In this week's parsha (Bechukosai) the Torah lists many curses that may befall the Jewish People if they don't listen to Hashem. The Torah stresses that when a person is met with some kind of test they should introspect and realize that this isn't just happening as a course of nature. This is something coming from Hashem. It is only His Will which decrees a person's health, wealth children and success. Obviously not every time something goes wrong is it a punishment. Hashem's Ways are extremely deep and we can't ever know the exact reason why something is happening but we do have an obligation to introspect and of course realize that the events befalling us are from Above. This goes only as far as the practical level of what is happening. There is another level as well, the emotional level.

There is a story retold by R'Elimelech Biderman of a couple who experienced tremendous suffering. Tragedy after tragedy befell them. Finally after an extremely traumatic event the wife was entirely broken. She saw her husband who was a great rabbi and asked him, how can you be so complacent, this is a big deal how can you just sit like nothing happened? Of course the rabbi dealt with all of the practical issues that needed to be dealt with as a result of their tragedy, but he didn't lose his balance. He explained to his wife that the tragedy that befell them was Decreed from Above, but it wasn't decreed that they needed to become distraught and broken, that is their own choice and own doing. What happens to us is ultimately out of our control (of course we need to make our best effort) success or failure is not up to us. What is up to us is how we react to what happens.

Shabbat Shalom,

Heath