Acquiring true emunah is a lifelong endeavor. There are many different levels of emunah, and we must continue working and striving to reach the highest level.
One’s level of emunah is determined by how quickly he recognizes Hashem’s loving Hand in all aspects of his life. Sometimes a person suffers some kind of loss, or endures some hardship, and he feels bitter for several months until he finally is able to relax and realize that Hashem always does what is best. If he is asked why he did not react this way initially, he would probably say that the pain was too fresh to allow him to accept Hashem’s decision. Another person on a higher level of emunah might feel upset for a couple of weeks before recognizing that the loss was brought by Hashem for his benefit. But a person on the highest level of emunah is able to recognize the hand of Hashem immediately, without any delay. And this is true both during times of hardship and in times of success. A person might make a well-devised, lucrative business deal and then feel good about himself and proud of the wise decisions he made before thanking Hashem for His help. But a person who has reached the highest levels of emunah will immediately thank Hashem and recognize that he had no part whatsoever in the success. It was Hashem who put the right ideas in his mind, who led him to meet the right people and make the right connections, and who ensured that everything worked out.
This applies at every second of the day and to every area of life. A person with emunah sees Hashem in everything that happens, even when it appears that the events were caused by people. If he receives some benefit from another person, he immediately thanks Hashem for sending him a messenger. If his request is denied, he right away accepts the fact that Hashem does not want the request to be granted. He understands that the person who said “no” is just a messenger. If a person loses a court case and is fined by the judge, he does not feel resentful toward the clerk who comes to collect the money. This is how a person with emunah feels about all people. Everything that happens was ordained by G-d, and the people involved are just His messengers. We have to train ourselves to view all events in our lives from this perspective.
Rabbi Lugassi tells that he was once near somebody who was hammering a nail into the wall, and suddenly the man loudly shouted some very distasteful words. The Rabbi asked him what happened, and the man explained that he accidentally banged the hammer onto his finger.
“You should know,” the Rabbi said, “that the Gemara says that no person hurts his finger in this world unless it had first been decreed in the heavens. Do you know many things had to happen in the heavens before you were able to hurt your finger? There was a team of angels prosecuting against you and giving reasons why you should get hurt. And there was another team of angels advocating on your behalf, explaining why you shouldn’t. The case was brought before G-d, and after evaluating both sides of the argument, He decided that the best thing would be for you to bang the hammer on your finger. Only after all that happened was it possible for the hammer to strike your finger. Don’t be angry. The Judge is righteous and always knows what is best for you.”
This is true of everything in life. Nothing happens here in this world until Hashem made the decision in the heavens that it should happen. He carefully weighs every angle and then decides what is best. Nothing happens randomly. Every dent in the car, every leak in the roof, every spilled cup of coffee, every stain on a garment – it is all carefully thought out and planned by Hashem, and it is all decided with our best interests in mind.
Hashem wants us to recognize His involvement in our lives and to know with absolute certainty that אין עוד מלבדו – there is nothing in the world besides Him. The faster we are able to connect our experiences in life to Hashem, the more emunah we have. And וצדיק באמונתו יחיה – the more emunah we have, the greater tzadikim we are.