D'var Torah: An observant Jewish man, who had fallen on hard times, traveled to a distant land to seek his livelihood. Upon his arrival at this far-away place he saw that the residents were pagans. He met one of the locals and rebuked him, "You are foolish for worshipping the stars!" The pagan asked, "And what do you worship?" The man responded, "I serve the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, the Eternal Master of the universe, Who sustains all of His creation." The pagan countered, "Your actions contradict your words. If your convictions were true, your G-d would provide for you in your city, just as He provides for you here." The Jewish man conceded to the pure logic of the pagan. Since he was a man of great faith, he returned to the city of his origin. He lived there modestly and never left the city to seek his livelihood.
Moral: HaShem is the all-powerful Creator, Who loves, protects, and supports all of His creations. Bring your actions and thoughts in harmony with your trust in HaShem. Reason dictates that the more we trust in HaShem, the less we rely on our efforts and activities. So too, the more we trust in HaShem, the greater tranquility and happiness we will attain.
Application: 1. Strengthen your trust in HaShem.
2. Observe your actions and thoughts.
3. Evaluate whether or not your actions and thoughts are consistent with your trust in HaShem.
4. Bring your reactions and thoughts in agreement with your solid faith in HaShem, the Source of all Good.
(Based on Chovos HaLevavot, Sha'ar Bitachon)
