Welcome to the Daily Chizuk. Some people have been waiting for years to get married, and they think, “Why should I even bother trying anymore? It’s hopeless. I’ve been trying, I’ve been praying, I’ve been doing everything possible for the last 20 years, and still nothing. Must be I missed my chance.” Other people have been waiting for years to have children, and they could think, “We tried everything. We prayed, we went to doctors, we went to get blessings from rabbis, and still nothing. Must be it’s just not going to happen.” We have to constantly remind ourselves: when it comes to Hashem, there is always hope. And as long as you have hope, He has hope. The Pasuk (verse) says that Hashem said, “Those who have hope in Me will never be shamed.”
Someone told me they recently read a story in Binah magazine about a woman who had her first baby at the age of 52. A rabbi gave her a Beracha (blessing) when she was much younger, telling her that she would one day have a son; therefore, she never gave up hope. She kept telling herself, “Hashem’s going to answer my tefillot (prayers); I have to be patient.” They had the Brit Milah (circumcision ceremony) with almost 900 people, and now she’s pushing a stroller with her very own son. Never give up hope.
The Midrash (rabbinic teaching) tells us that Chana was praying for children for 19 years, and everyone gave up hope. Even her husband told her, “Aren’t I better to you than 10 sons?” But Chana said, “I still have Hashem; I’m going to continue to pray,” and she brought the yeshuah (salvation) through her tefillot. The Pasuk says, “People who hope in Hashem always have renewed strength.” They are always upbeat because they know they could always be helped. We constantly need chizuk (encouragement) in this area. The Gemara tells us: “If a person has been praying, and hasn’t been answered yet, what should he do?” “Go back and pray again.” You have to hope to Hashem. You have to hope to Hashem. And if you haven’t been answered, renew your strength and do it again. And besides for bringing salvation, having hope in Hashem and never giving up on Him is a tremendous service.
The Sefer HaIkarim writes, “Having hope in Hashem is greater than any praise that a person could possibly give to Him.” As it says in Tehillim, David the King said, “I always have hope in Hashem, and thereby add to all of His praises.” And the Rabbi asked, “How could David say that he’s adding to Hashem’s praises?” Usually the opposite is true, as David himself said, “The greatest praise is to be quiet,” because it’s not possible to say all of Hashem’s praises. You’re for sure going to leave something out. The Sefer HaIkarim answers: David the King was saying, “More than all of the praises that I could possibly say, is my having hope in you.” Because that shows you know Hashem could do anything. The Pasuk says, “Hashem is good to all of those who have hope in Him.”
It’s too late. It’s never too late. The Rabbis tell us everyone knew Leah was supposed to marry Esav, and Rachel was supposed to marry Yaakov. But Leah prayed and cried and cried, and she was zocheh (merited) not only to marry Yaakov, but she ended up with everything. She became the mother of the Bechor (firstborn), mother of the Kohanim (priests), mother of the Kings, mother of the Chachamim (sages). It’s never too late. Keep praying, keep trying, to see the Yeshu’ot of Hashem. Amen.