Welcome to the daily chizuk (encouragement). Hashem is in such control of our lives, and there is nothing in existence that could prevent His will. But Hashem is hiding behind the scenes, and He gives us free will. You can look at every event or situation that happens in your life in two ways. You can say it just happened, or you can say Hashem was behind it.
I once heard a story about a guy who left the grocery store and forgot his change on the counter. The worker asked the boss, “Boss, he left $1.98. Should I run after him?” The boss said, “No, he left it there; it’s mine.” The worker said, “Is that honest, boss?” The boss told him, “Be quiet and go back to your work.” Just at that moment, by accident, the boss knocked over a pickle jar, and it shattered on the floor. The worker picked it up and said, “Very interesting, boss. The pickles cost exactly $1.98. What do you say about that?” The boss said, “It’s good I took the money, or else I would have been down $1.98.”
Some people just don’t get it. Hashem is hiding behind a mask called nature. But He wants you to find Him. People who started writing down Hashgacha Pratit (Divine providence) stories have said that they are seeing Hashem so much more in their lives. Some people discuss the stories at the Shabbat table. Hashem is always on the tip of their tongues. They develop such an awareness. The more you look for Hashem, the more He will show you.
The Hashgacha Pratit journal, on page 21, brings down the Gemara’s story about Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa. He once saw his daughter upset on Friday afternoon and asked her, “What’s wrong?” She said, “I only have vinegar, and I need to light the Shabbat candles.” He said, “I don’t have vinegar.” Rabbi Chanina said, “Don’t worry, just light that. The same One who said oil should light could also make vinegar light.” Sure enough, she lit it, and the Gemara says it lasted the entire Shabbat.
Rabbi Chanina saw right through nature. He knows Hashem is behind everything. And Hashem said, “He found Me. So I don’t have to hide anymore.” Hashem hides, but He’s waiting for you to find Him. Many times in life, people have issues, things that bother them, and they try different ways to fix the situation. And rightfully so. You’re supposed to make a Hishtadlut (effort). But sometimes we forget the main Hishtadlut. What is the root of the issue? It came from Hashem. Talk to Him about it. Just the recognition that it came from Hashem could solve the problem.
There’s a Pasuk (verse) in Tehillim that says, “Ki hinei oyvecha Hashem, ki hinei oyvecha yovedu,” which literally means, “The enemies of Hashem should disperse.” But the Baal Shem Tov says you could read it another way: “Ki hinei oyvecha Hashem”—if you realize that all your enemies in life are really from Hashem—then “hinei oyvecha yovedu.” Then all your enemies will disperse, and they’ll stop bothering you.
We have to train ourselves with this thinking. It’s Me’et Hashem (from Hashem). Hashem did that. And the way to do it is only through practice. Look for Hashem. Talk about it. Write it down. The more we discover Hashem, the less He’ll have to hide. Shabbat Shalom.