†everything¨†this†draws†down†, החסד

Hashem’s†kindness¨†והרבה†עמו†פדות†, and

Hashem’s†bounty†and†blessings†for†all†of†Klal†Yisrael…”

The†Imrei†Chaim†©Devarim†ד”ה†ואת

יהושע†®†says†in†the†name†of†the†Rebbe†of

Kosov†zt’l†©and†it†is†also†written†in†Mishkanos†Yaakov†written†by†Reb†Yaakov†ben†Na’im¨†printed†in†( תפ”א

that†when†Yaakov†was†traveling†to†Lavan’s†house¨†a†place†of†thieves†and†resha’im¨†he†thought†to†himself¨†“How†will†I†survive†thereø†The†resha’im†will†surely†try†to†harm†me…”†His†solution†was, וידר†יעקב†¨נדר†≠†לאמר†אם†יהיה†≠†אלקים

עמדי†“ ‘ Yaakov†vowed¨†If†Hashem†will

be†with†meÆ’†Yaakov†Avinu†vowed†that†he†will†never†forget†that†¨†אלקים†עמדי

“Hashem†is†with†meÆ”

Hashem sees me, and he is watching over†meƆAnd†when†one†has†this†emunah¨†he†has†nothing†to†fearÆ

Bas Ayin

One†of†the†great†chassidic†Rebbes†who†lived†in†Eretz†Yisrael†was†Reb†Avraham†Dov†Auerbach†ben†Reb†Dovid†zt’l†of†Avritz¨†known†as†the†Bas†AyinƆAs†his†yahrtzeit†approaches†©the†12th†of†Kislev®¨†let†us†learn†about†this†great†tzaddikÆ

The†wisest†of†all†men¨†Shlomo†HaMelech¨†teaches†©Mishlei†25∫27®¨†, אכול†דבש†הרבה†≠†לא†טוב¨†וחקר†≠†כבודם†כבוד

“Eating†a†lot†of†honey†isn’t†good¨†but†searching†for†the†honor†of†the†righteous†is†honorableÆ”†The†Meiri†explains†that†this†pasuk†means†that†although†honey†is†sweet¨†too†much†of†it†will†make†you†sickƆBut†when†it†comes†to†praising†tzaddikim¨†there†is†no†limit†to†how†much†you†can†discuss†their†greatnessƆThe†more¨†the†better¨†because†when†people†hear†tzaddikim’s†praises¨†they†follow†in†their†WaysÆ

His Ways

The†Bas†Ayin†arrived†at†the†Chaifa†port†in†Eretz†Yisrael†on†Rosh†Chodesh†ElulƆHe†wasn’t†sure†where†he†wanted†to†live¨†but†he†planned†to†go†to†YerushalayimÆ

The†residents†of†Tzfas†invited†this†great†Rebbe†to†be†with†them¨†and†he†accepted†the†invitationƆStill¨†he†informed†them†that†after†Simchas†Torah¨†he†would†be†continuing†to†YerushalayimÆ

But†then†he†changed†his†mindƆThe†reason†for†his†change†of†heart†was†the†exchange†between†a†woman†and†her†sonÆ

On†Hoshanah†Rabba†the†Bas†Ayin†heard†a†woman†tell†her†son¨†“Yerachmiel°†Bring†down†the†carpets†from†the†roofƆTomorrow†Yidden†will†bentch†Geshem¨†their†tefillos†will†certainly†be†answered¨†and†it†will†rain†stronglyƆAll†the†carpets†will†get†wetÆ”

After†overhearing†this†conversation¨†the†Bas†Ayin†was†decided†to†remain†in†TzefasƆHe†said†he†wants†to†be†among†Yidden†who†believe†in†tefillah†with†such†certaintyÆ

The†Bas†Ayin†hardly†ever†attended†levayos†in†Tzfas¨†but†one†time¨†a†levayah†passed†his†home¨†and†he†went†out†and†walked†with†the†niftar†until†the†burialÆ

Everyone†wondered†why†he†did†soƆThe†niftar†seemed†to†be†a†fine¨†regular†Yid¨†but†no†one†knew†anything†outstanding†about†himÆ

The†mystery†was†soon†resolvedÆ

In†those†days¨†the†niftar†was†put†into†the†Arizal’s†mikvah†before†the†burialƆWhen†the†niftar†was†brought†to†the†mikvah¨†the†chevrah†kadisha†noticed†that†his†legs†were†all†blackƆThey†asked†the†almanah†about†that¨†and†this†is†the†story†she†told∫

When†he†was†younger¨†he†was†working†as†merchant†in†chutz†le’aretz¨†and†was†faced†with†many†difficult†testsƆAt†one†point¨†he†was†about†to†marry†a†non≠Jewish†womanƆIt†was†at†the†wedding†hall†that†his†heart†was†filled†with†fear†of†HeavenƆTo†the†astonishment†of†all†the†assembled†guests¨†this†young†man†jumped†into†a†barrel†full†of†burning†coals†meant†to†heat†up†the†big†roomƆThe†non≠Jews†at†the†wedding†concluded†that†the†groom†was†insaneÆ

They†shouted†at†him†and†threw†him†out†of†the†hallƆThis†is†how†he†saved†himself†from†the†aveirahƆAnd†since†then¨†his†feet†have†been†black†from†the†burnsÆ

The Bas Ayin said that he witnessed a column†of†fire†going†before†this†man’s†coffinª†therefore¨†he†joined†the†levayahƆThe†Gemara†©Kesubos†17Æ®†says†that†this†honor†is†given†to†only†one†or†two†people†in†each†generationƆThe†niftar†merited†the†distinction†because†of†that†outstanding†deed†of†mesirus†nefeshÆ

When†the†Bas†Ayin†lived†in†Avritz¨†he†would†meet†with†the†shaliach†who†came†periodically†to†chutz†le’aretz†to†collect†money†for†the†Jewish†communities†in†Eretz†YisraelƆThis†shaliach†would†speak†to†the†Bas†Ayin†about†the†beauty†of†Eretz†Yisrael¨†the†holiness†that†is†experienced†there¨†the†mekomos†hakedoshim¨†and†he†would†say¨†“What†can†I†tell†youø†The†stones†of†Eretz†Yisrael†are†like†diamondsÆ”

These†conversations†made†an†impression†on†the†Bas†Ayin†and†inspired†him†to†move†to†Eretz†YisraelƆOne†day¨†in†Tzfas¨†he†met†this†shaliach†again¨†and†the†Bas†Ayin†told†him¨†“I†sought†the†diamonds¨†but†I†didn’t†find†themÆ”†The†shaliach†replied¨†“Someone†with†pure†eyes†can†see†themÆ”

The†Bas†Ayin†took†these†words†to†heartƆHe†very†much†wanted†to†experience†the†holiness†of†Eretz†Yisrael†as†much†as†possible¨†so†he†secluded†himself†in†a†room†for†several†days¨†and†he†didn’t†let†anyone†inƆHe†served†Hashem†there†until†he†reached†the†level†of†recognizing†that†even†the†stones†of†Eretz†Yisrael†are†diamondsƆHe†came†out†and†made†a†seudah†for†his†chasidim†to†celebrate†that†achievementÆ

At†this†time¨†he†wrote†a†letter†to†Rebbe†Mordechai†Chernobyler¨†“For†the†first†three†years†that†I†was†in†Eretz†Yisrael¨†I†didn’t†feel†anything¨†and†I†regretted†that†I†came†hereƆThese†were†the†three†years†of†ערלה†©when†one†doesn’t†eat†the†fruit¨

and†one†doesn’t†appreciate†the†kedushah®Æ†But†today¨†in†kedushah†of†כתר†I†felt†the†holinessƆAnd†now†I†regret

that†I†didn’t†come†here†earlierÆ”

Anavah – Humility

When†the†Bas†Ayin†left†Auvritz†to†travel†to†Eretz†Yisrael¨†many†of†his†chassidim†traveled†along†with†him†a†long†distance†until†they†reached†the†port†in†Odessa¨†UkraineƆThe†Rebbe†was†already†on†the†ship¨†and†his†devoted†chassidim†asked†him¨†“What†can†we†do†to†maintain†our†connection†with†youø”

The†Bas†Ayin†replied¨†“Hashem†obligates†us¨†ובו†תדבק†¨†to†be†attached†to

HashemƆChazal†ask¨†‘How†is†it†possible†for†a†human†being†to†be†attached†to†Hashemø†Rather¨†we†should†attach†ourselves†to†Hashem’s†attributesƆJust†like†Hashem†is†compassionate¨†you†shall†be†compassionate…’†and†if†you†emulate†Hashem’s†ways¨†it†is†as†if†you†are†connected†to†HashemÆ

Similarly¨†if†you†will†emulate†the†middos†that†I†trained†myself†in†since†my†youth¨†we†will†be†unitedƆEven†from†a†distance¨†we†will†be†connected¨†as†though†we†are†standing†face†to†faceƆI†have†three†primary†middos†that†I†trained†myself†to†be†cautious†in†since†my†youthÆ

They†are†to†be†careful†never†to†speak†lashon†hara¨†never†to†tell†a†lie¨†and†to†be†distant†from†gaavahƆIf†you†also†take†on†yourselves†these†three†attributes¨†we†will†be†united¨†even†from†a†distanceÆ”

Indeed¨†these†three†subjects†–†caution†in†speech¨†truth¨†and†humility†–†are†primary†themes†in†the†holy†sefer†Bas†AyinƆThe†Bas†Ayin†is†buried†in†a†caveƆTo†come†to†his†kever¨†one†needs†to†bend†down†lowƆTzaddikim†said†that†this†exemplifies†the†Bas†Ayin’s†humilityƆEven†to†go†to†his†grave¨†one†must†lower†himselfÆ

The†Bas†Ayin†elaborates†on†the†many†benefits†that†are†earned†from†humilityƆFor†example∫

We†wonder¨†how†did†the†wicked†Bilaam†merit†to†see†a†malachø

The†Bas†Ayin†©Balak†( ד”ה†ועתה†נבוא

explains†that†it†is†because†moments†before¨†he†had†a†debate†with†his†donkey¨†which†was†very†embarrassing†for†him†©see†Sanhedrin†105∫®Æ†The†embarrassment†caused†him†to†be†humble¨†and†thus†he†was†able†to†see†a†malachÆ7†Halachah†says†that†the†Chanukah†menorah†should†be†placed†below†ten†tefachimƆThe†Bas†Ayin†explains†that†to†light†the†candles¨†one†must†lower†himself¨†and†lowering†oneself¨†with†humility¨†brings†about†miracles