Open Our Eyes

In Parashat Chukat, the pasuk says that the Jewish people spoke negatively against Hashem and Moshe Rabbeinu, complaining about their lack of bread and water. Although Hashem gave them the most optimal living conditions, supplying them with man and the be’er (well) - free of charge! no work required! - they still complained. The next pasuk says that Hashem sent fiery serpents and a large number of complainers perished. Why were the serpents used as punishment?

Ohr Daniel (Chukat) explains that a person complains only when he forgets about all the kindness Hashem is doing for him. The people at that time forgot about the danger they were in. (They were in a Wilderness surrounded by wild animals and enemies!) They forgot the fact that Hashem was protecting them 24/7 by surrounding them with the Clouds of Glory. They forgot that Hashem was providing everything they needed, and had the audacity to complain about the Heaven-sent sustenance. All Hashem did was remind them of where they were. He removed the Clouds and His protection and they were instantly bitten by the snakes that lived in the Wilderness. Immediately afterward, they cried out in repentance and Hashem accepted their teshuvah and healed them.

Hashem gives us all countless blessings and constantly protects us from harm. Sometimes we complain when we feel a lack, but if we focused more on how much Hashem is doing for us, there would be no room for complaints. We do not know the extent of Hashem’s protection, but sometimes we see, through hashgachah pratit, some small examples that open our eyes to realize just a little bit of how much Hashem is looking after us.

One Wednesday afternoon, Rabbi Burstyn from Miami Beach went to the fruit store on the campus of his yeshivah. He bought vegetables and a crate of oranges for his family. As he was walking out, a student saw him carrying the heavy crate and offered to take it out to his car.

“Sure, thanks,” the Rabbi said gratefully. “I’m going back into yeshivah. Please make sure you get the right car. Mine is the blue Honda Odyssey. Just place it in the middle row of seats.”

When Rabbi Burstyn got to his car later that afternoon, he noticed that the vegetables and oranges were not there. He assumed that the student had loaded them into the wrong vehicle.

The next morning, while surveying the cars in the lot to see if a similar model to his was parked there, Rabbi Burstyn saw Menachem, who worked in the fruit store. “Did anyone mention to you that some vegetables and a crate of oranges were mistakenly put into their car yesterday?” Rabbi Burstyn asked. “Were those yours? Those oranges saved my life!”

Menachem, who had diabetes, related that as he was driving home the previous afternoon, he experienced a hypoglycemic episode. He quickly searched for the glucose pills he always carries with him, but they were nowhere to be found. Panic set in. His heart was racing, he felt both clammy and sweaty, and his vision was beginning to blur. His hands were so shaky that he couldn’t even retrieve his cellphone to call Hatzalah. He pulled over to the side of the road and hoped someone would see him. He fell backward, his hand outstretched into the middle row of seats. Incredibly, his fingers closed around an orange that was right there in his car! He managed to peel and eat it. As his blood sugar level began to rise, his heart rate returned to normal and his vision cleared.

Baruch Hashem, the orange saved his life! Menachem did not know where the oranges miraculously came from, but he knew it was Hashem who set up the situation in advance and arranged for the fruit to be there for him precisely when needed.

This is just a simple incident showing Hashem’s hashgachah and protection. If we could think a little deeper about all that Hashem constantly does for us, we would never complain. Instead, we would be overcome with gratitude.

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Adapted from Living Emunah on the Parsha by Rabbi David Ashear (Artscroll).