We were learning today that, according to halacha (Jewish law), as mentioned in the Yalkut Yosef, a person should always say a small prayer before he leaves the house when he touches the mezuzah (doorpost scroll). First of all, this is also brought down in halacha. “Please, Hashem, shmor tzeiti uvo'i, protect me from leaving and coming.” This is a very, very important idea in life. You have to believe that 100%. A person must understand that you think he can walk out of one room into the next room. It’s like walking from here to there. You should just know that you need Hashem for every single thing in your life.
And I’m going to prove it to you right now, by the way, scientifically and through everything. Look, the Chafetz Chaim used to pray. He used to say something: “Hashem, please, he’s walking from one room to the next room. Hashem, please help me walk from this room to the next room.” What’s going on? You need Hashem to walk. You need Hashem to talk. You need Hashem to move. You need Hashem for every single item that you do.
And now I’ll prove it to you scientifically, medically, and all this. I’ll tell you a story that I witnessed myself. One day, a few of the boys and I were all sitting down, and we told one of our friends, “Let’s go, we’re washing, we’re making the Seudah (meal), let’s go.” He was by the sink, doing netilat yadayim (ritual handwashing). A normal guy, a regular guy, doing netilat yadayim. He was standing like this. “Hello? Jack? Yalla (Come on)? Hey?” He wasn’t going. The guy wasn’t going. The guy wasn’t going. We didn’t understand. One of my friends tried to move him. One of my friends lifted his hand. The other one lifted his hand, and he sat down.
We went afterwards and took him to a doctor. We didn’t understand, because the thing was awkward. You can’t wash netilat yadayim? You can’t wash netilat yadayim? It didn’t make sense. You’re by the sink. Go. The doctor explained to us that there are a bunch of billions of neurons in your brain. If one neuron in your brain doesn’t connect with another neuron in your brain to do a task you’re supposed to do, it’ll never happen. It doesn’t connect. So a person hears “netilat yadayim” and is by the sink, but he needs another neuron to connect that to actually go and do it. Without that, it doesn’t connect.
Now there’s medication for that. A person takes medication, and then the neuron connects with your neuron and their neuron. But what is it trying to teach you? You cannot move without Hashem. You think you can lift your hand up, move your arm, walk, talk, hack, learn, do this, do that. You can’t do anything without Hashem. Zero. Zero. Hashem has to give you the koach (power) to see, to eat. Even when you’re eating, what kind of business is it? You eat and you get full. Who said it should be that way? Hashem gave you that power. Hashem’s doing that. “No, you think it’s the bread. No, because I ate bread. I ate a meal. No, I had the steaks. I have a lot of energy now because I ate the steak.” What do you think, Rabbi? Hashem gave you that energy. “No, Rabbi, I’m a millionaire. Why? I know how to talk. You know, I had to connect over there, connect over there. I got them like this. I got them like that.” You think. You think. You’re off. Because the second you think it’s you, you’re in the worst trouble.
Because Hashem says, “You think it’s you? Kochi ve'otzem yadi, asah li et hachayil hazeh (My strength and the might of my hand made me this wealth).” “My koach, Rabbi, my koach.” You have no koach. Zero. Hashem has to give you that koach. What’s one of the first Berachot (blessings) we make every single morning? Baruch atah Hashem, Eloheinu melech ha'olam, hanoten la'ya'ef koach (Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the universe, Who gives strength to the weary). He gives you koach. You understand?
And that being said, make sure you pray for everything. Like it says, “Open up your mouth and I'll fill it.” Just ask and ask and ask, and talk to Hashem and talk to Hashem. Ask Him for this, ask Him for that. And we need Hashem to give us, every second of the day, the power to live, the power to breathe, the power to talk, the power to decide. And this is what you have to understand. Hashem is giving us the koach 24-7.