Rachel Imenu was not capable of having a child. But because she was willing to give up her potential husband Yaakov to her sister Leah, to save her from embarrassment, Hashem changed nature and gave her a womb to have a child.  But even then, after Rachel did that special deed, she still needed tefillah to complete the salvation. As the pasuk says, “וישמע אליה אלוקים.” 

When Leah was expecting her seventh child, she felt bad for her sister Rachel.  If that child was to be a boy, it would mean Rachel would have less of the shevatim than the maidservants. So Leah prayed that the child should be a girl.  And the Gemara says her prayers changed nature, because that child was supposed to be a boy, and Hashem switched it. 

We never lose hope in any situation we’re in, because we always have a way to be helped. 

Chazal guarantee us, “הבא ליטהר מיסעיין בידו  - Whoever wants to purify himself will be given help from Hashem.” 

Anyone who has a desire to become closer to Hashem and takes steps to do it, will be given the same help.  Hashem has infinite ways of helping people, no matter how distant they are from religion and no matter how distant they are from a religious environment.

Whoever wants to come closer to Hashem just needs a desire and then an effort.  Then Hashem will come and help him the rest of the way.  

There are people who are experiencing hardships in many different areas.  And despite their heartfelt tefillot, they aren't seeing improvement in any of them. They cry and pour out their hearts to Hashem, but they don’t see any response.  They see others around them living normal lives and wonder why theirs is so hard.  After having so much heartache and pain, some even begin to question Hashem’s mercy.  
Deep down they have an inclination to second guess what they have learned about Hashem.  They are thinking to themselves, how could you tell me Hashem is my loving father when he is putting me through all this pain?  I love my children. I would never do this to them.  I’m begging Him for just a little help and nothing is changing. Why is He doing this to me?


From the surface level those claims sound valid. But in truth, Hashem is more loving and merciful than anybody is capable of fathoming.  One of the praises we give Hashem in the amidah is that He is a גיבור-mighty. And Chazal teach us that a gibor is one who is able to refrain from giving into a desire.  How does that apply to Hashem? The Chatam Sofer explains: Hashem’s greatest desire is to give us good in a way that we can see the good openly, so we can truly feel His mercy and love. Sometimes Hashem has to hold back, kavyachol, from giving into our requests, from giving us that revealed good. Because, in essence, what we are asking for is not good for us.

Forgiving people by overcoming our natural instincts, recognizing that it came from Hashem, is very powerful.  If we could learn to be more sensitive to others, and if we are ever insulted, to forgive, we can rise to great heights, and we will make Hashem very proud.

PRAYER OF POWERLESSNESS 

Creator of the universe, we know, 
That here we are in your hands alone
Like as clay in the potter's hand,
And if we would try to use all tips and tricks
And all human resources of this world would stand up
To save us and assist our souls
 But without Your glorious mighty splendor and Your assistance
 So there is no help and no salvation

Here is some chizuk.
Hashem showed us this week that he is watching us and doing miracles. A Jewish school in Jersey City full of kids was targeted this week by 2 thugs with enough ammunition to kill them all CV.
They confused the address of the school and went into the next door store where they were trapped by a cop that was "coincidentally (really??)" walking by... There are many more details of people that were saved by open miracles there which can be verified by videos. (I saw a video of a Jewish boy that was almost going to enter the store when the 2 thugs came charging to the store and the boy runs away... ) 
Of course the lives that were takes away is a tragedy for all of us, but we need to wake up and see how Hashem loves us and keeps on reminding us that we are still in Galus and need to wake up, become closer to him and very soon he will redeem us all, AMEIN!

The Ramchal writes , “When one trusts in Hashem, his bitachon will lift him out of Gehinom…
Malachim will take him out of Gehinom. Bitachon purifies like a mikvah, because bitachon elevates the person to a high level where there are no sins and blemishes…”

If a person is all alone and has an inclination to sin, and no one will ever know about it, that is when he can act with the greatest expression of emunah. He can turn away from that sin and say “Hashem I know You’re here with me. I know You’re watching me, and I’m going to make You proud by staying pure.”

That is emunah. That is a Kiddush Hashem. And those types of acts are what bring Mashiach closer. We are in a fierce battle with the Saro Shel Esav. We all have our share of opportunities to resist his temptations, to stay faithful to Hashem.  If we can do it, we could finish this battle and be’ezrat Hashem experience the greatest yeshuat yisrael with the coming of the Mashiach bim’hera b’ya

Hashem knows when someone is in pain. He knows when someone feels like crying. If at that time the person can contemplate all of the blessings he has and recognize Hashem’s ability to help him in the future and pray with a positive attitude, it will help him even more that the tears would. 

Of course, a person can cry to Hashem if the tears will help him connect better. But the crying should never be from complaining, rather just as an  emotion that will help him connect.

Hashem knows our feelings. He knows when it’s difficult for us. If we could manage to continue living happily the way He wants us to live and pray with the joy that we have Him available to us knowing that He can help us in an instant, that will give us great merits and be’ezrat Hashem bring us yeshuot.

DavidT wrote on 16 Dec 2019 17:10:

Mark18 wrote on 16 Dec 2019 18:17:

@Mark18 when you reply to a post please put you comments outside of the quoted area - like this ...   thanks!

When a person stands before Hashem to pray and recognizes who he is standing before, he should be filled with a joy far greater than that man. He should be thinking what siyata d’shmaya I have.

How lucky I am to be standing here right now. I just got a meeting with the most important, influential Being in the entire universe. He’s giving me private time. I can speak to Him about whatever I want.

Ultimately, the necessary prerequisite for Hashem's help is a deep desire to move beyond the ego, to move out of a selfish view of reality, into a place of complete focus outwards. This is an emulation of Hashem, whose sole purpose in creation was completely altruistic, with no need for any remuneration.
The key is developing a strong desire, at which point one is called 'one who is coming to purify himself.' Only Hashem can pull us out, because if we maintain the belief that we can do it by ourselves, we are still stuck in ego! One can not use ego to remove himself from ego! One has to completely nullify himself, first with a burning desire to exhume the evil inclination from within him, and then turn to Hashem in recognition that only He can remove that from us.

The sefer Nafshi Cholat Ahavatcha gives us great advice that will ensure us of always getting the most out of every ounce of pain we have to endure in this world.
He writes, when we say the pasuk in Ashreh, “צדיק ה' בכל דרכיו”  each morning, we should mentally declare: I hereby acknowledge whatever I will go through today, I believe b’emunah shelemah that it isHashem doing it because He knows it is for my best.
He always deals with me the most righteous way possible. That mindset will then be applied each time we go through an inconvenience or difficult circumstance that day. One can also have this in mind to work for past difficulties as well.
Of course, to be able to say it and believe it each time something doesn't go our way is much better, but this will help a lot as well.

There is a famous yiddish prayer which I translated (not word for word) into an English poem/prayer. Please let me your thoughts and feedback on it....
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Master of the world, I beg from you, help all Jews and me too,

I trust not in anyone but in you, I hope not to anyone but to you.

I don't rely on the help of anyone but from you,

Your mercy and your kindness are  so limitless, we don't even have a clue.

Master of the world, we need you every second all the time,

When times seem bad, and when it seems to be shine,

Master of the world, I beg of you to shield me from the Yetzer Horah's lies,

Oh help me, that I should be able to guard my eyes,

And the words of my mouth, be carefully weighed and comprised,

Help me, that my heart may be bowed to you with respect,

And all my deeds should be, proper and correct.