We're continuing on with the lesson of the Bet Halevi, that even when human beings oppress us, we need to understand that they are only a stick in the hand of Hashem. The Chatam Sofer uses this principle to explain that before the first visit to the palace of Paroah, Hashem told Moshe and Aharon they should perform a miracle. So Aharon took his staff, threw it on the ground, and it turned into a snake. Paroah then told his magicians to do the same thing, which they did.
But after all the snakes became staffs again, Hashem performed another miracle and Aharon’s staff swallowed up their staffs. What exactly was the message?
The Chatam Sofer explains that Hashem was teaching Paroah an incredible lesson. The king was haughty and arrogant. He felt as if he was the one enslaving and afflicting the Jewish people. He did not understand that he was merely a staff in the hand of Hashem. Therefore, after Hashem turned the snakes back into staffs, only then did Aharon’s staff swallow them. The message to Paroah was, ‘You are not the mighty poisonous snake you think yourself to be. You are nothing more than a staff in the hand of Hashem.’ It’s the same throughout history, not only with kings oppressing people, but even on an individual level.
David Hamelech became the fourth leg on God's throne, due to the fact that after he was cursed by Shimi be Gera, rather than taking vengeance at the time, David Hamelech did not punish him. Instead, he said, “Hashem told him to curse.” Did Hashem actually tell Shimi to curse David? It doesn't say that Shimi ben Gera was a prophet. Rather, the Baal HaTanya explains that David understood that if Shimi cursed him, it was Hashem who gave Shimi that inspiration. It was Hashem giving Shami the ability to utter the curse. David perceived Shimi’s curse as if Hashem had actually told him to do so. The Sefer Chinuch uses this concept to explain why the Torah forbids taking
Nekama/vengeance or bearing a grudge. The question is, Why shouldn't I take vengeance or bear a grudge if someone did something wrong to me?
The answer is that he didn't do anything wrong to you. That's the point. He is nothing more than a stick in the hand of Hashem, and therefore you can't take vengeance on him, because he didn't do it.
There's a famous Gemara in Masechet Sotah that talks about the Ikveta D’Meshicha/the pre Messianic era. It says there that the face of the generation will be like the face of the dog. The Chafetz Chaim explains, in the name of Rav Yitzhak of Volozhin, that if one throws a stone at a dog, it will pounce on the stone to bite it. The dog does not understand that it was not the stone that hit him. Rather, it was the person who threw the stone. Similarly, during this era, people who are lacking in their Emunah blame various causes for their distress and fail to understand that it all comes from Hashem. We have to constantly reiterate this. In the times that we're in now, we have to realize that whatever happens, or is happening, is all from Hashem's hand.
Therefore, the ultimate goal is, like the pasuk in Yeshaya says, Return to the One Who is hitting us and search out and seek out Hashem, Who is the One that is the cause behind everything.
It’s very important to always focus on the ultimate cause. And the ultimate cause is within us- it's our Mitzvot, our Averot, our Emunah or lack of it that makes everything happen.
Of course, we must do Hishtadlut. Esther did go to Ahashverosh, and she did plead with him, but she understood that her pleading with Ahashverosh was really insignificant.
The main focus always has to be on dealing directly with Hashem, and this is as important now as it ever was.
Have a wonderful day.