Up and Down

13 Teves 5782

“All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them; each man, according to his blessing, he blessed them.” (Bereishis 49:28)

Rashi asks an obvious question, “Is it not so that some of them he did not bless, but [in fact] chided?” Rashi answers, rather than each blessing being addressed individually, all that was stated previously, whether it be blessing or reproach, was in fact addressed to all the brothers. Rashi concludes, “One might think that he did not bless Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. Therefore, Scripture states: and he blessed them, meaning all of them.”

Similarly Hashem blesses all of His children, whether it looks like blessing or reproach to the human eye. Blessing often comes in the guise of rebuke, but, as it is stated at the end of this portion, “G-d designed it for good.” (Bereishis 50:20)

“I have taken refuge in You, O Lord; I will never be shamed.” (Tehillim 71:1)

When we make the firm commitment from the get-go that we are with Hashem no matter what, we will never be shamed. Not because bad things won’t happen, but because we will recognize that these setbacks are only temporary. They are designed to either protect us from our own desires, or sometimes even to help lift us to a new spiritual level.

“The divine soul’s will and desire is that she alone rule over the person and direct him” (Lessons in Tanya, Likutei Amarim, middle of Chapter 9)

When we see everything that happens to us as a part of Hashem’s grand design, we give our divine soul more and more of a foothold in our lives. Even though it might seem that sometimes we go up and down, with the right kavanah (intention) everything that happens to us will only serve to broaden and deepen the divine soul’s influence on our lives, and thereby our connection to G-d.