290 - Simcha (Part-3)

The most important question that we can ask ourselves, why do I exist? Why am I alive? We've discussed the Torah's viewpoint to this question, is Hashem created us only to give to us, and ultimately that reward we will receive in the next world, we're in this world just to earn our place in the next world, and ultimately our most potent method of earning the next world is by practicing and building our Emunah and Bitachon. Although our ultimate purpose of being alive is exclusively to have Emunah and Bitachon, nevertheless, as we've discussed, an amazing fringe benefit, even in this world, of living a life of sincere Emunah and Bittachon, is that one lives with happiness, with serenity and calm. 

The reason for that is because when we feel that the destiny to our lives belongs in our own hands, that feeling can potentially lead to tremendous anxiety, because if it's all up to me, I've got to be super careful that I don't mess up, and if I do make a mistake, maybe everything is going to go downhill going forward. Whereas, when one is able to acknowledge and accept that everything in my life is personally orchestrated by Hashem to the most minor detail, one is able to live with serenity and calm because I know that the all-powerful Master of the universe is personally orchestrating my life and only does what is good for me. 

Therefore, when one lives with Emunah and Bitachon, automatically one feels a tremendous sense of serenity, of peace, of calm, of happiness, because my happiness is now not related to circumstance. There can be many challenging circumstances that one may have to face, but my happiness is not based on my circumstances. Even if I am experiencing challenges, my feeling of calm comes from the fact that I know I am in the safest place that can possibly be. The verse in Tehillim compares our reliance on Hashem to the reliance a young baby who is still nursing has on its mother. A young baby who experiences any form of stress, maybe it's cold, it's hungry, as soon as the baby begins to feed from its mother, it automatically feels a tremendous sense of calm because the baby knows that this is its safest place in the world. The mother is always the one who has been there for the baby to sustain it and feed it and give it everything it needs. 

The Vilna Gaon based on this verse in Tehillim compares this to the Jewish people's Emunah that we have for Hashem. Just like a baby who relies on its mother feels a tremendous sense of peace, calm and tranquility, so too when we rely on Hashem, we feel happy, calm, peaceful, but not to the same extent that a baby feels towards its mother, a billion times stronger. Because as loving as a mother is, a mother is a human being and limited. Even though she may have the most well-meaning heart, nevertheless, she is still limited by her human limitations, whereas Hashem is completely unlimited, independent of anything and everything else. When we choose to rely on Hashem, we will live a life of happiness, calm and serenity.