Hashem Puts Us Where We Need to Be

Insight of the Week

The first section of Parashat Maseh lists all the different places where Beneh Yisrael encamped during the forty years they spent in the desert, from the time they left Egypt through their last station before crossing into the Land of Israel. The first pasuk of the parashah introduces this section as follows: אלה מסעי בני ישראל אשר יצאו מארץ מצרים...ביד משה ואהרון. These are the journeys of Beneh Yisrael, who left the land of Egypt…by the hand of Moshe and Aharon . We must ask why the pasuk emphasizes that the people were brought out of Egypt by Moshe and Aharon – literally, "by the hand of Moshe and Aharon." Why does this need to be said? How is this significant? The Ketav Sofer explains that to the people, it appeared that they left Egypt ביד משה ואהרון , because of Moshe and Aharon. They thought that it was their leadership that brought them out of slavery and into the wilderness. Therefore, the next pasuk says: ויכתוב משה את מוצאיהם למסעיהם על פי ה' – Moshe recorded the nation's journeys "in accordance with Hashem." Moshe taught the people that every journey they took, every place where they encamped, everywhere they traveled – was all arranged by Hashem. It was He who brought them out of Egypt, and it was He who led them to every station they passed through on the way to Eretz Yisrael . The same is true of our journey through life. Sometimes this journey seems random, and sometimes it is difficult. But we need to have emunah (faith) and trust that Hashem brings us precisely to where we need to be at all times. Whatever situation we find ourselves in is the situation Hashem intentionally brought us to for a specific purpose. I was once talking to a community member about an organization I'm involved with, asking for his assistance. I apologized to him for taking his time. "Don't be sorry," this fellow said. "Your organization does amazing work, and it is a privilege for me to be part of it. Thank you for including me." This man understood that when somebody asks us for help, when we are invited to a fundraiser, or when we are given an opportunity to contribute to a meaningful cause, it is Hashem – not the person in need, not the Rabbi who leads the organization, and not the person running the event – who is asking for assistance. Hashem is taking us to that situation so that we can make an impact, because we have an important goal to achieve. Somebody once told me the story of a certain person in Israel who missed his bus by just a couple of seconds. He was terribly upset. He had to call a taxicab, and then wait for the taxi to come, and pay a lot of money. He was visibly frustrated. A person who was there asked him, "Tell me, if that bus which you were supposed to be on gets blown up, would you be upset about missing it?" "Of course not," the man said. "I would be very grateful to Hashem for saving my life." "Well," the other fellow replied, "why do all these people have to be killed just for you to feel happy?!" This is not just a funny line; it's truth. If we live with emunah , then we realize that Hashem puts us where we need to be, even if the bus doesn't blow up… Whatever is happening, wherever we find ourselves, whatever situation arises, we must realize that Hashem brought us there for a purpose. Even when it seems that our journey unfolds ביד משה ואהרון , as a result of things done by other people, in truth, everything occurs על פי ה' . Rather than complain and feel frustrated and embittered, we should embrace every circumstance we face, recognizing that it presents us with an important mission that Hashem wants us – and only us – to complete.