No Fear
We live in dramatic times, when world calamities – riots, climate change, coronavirus – seem overwhelming. How to stave off potential threats and achieve mental peace and clarity? The Avner Institute presents the Rebbe’s soothing advice to a nervous sufferer, and a warm anecdote from the Rebbe’s secretary Rabbi Binyomin Klein, of blessed memory, on the power of faith over worldly concerns and the knowledge that those who trust in Divine control over natural occurrences — and the Rebbe’s covert help — are never alone.
Dedicated in memory of loving memory of Hadassah Lebovic A”h
“There is a perfect order in the world”
By the Grace of G-d
20 Teves 5725
Brooklyn, NY
Greeting and Blessing:
This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter with the enclosure, in which you write about your problems of acute anxiety, and ask my advice.
The best and most effective thing to do, in a situation such as yours, is to study thoroughly those sections and chapters in our sacred books where the matter of Divine Providence and bitochon [trust] are discussed, such as Chovos Halovovos, Shaar Habitochon, and similar. It is well to keep in mind those chapters and verses in the Tehillim [Book of Psalms[ which speak of those subjects, as well as the Midrashim and interpretations of our Sages on them. These things should be studied with such depth that there will be no room left for any kind of anxiety or worry, and as King David said in the Tehillim, “G-d is with me, I shall not fear. What can man do unto me?”
True Oneness
As you will know, the matter of hashgocho protis [Divine Providence] is the basis of true monotheism, a concept which to us means not only that G-d is One, but that there is oneness in the whole of nature. In other words, the whole universe has one Supreme Being, who not only is the Creator of everything, but also is the Master, continually supervising every detail of his handiwork. The corollary of this is that there cannot be a single point in the whole order of the world which is separated from the Supreme Being, or in any way not subject to His control.
At the same time it is obvious that the Supreme Being is also the Essence of perfection and goodness. And although many things in the world seem imperfect, and require completion or perfection, there can be no doubt that there is a perfect order in the world, and that even the lowest in the scale of Creation, namely the inanimate things, display wonderful perfection, and symmetry, as can be seen from the atoms and molecules of inorganic matter.
Hence, the conclusion must be that even those things which require completion are also part of the perfect order, and necessary for the fulfillment of the good, as all this is explained at length in the teachings of Chassidus. It is explained there that in order for a man to attain perfection, it is necessary that he should also have the feeling that he is not only on the receiving end, but also a contributor, and according to the expression of our Sages of blessed memory, “A partner in the Creation.” This is why many things have been left in the world for him to improve and perfect.
No Basis
I also want to make the further observation, and this is also essential, that there is really no basis for anxiety at any time, and as you yourself mentioned in your letter, that you find no reason for it. Even in such cases where you think you know the reason for your anxiety, the reason is undoubtedly imaginary, or at any rate, not the real cause. For the real cause is that one’s daily life is not in complete harmony with the true essence of a Jew. In such a case it is impossible not to have an awkward feeling that things do not seem to fit somehow, and it is this disharmony which is at the bottom of the anxiety, and it is in proportion to the discrepancy between his way of life and his true natural self.
Everybody recognizes that anxiety has to do with the psyche. But in the case of a Jew, the so-called psyche is really the neshama [soul]. Some Jews have a particularly sensitive soul, in which case the above-mentioned disharmony would create a greater anxiety. In such a case even subtle and “minor” infractions of didukei mitzvoth [Torah observance] would create anxiety. But even in the case of an ordinary soul of the average Jew, there must inevitably be created some anxiety if there is a failure to observe the fundamental mitzvoth.
It is very possible that the above may have a bearing on your situation. If this is so, then all that is necessary is to rectify matters and bring the daily life and conduct into complete harmony with the essence of the soul, through strict adherence to the Torah and mitzvoth. Then the symptoms will disappear of themselves.
Harmonious Life
It is necessary to mention also that in your case, where your position gives you a great deal of influence on your environment, your influence is an integral part of your harmonious life, and it is therefore essential that your influence, too, should be in harmony with the Torah and mitzvoth in the fullest measure.
I suggest that you should also have the mezuzoth of your home checked, as also your tefillin, and before putting on your tefillin every weekday morning, to put aside a small coin for tzedakah [charity].
Hoping to her good news from you in regard to all the matters discussed above.
With blessing,
[signature]
P.S. As for the question of seeing me personally in connection with this year’s occurrence, the calendar of appointments I filled to capacity and for a long time in advance. But the important thing is that it is not at all necessary for you to take the trouble and time to see me personally, inasmuch as all I could tell you is what I wrote to you above.
“A Secret Matter”
Rabbi Binyomin Klein, of blessed memory, served in the Rebbe’s secretariat for many years. The following is an incident he recalled concerning the Rebbe’s holy work “behind the scenes.”
The Rebbe work was done very discreetly – often so discreetly that people the Rebbe helped did not even realize it.
“Life or Death”
Someone once called me and said he needed yechidus, private audience, with the Rebbe for a matter he described as “life or death.” Though not a Lubavitcher Chassid, he was told that if he needed a yeshua [deliverance], he should ask our Rebbe.
The yechidus took place on a Sunday night. The man told the Rebbe about his brother, living in a distant country, whose business was about to fold and teetered on bankruptcy. “My brother might end up in jail,” the man sobbed.
The Rebbe listened, but did not respond.
When I asked the man, after he left the Rebbe’s room, how the yechidus went, the man answered, “I feel more despondent now than before I went in.”
“Really?” I asked, in surprise. “Why?”
The man sighed. “I had hoped that the Rebbe would save me. But the Rebbe did not react at all to what I said. Instead, he went on to talk about other things.”
I couldn’t help him other than to offer encouragement, then returned to my office at 770 for business as usual.
Happy to Oblige
Customarily, the Rebbe’s personal attendant Rabbi Mordechai Chodakov went to the Rebbe’s room every night before the Rebbe left for home. Even when the latter received visitors until the early hours of dawn, Rabbi Chodakov waited patiently outside the office.
That night, yechidus with this distraught man ended at three. Rabbi Chodakov went to the Rebbe’s room as usual. Since it was my turn to drive the Rebbe home, I waited for Rabbi Chodakov to emerge.
When he finally did, he said, “Binyamin, come back afterwards. The Rebbe gave me something to take care of.”
After driving the Rebbe home, I returned to the office, where Rabbi Chodokov was waiting.
“This is a secret matter,” he said. “The Rebbe told me to call someone. He said, ‘I don’t know whether this person ever met me, but you have to ask him to help this other Jew who is in debt and might be thrown into jail.”
After making some calls, I found the right person, and gave him the Rebbe’s message. I was moved to see how this person acquiesced, even though he wasn’t a Lubavitcher and had never personally met the Rebbe. But when the Rebbe asked him for something at three in the morning, he was happy to oblige.
Later on, this gentleman was told that the Rebbe wanted to know what had been done. At eight o’clock I received the following phone call:
“Tell the Rebbe that the matter was taken care of.”
From this story we can learn a lot. But the most important: the Rebbe’s great love for every Jew to the point that the recipient will never know what the Rebbe did for him.
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Thank you