Emuna: Fulfilling G-d's – and Man's – Decrees

by Rav Netanel Yosifun, Rosh Yeshivat Orot Netanya, yeshiva.co, translated by Hillel Fendel. 

It is said that the son of the saintly Chafetz Chaim was once asked to tell stories of miracles about his father. "For surely," the son was told, "when the Talmud says that G-d fulfills that which a tzaddik (righteous person) decrees, it was referring to a tzaddik like your father."

The son replied: "I don't know stories of 'a tzaddik decrees and G-d fulfills' regarding my father, but I can tell you many stories about him and 'G-d decrees and the tzaddik fulfills.'"

This nice story raises a curious point. As is known, R. Yisrael Meir HaCohen, known as the Chafetz Chaim - the author of the classic Mishna Berura – was a tremendous tzaddik whose blessings accomplished great things for people. (Even my family has a tradition of a blessing to one of us from the Chafetz Chaim that was fulfilled.) Certainly, then, a great man like him, who serves a model for generations regarding the sanctity of speech, spoke holy words that had a great effect in the world! Why, then, would his son not want to tell of those incidents?

It must be that there was a very deep message in the response of the son of the Chafetz Chaim.

Let us first ask: Why does Hashem fulfill the words of a tzaddik? And, for that matter, how do we explain prayer altogether? How and why does it work? Hashem knows what He is doing, so how can He be swayed to change His plans because of our prayers? Does He play favorites for those who plead to Him?

This is of course a very profound matter, that the great scholars of Israel wrote much about, and explained in various ways. Let us illuminate this matter in accordance with one of these approaches, by considering a glass utensil. We know that if one would want to change its shape, he could do so only by breaking it. On the other hand, it was fashioned in the first place by a glass-maker melting sand in very intense heat – and then, during the manufacturing process, he can shape it as he wishes.

Thus, after the object is made, it cannot be changed – but while it is still being formed, the maker can fashion it however he wants.

This is a common phenomenon in the creation of the world. After the world was made, it cannot be changed. But while it was being created, it was able to be shaped in different ways. As such, man cannot change the world's reality, for he did not make it; as far as he is concerned, the world has been completed. But G-d, on the other hand, continually creates the world; as we say in our morning prayers, He "always renews, in His goodness, every day, the act of Creation." As the world's maker, He continually changes reality as He wishes. [This can and must be explained on much deeper levels as well, but for our purposes, this will suffice, as we will see.]

In truth, the reason why G-d fulfills that which a tzaddik decrees is because the tzaddik fulfills that which G-d commands! That is, one who "nullifies" himself in favor of the Divine decree, is actually a pipeline for G-d's word; he has no independent existence of his own, but is rather with G-d. As such, G-d is with him. And when he asks something of G-d, G-d then fulfills his desire – for they are together, so to speak, at the initial point of creation – the point at which it is still possible to change it.

This idea has already been taught to us by the great Rabban Gamliel, son of the redactor of the Mishna, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. Rabban Gamliel stated in Pirkei Avot (4,2): "Make His will your will, so that He will make your will His will; nullify your will before His will, so that He will nullify the will of others before your will."

Support for this concept can be found in Parashat Ki Tavo (D'varim 26), where we read that after one completes giving all his required tithes, he is commanded to recite viduy maasrot before G-d – a passage in which he states, "I have done all that You commanded me; look out from Your holy abode and bless your nation Israel and the Land that you have given us." Rashi explains there that we are asking G-d to "look out from Your holy abode" and see that "we have done what You commanded us, and therefore please do what You have committed to do for us!"

For instance, G-d said, "If you walk in My statutes, I will give you rain at their right time." Thus, one who listens to G-d's commands, will have his prayers to G-d heard.

May it thus be G-d's will that we all merit to nullify ourselves before G-d's word, and thus G-d will hear our prayers and shower us with blessing and protection.