The Arizal teaches that the Jewish nation stooped to the 49th gate of impurity, and they couldn’t remain in Mitzrayim another moment. One more second in Mitzrayim, they would have fallen to the 50th gate of impurity, from where there is no return. Therefore, yetzias Mitzrayim was rushed. The question remains, why was it necessary to wait for the last second? They could have been freed well before, and then they wouldn't need to rush out.

It was to tell us that even when one is at the lowest possible level, he can rise up from there and reach the highest level. Just as the Yidden who left Mitzrayim left the lowest level possible, and in fifty days were able to receive the Torah, we can also reach high levels, regardless of which level we are at the present. 

People who are struggling with difficulties might say, “Yeah, if Hashem asked me to do it, I would. But I feel like it’s just a random occurrence.” Nothing is random.



Whatever we are experiencing is Hashem asking us to experience it. If we can remind ourselves of this and that Hashem is controlling every moment of our lives and only wants our best, then B’ezras Hashem, we’ll be able to get through any difficulty with happiness, knowing that we are following the will of Hashem and living the life that He wants us to live.Briefly coming out of my self-imposed exile from GYE I would refer you to my post below about the approach of the Rishonim, Many here (like me) maybe didn't grow up with the modern day fascination with blaming Hashem for everything. Many Rishonim seem to understand that only tzaddikim have hashgocho protis. This does NOT mean things are not tests. Everything is a test. Just maybe not one directed at us by Hashem. Life is a test and our job is to pass. 

bego wrote on 21 Jan 2020 16:32:

Please explain, if it's "not one directed at us by Hashem", then it's just by mere chance?

DavidT wrote on 21 Jan 2020 16:38:

Because life is more complicated than that. Chance does not mean it isn't a test. Hashem designed this world with lots of opportunities for growth and those are called tests. It isn't a test like in school where you pass or fail. It's about growth. Every human being will come across these tests. A tzaddick will have his chosen specifically by Hashem. A normal person will have to use the random tests to develop into a tzaddick. 
That is one approach.

Tzvi5 wrote on 05 Jan 2020 18:19:

See the article from futurism.com below. Many other news/science sites published the same article at the time this research came out. It seems that the scientific community is forced to admit to the Besht's understanding of "Hamechadesh Betuvo Bechol Yom Tamid Ma'aseh Bereishis."

CERN Research Finds “The Universe Should Not Actually Exist”
According to our understanding of physics, the universe doesn't make sense.
DOM GALEONOCTOBER 25TH 2017

Our Universal Paradox

With exactly equal amounts of matter and antimatter, our universe is perfectly symmetrical. While that sounds beautiful, it creates a huge problem with existential consequences. Because it possesses this fundamental symmetry, our universe shouldn’t exist at all.

According to the standard model of physics, the universe had equal amounts of antimatter and matter when it was created. The problem with that is the fact that each antimatter particle should have canceled out its corresponding matter particle, leaving nothing behind. Except they didn’t, and here we are left wondering why.

This problem has been noted before, and now, a study published in Nature confirms that, indeed, our universe should never have come into existence.

Scientists have often considered the possibility that there must be some currently unknown difference between matter and antimatter — different mass, different electric charge, different something — that allows the universe to exist.

To further explore this possibility, scientists at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland decided to look for a difference in magnetism. They used a method devised by researchers from Mainz University to calculate antimatter’s magnetism with never-before-seen precision, but alas, they weren’t able to find any difference.

“All of our observations find a complete symmetry between matter and antimatter, which is why the universe should not actually exist,” CERN researcher Christian Smorra said in a Mainz press release. “An asymmetry must exist here somewhere, but we simply do not understand where the difference is. What is the source of the symmetry break?”

Years Of Work

While the CERN researchers weren’t able to spot any difference between matter and antimatter, the work they did is noteworthy for another reason: It resulted in our most detailed look ever at antimatter’s magnetism.

Since it’s impossible to hold antimatter in a physical container, the team devised a method involving a pair of Penning traps to contain antiprotons using magnetic and electric fields.

“The measurement of antiprotons was extremely difficult, and we had been working on it for ten years. The final breakthrough came with the revolutionary idea of performing the measurement with two particles,” Stefan Ulmer, spokesperson for the multinational BASE collaboration at CERN, said in the press release.

“This result is the culmination of many years of continuous research and development, and the successful completion of one of the most difficult measurements ever performed in a Penning trap instrument.”

As far as the universe’s existential problem is concerned, however, we’re practically back right where we started: matter and antimatter are fundamentally symmetric. We can’t spot a difference in terms of mass, electric charge, and, now, even magnetism as exhibited by protons and antiprotons. Based on everything we know, the universe shouldn’t exist.

Still, the researchers are hopeful that an answer will turn up eventually. As a next step, they plan to conduct measurements of protons and antiprotons at an even higher precision by developing more innovative methods in the next few years.

Meanwhile, a CERN collaboration called ALPHA is looking at fundamental symmetries between hydrogen and antihydrogen atoms, so perhaps one of these research groups will find something that contradicts the fact that our universe shouldn’t exist.

Bitachon is not measured by your success in climbing over the gate. Bitachon is measured by your response upon seeing the gate -- whether you grimace and give up, or whether you appreciate that Hashem has put the gate there for your ultimate benefit.


True joy has nothing to do with ease in life, or with things going well. Rather, our joy must come from who we can become in the face of trying circumstances. True joy comes from resolution within oneself. The Talmud says, "There is no joy like the resolution of doubt." Joy comes from embracing life on its own terms, because you have a basic belief that life is good and as it should be and that challenges are an integral part of life.

Bitachon requires that we respond: "Although I don't like what's happening, I'm not going to surrender to a sense of calamity. Instead, I'm going to let the crisis move me forward. I'm going to be a person who does more acts of kindness; I'm going to learn more Torah. I'm going to see Hashem's hand in day-to-day events. The locked gate is there for me to climb over it."

The pasuk says in Tehillim, “יחל ישראל אל ה' – we should place our hope in Hashem.” Some people are afraid to get their hopes up because they don’t want to be let down. To those people, David HaMelech says, “Get your hopes up – put them in Hashem.” The rewards for recognizing Hashem’s abilities and believing that He can help are unfathomable.

Having hope in Hashem is a mitzvah and when it comes to mitzvot, no matter how difficult they might be, we do them to the best of our ability. Some might say, “Why should we hope to Hashem? We’re not worthy of being helped.” The pasuk continues, “כי עם ה' החסד – Hashem has so much kindness." He helps us not because we deserve it, but because He is kind and loves us so much.

But even then, people might think, “Why should we get our hopes up? There is no way for us to be helped anyway. We have explored every possible option, and there is nothing left to do.” To that, David HaMelech says, “והרבה עמו פדות – Hashem has an abundance of salvation". He helps us in ways we would have never imagined. He doesn’t need our help figuring out how to solve a problem. There is always a way to be helped because Hashem could do anything.

Hashem could help us with the big problems as well as the littlest issues. יחל ישראל אל ה'. Our job is to hope to Him all of the time, because He is filled with kindness and knows how to help.

I have not been on for a while aside from lurking, (which im doing now), but its gratifying that this thread generated much interest. im feeling down now, and its nice to see the different contributions regarding bitachon.

Higher, you have a huge zchus from everyone who comes on your thread and posts and get's chizzuk!

When a person comes down into this world, Hashem takes his neshama from under the Kiseh HaKavod and brings it all the way down here. Why? Because where the neshama was before, there was no way for it to grow. As well, inOlam Haba, there is no way for theneshama to grow. A person is given a small pocket of time, in all of eternity, to utilize to overcome nisyonot and achieve greatness. The opportunity is in this world, and Hashem gives each and every person their own set of tests, based on their background, their knowledge and their capabilities. The goal is to pass every test and thereby fulfill our full potential.

This world is the world of tests. Hashem makes each one of them tailor made for each person based on where he is holding in his life. If we are able to overcome them and stay loyal to Hashem, we’ll utilize our opportunity in this world, we’ll fulfill our potential and we’ll enjoy for all of eternity.

Hashem wants us to know that each person is unique and nobody else in the world could do his job. When a person makes a beracha, he is making a tikkun in creation which no one else in history could have done besides him. When a person keeps strong in kedusha, says a perek of Tehillim, does an act of gemilut chasadim, each of those pe’ulot is creating spiritual worlds. We can’t imagine how valuable even one day of life is. Even people sick in the hospital and unable to move are accomplishing so much enduring their yissurin. They are making tikkunim that nobody else can make. Some people get down on themselves because they feel that they have no purpose. If they would only know how much purpose they have, how much all of history is counting on them to fulfill their mission. If someone understands he has a purpose, he can get through any situation in life

The pasuk says in Tehillim, “הרחב פיך ואמלאהו– widen your mouth and I will fill it.” How does a person widen his mouth? The sefer Ki Ata Imadi brings an explanation from the sefer MiHashem Yatzah Hadavar, when a person smiles and is happy, that is how he widens his mouth. Kavayachol, Hashem is telling us in this pasuk, I want to see you smiling. I don’t want you walking around in My world sad all the time. Hashem is ready to reward us by fulfilling our requests if we can overcome our nature and be happy in all circumstances. 

Chazal tell us in Masechet Berachot, “נותן הודאה על העבר וצועק על העתיד – we should constantly be thanking Hashem for everything that happened in the past and then, right afterward, pray to Hashem regarding the future.” The question has been asked, if we immediately ask for help after we thank, doesn’t that diminish the thank you? As if to say, we are only thanking so that we can ask for more. One explanation is, asking Hashem for help actually makes the thank you even better because it shows that we realize we can’t even go another minute without Hashem’s help.

The Seder Hayom gives a different explanation. He writes, when a person appreciates what Hashem does for him and thanks Him for it, it becomes an Et Ratzon, it is an opportune time to make requests from Hashem, and therefore, of course, we’re not thanking Hashem in order to make requests of Him, but once we thank Him, we can’t let the golden opportunity go by without asking. If by thanking Hashem for revealed good, it becomes an opportune time, how much more so when we thank Hashem when we don’t see the good. That is when Hashem says, Please smile, widen your mouth and be happy so I could fulfill your requests.

The sefarim hakedoshim tell us that Purim is a time that is auspicious for yeshuot. Before we read the megila we are going to make a beracha declaring that Hashem made miracles בימים ההם– in those days – ובזמן הזה – and He makes miracles nowadays. People who have been going through difficulties should strengthen themselves and pour out their hearts to Hashem during these days. 

Hashem could take the most hopeless situation and, in an instant, turn it around- ונהפוך הוא May everyone receive the yeshuot they are hoping for during these glorious days.  

Many times in life we are faced with nisayonot. We know the right thing to do, but it seems too hard. Whenever we are in a struggle with our evil inclination, we should think, it’s worth it to overcome this right now because the rewards for it are endless. The harder the test is the greater the reward will be. 

The greater the test is, the greater the reward is. Whenever we find ourselves struggling to do what’s right, we should remind ourselves about the great opportunity we are being given to overcome  and reap the great rewards.

Today is Rosh Chodesh Nissan and Chazal tell us “בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין להיגאל” – This is the month that is auspicious for Geula. At this time there are so many people anticipating the Geula. The Gemara says in Masechet Sukkah on the pasuk, “ציון היא דורש אין לה,” that in order for the Mashiach to come, people have to want him to come and, now, we are all feeling that need. 

The Midrash in Shir HaShirim Rabbah (chap. 2) says, “סמוך לימות המשיח דבר גדול בא לעולם – Right before the Mashiach comes, a big plague will strike the world.” Has the world ever seen a plague that has affected so many countries? This is another sign of the Mashiach. Throughout history, there have been many opportune times when Mashiach could have come, but we didn’t take the steps that we needed to during those times and therefore he didn’t. This time also seems to be an opportune one, but it is up to us to make it happen. Everything that happens in the world is a message from Hashem to us, His People. 

Now is the time to make those moves. B’ezrat Hashem, if we do, we’ll be zocheh this year to eat from the Korban Pesach in Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh with the binyan Bet HaMikdash. Amen.