To Merit the Good: Add One

From “Torah Wellsprings” by Rav Elimelech Biderman, shlita

  We want to experience only rachmanus, Hashem's compassion. Why do we have to experience tzaros?

  We see the answer in the first pasuk of Parshas Vaeira, in which Hashem refers to Himself by the two different names.

   We read, "Elokim spoke with Moshe and said I am Havayah." 

    The Shach al HaTorah explains that Elokim expresses Hashem's attribute of harsh justice: the root of dinim and the hardships everyone goes through in life, each person in his or her own way. 

    The Shach al HaTorah explains that the gematria of Elokim is 86, but the gematria of Ani Havayah, which expresses rachamanis, is 87.

    Just like when Hashem adds “one more” to His name to change dinim into rachamanis, when we add “One” to our perspective that everything is from Hashem, we also merit that Hashem will turn our situations for the good.

Rebbe Hershele Liska (Ach Pri Tevuah) quotes from the Shach al HaTorah, said,” When a person is going through hard times, he must believe that it did not happen by chance, chas v’shalom. Everything happens through Hashem's hashgachah." 

  When we truly believe that whatever we are going through comes from the "One" Hashem, then we add “one more” onto the gematria of Elokim, and Hashem, in turn, becomes Ani Havaya, filling our lives with compassion and goodness.

We when strengthen our belief that everything is from Hashem, and that nothing happens by chance, we can merit to experience rachamanis and not tzara. 

   When faced with life’s problems, instead of feeling self-pity, we have to remind ourselves that every situation was arranged by Hashem.

    When we train ourselves to believe in hashgacha pratis, that Hashem will make everything good, we merit for Him to do so, and the dinim from Elokim transforms into the compassion and love showered down by Ani Havaya.

The segulah of faith sweetens the dinim, and everything becomes sweet.