28 Oct LECH LECHA: THE CONCEALED GOOD

Hashem told Avram
to go El Ha’aretz
Asher Arecha, “To
the land that I will
show you.”
The Baal HaTurim
writes that arecha is
gematriya 222, the
same as b’ananim,
clouds. The Baal
HaTurim writes,
“This tells us that there were clouds
that went before Avram, showing him
the way.” Perhaps we can also explain
that this hints that Hashem bestows
His kindness when it appears dark and
negative. When it seems to be b’ananim,
-cloudy and distant, at those times,
arecha, Hashem reveals Himself and His
kindness to the Jewish nation.
The clouds on Har Sinai are called
Ha’arafel (Shemos 20:18), and the
Baal HaTurim writes that Ha’arafel
is gematriya Shechinah. The Nesivos
Sholom explains that this indicates that

when there are clouds, Hashem is there.
As the Torah says Ha’arafel Asher Sam
Haelokim, The opaque darkness where
Hashem was there.” This is as it states
(Malachim 1, 8:12) Hashem Amar
L’shkon B’arafel, “Hashem said that He
will dwell in the thick darkness.”
The Midrash (Bereishis Rabba 39) tells
the following mashal: “A traveler saw
a mansion on fire. He said, ‘Could it be
that this home doesn’t have an owner?’
The owner peeked at him and said, ‘I am
the owner of this home.’ So too, Avraham
said, ‘Could it be that the world doesn’t
have a leader?’ Hakadosh Baruch Hu
peeked out to him and said, ‘I am the
leader of the world.’”
Commentaries on this Midrash explain
that Avraham looked at our wondrous,
magnificent world and recognized the
Creator through it. But then he saw the
resha’im who destroy the world with
their aveiros. (Their sins destroyed the
world in the generation of the mabul
and the generation of dor haflagah.)
Avraham didn’t understand why Hashem
wasn’t taking care of the world. Since

Hashem created it, He should guard it
from becoming ruined. The Midrash
compares this to a traveler who sees
a house on fire and says, “This house
surely has an owner; why isn’t he putting
out the fire?”
The house owner peeked out at him and
said, “I am the owner of the house.”
Similarly, Avraham didn’t understand
why Hashem was allowing the resha’im
to destroy the world. Hashem revealed
himself to Avraham and said, “I am the
Owner of the world.”
The Midrash states “The owner of the
house peeked at him.” Peeked, is an
unusual expression. It seems that the
Midrash should have stated, “the owner
of the house looked at him.” What is
implied by “peeked?”
To answer this question, we bring the
pasuk (Shir HaShirim 2:9) “Looking
through the windows, peeking through
the cracks…” What is the difference
between “looking through windows”
and “peeking through cracks”? When
one looks through a window, he sees
everything that’s in front of the
window, but because he sees so many
things, he isn’t focused on anything
in particular. When one peeks
through the cracks, he sees less but
can entirely focus on what he sees.
We want Hashem to “peek” at us and
see us with intense focus so we will
receive His hashgachah pratis on a
very high level. Avraham merited
this special hashgachah pratis after
he saw the house/world burning. This
suggests that when one goes through
hard times, Hashem’s hashgachah is
more intensely on him.
This can be compared to when
a child is chas veshalom ill and
hospitalized. Although parents love
all their children equally and don’t
have favorites, now their love and
attention are focused on the child
who needs their help most. When
we go through hard times, chalilah,
Hashem’s eyes are focused on us,
watching and guiding us with extra
love and care. If the hospitalized
child pleads to his parents to be with
him, they will be even more devoted
to that child. When one goes through
difficulties and turns to Hashem,
Hashem watches you with immense
hashgachah pratis.

When the Baal Shem of Michelstadt
zt’l was five years old, he was called a
wunderkind (genius-child) because of
his quick and ingenious mind. The count
of Michelstadt heard about the child’s
wisdom and wanted to witness it with
his own eyes. He summoned the child to
his castle.
The count instructed his family and staff
not to be around when the child arrived.
He wanted it that way, to test the child.
The castle had many rooms, and there
wouldn’t be anyone to ask for directions.
He wished to see if the child would find
him.
When the day arrived, the count stood at
the window of his room and watched the
child as he came to the courtyard. The
count was sure it would take the child
a long time before he would knock on
the door. Surprisingly, it was only a few
minutes before the count heard knocking
at his door and a voice called, “Good
day, honorable count.”
The count asked, “How did you know I
was in this room?”
“Before entering, I stood outside the
castle and took in what I saw. I noticed
that the curtains of all the rooms were
open to let in the sunlight, but one room
had the curtains drawn. I understood that
you were watching me from behind the
curtains in this room.”
Years later, the Baal Shem of Michelstadt
zt’l repeated this story and explained the
lesson that we can learn from it. When
one is going through hard times in life,
he feels that the curtains of heaven
are drawn, that’s a sign that Hashem
is peeking out at you from behind the
curtains, watching you in concealment.
In fact, at those times, Hashem’s
hashgachah over you is even more
pronounced.