We continue with some nice Bitachon thoughts from the commentary of Rav Chaim Kanievsky in Tehilim. In chapter 34, pasuk 19, David Hamelech says,
קָר֣וֹב ה׳ לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי־לֵ֑ב
God is close to the broken hearts.
1. He quotes from a Midrash called Otiot Rebi Akiva (letter 8), that says, “Whoever's heart is broken and whose spirit is low, the Shechina walks with him all day. It’s as if a Mizbe’ach is built in this man’s heart and he is bringing Korbanot on it, because the brokenhearted are dearer to God than the angels that He has in the heavens.”
And then he quotes another Midrash, in Vayikra Raba chapter 7, that says, “God's utensils are broken utensils.”
Normally, we like to use utensils that are complete. But God is different than human beings. He uses broken utensils. Like it says,
קָר֣וֹב ה׳ לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי־לֵ֑ב
God is close to the people who are broken hearted. It says, “The sacrifices of God is a broken heart.” The Gemara points out that it say” sacrifices,” in plural, because a person who has a broken heart is like a walking Bet Hamikdash, bringing offerings to God, and so God dwells there.
That's why when a person is in that state, he is closest to God, and closest to being answered.
קָר֣וֹב ה׳ לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי־לֵ֑ב
Those that have humble spirits, He will save.
רַ֭בּוֹת רָע֣וֹת צַדִּ֑יק וּ֝מִכֻּלָּ֗ם יַצִּילֶ֥נּוּ ה׳׃
The problems of the righteous are many and Hashem will save them.
Rav Chaim Kanievsky explains that specifically at the point of Rabbot Ra’ot/ so many problems, when the sword is on his neck, and it doesn't seem that there's any way to get out of the situation, that's when the miracle happens. That's similar to what happened at Keriat Yam Suf/the splitting of the sea. When a person is at the point that he doesn't see a way out, this causes him to be brokenhearted, and he is going to see the yeshua.
Sometimes Hashem pushes a person to a point where he really doesn't see any way out. I'm sure we have all experienced this. Sometimes, when something happens that's just so difficult, you just cry out to Hashem, and that’s when the Yeshua happens.
Why is that? Because when the person realizes that he's not in control, he's humble. And that's where God dwells. As all children are taught at a young age: Of all the mountains, God came down on Har Sinai. The same is true of Moshe Rabbenu and the burning bush. God is there when a person is humble.
So when you feel down and broken, realize how close you are to Hashem, and realize that now's your chance to cry out to God. Don't become depressed or despair when you're broken. Become invigorated and realize that now you have the clarity, now you have the understanding, and now you're close to Hashem.
As we said, that was the story of the Yam Suf. The splitting of the sea happened when the water came to their necks, when they could no longer breathe.
And I've said before, it says the sea split at many different spots, it split for every person, separately. The people passed at different spots, at different times, in a U shape. So the smaller U was, faster, there were larger, U was later. What exactly was going on? —- said that the sea split when the water was up to the nose. If the person was humble and walked with his head down, the water hit his nose earlier. But of a person walked with his head up high like an arrogant person, his nose was higher, and it took more time for the water to get there. That's a cute way of explaining it. You had to know Rav Yehuda Moalem to know to really appreciate it, because he was really from those humble people.
But our point is that the sea split when they realized they were not in charge. For some people, that took some time. But once you reach that point of Nishbere Lev/Your heart is broken, then Karov Hashem/God is close.
Have a wonderful day.