The Bal Shem Tov says that the 42 locations that Klal Yisroel went through in the desert correspond to 42 stages that a Yid must go through in life.
Every location we have to be in is with Hashgacha Pratis. It has to be that way. To emphasize this, Moishe Rabbeinu wrote all the travels and locations down. Moshe, the Anov, taught us that we too have to be Anavim, realizing that every place is Hashem's Place. And it was Hashem who wanted us to be there at that particular time.
"Why", a Yid asks, "was I at times, not even through my own doing, made to go into places of darkness; Harsh places, places where kind words are rare, where it is very difficult to find Yiraas Shomaim?" And then I leave the 4 walls of the Bais Midrash when I know that's what Hashem wants, but it's hard. It's hard because I end up in a Manhattan bound train, which - especially in July & August - is Hell on Earth; Cabins filled with men that are spiritually empty and women who look and act like prostitutes. I get encouraged by an old Yid learning in the corner, so I too stick my head in a sefer, fighting and fighting - sometimes a "losing battle" - to stay clean and good, to keep my mind and heart pure. I finally get to work at 9 AM, very often after having been subjected to nastiness and having heard many 4 letter words that are not G-O-O-D??
Why is my neshomah full of struggles; a virtual roller coaster that is no fun at all; a nightmare while awake - to the point that this Yid's eyes fill up with tears because he has to go to work again the next day. He is not lazy. He likes the work. But the viciousness, the coldness, the emptiness, the politics, the hatred, the resentment, the complex maze of tests that this Yid has to go through, is very difficult for him to handle.
But the Bal Shem Tov teaches us that everything is with Hashgacha Pratis. The train, the work, or wherever you are and wherever you need to be - are all part of the 42 "Masaos" of life. Not always pleasant, but Hashem gives us pleasant places as well. The GuardYourEyes forum is one of those pleasant places. A place where one Yid gives chizuk to another Yid, who in turn gives chizuk to yet another Yid. A fallen Yid is picked up, and instead of going home to take a shower and rest, he tries to pick up another Yid that needs help. This place, my friends, is a Place of Refuge, of Ahavas Yisroel, of fighting the Yetzer Harah together.
And so when "Bardichev" or "Dov" or "Nurah" or "Battleworn" or anyone here on the forum is on one of their 42 Masaos in life, we are all rooting for them. Strange, it seems, not knowing who anyone is, and yet at the same time knowing them very very well, even more than people who see you and think they know you.
And we are always davening that all you "unknown" people - with very known and special neshomos - are doing OK and more than OK.
The Heart of Klall Yisroel is One. When we realize this - and feel this way for real - Moshiach will be here. It's as simple as that.
YECHIDA, ONLY HASHEM SEES THE TEAR DROPS ON MY FACE, DESK AND KEY BOARD.
YOU WENT TO GEHHENOM AND BACK - TO BE MECHAZIK A POSHUTER YID LIKE ME.
THANK YOU!
GEVALD, TATTE IN HIMMEL, BRING MOSHIACH!!
LOOK AT THE TZADDIKIM HERE, WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES OVREI RITZONO!!!!
TATTE, WHERE DO YOU FIND SUCH HELIGER YIDDEN??
HELIGER BARDICHEVER RUV ZTZ'L, SHOW THIS POST TO THE BOREI KOL OLAMIM!!!!
Dear brothers and sisters,
With Hashem's help, with the tefilos we say for each other, and with the tools that Reb Guard prepared for us here, all of us will be able to pull out from darkness to great light.
For some it will take weeks or months, and for most of us it will be years, but all of us will - Bezras Hashem - recover. We will always be at greater risk of sliding back than most people, and for us it takes much more effort than normal to stay healthy, but we will recover.
And after pulling into recovery and looking back, this is the way Hashem wants us to see it. Hashem says:
"This Dark Place, my son, you needed to be there, but you won't go back there - EVER. But take with you the lessons, the whole painful experience, and have compassion for your brothers and sisters that are still there, suffering terribly". (Yes, being addicted or being haunted by destructive thoughts and emotions, is a very severe suffering, a very intense pain).
And Hashem says: "I want you to send to your hurt brothers and sisters a one-way ticket out of there. Only you can do this, because you were there yourself and you know what it was like. And you learned the route out. The pain of it is still in your heart, it will always be there. Why? Because I never ever ever want you to forget your brothers and sisters that are still in that Dark Place".
They will come out soon, via the one-way ticket you send them with true love. They will come out worn and battered, bruised and hurt, still haunted, still weak and emotionally spent. So you will help heal them, give them a place to rest their tired neshomah that just came out of a war zone, you cover them with a warm cozy blanket, feed them warm and healing words of encouragement that come from the depths of you heart, holding their hand and telling them: "don't worry, dear brother/sister, it's over, you'll never need to go back there again because I won't let that stuff ever hurt you again. We will all help you".
And this, my dear brothers and sisters, is what Hashem wants us - and needs us - to do.