Down to the Smallest Details

Chazal tell us that every person is obligated to say בשבילי נברא העולם – that the world was created for him. One explanation is that it was worth it for Hashem to create the entire world for each Jew to do his own personal avodat Hashem. Hashem values the service of each person so much. There is no one else in the world that can replace what Hashem wants from each and every Jew. When someone goes to shul to pray or to learn Torah or to do any other mitzvah, he should understand how vital his avodat Hashem really is. Another explanation of בשבילי נברא העולם is that every person should feel that everything in the world that Hashem created and constantly does is all just to benefit him. And that is supposed to invoke such a deep feeling of hakarat hatov towards Hashem. Hashem does everything for us down to the smallest details and when we see it clearly, it gives us so much chizuk. A woman said, after doing renovations there were a variety of construction related items in front of their home waiting for the bulk pick up. One of them was a partially used can of white paint. One day, her energetic young son discovered the paint and had a very good time with it. The worst part of the damage was that he spilled half the can over a large area in the street. The stark contrast of white paint haphazardly spilled over black asphalt was definitely an eye sore. She knew there was no feasible way to get rid of that paint and felt bad that all their neighbors would have this unpleasant sight on the street that they shared. They realized this was from the smaller problems in life but, nonetheless, it bothered them because they were the cause of something negative to their neighbors. Hashem, in His infinite kindness, helped them even with this relatively minor issue. A few days later, they received a notice from the municipality that they were going to pave their street. This was the first time their street got paved in forty years. When the designated day arrived, they were so delighted to see a newly paved street that was fresh, clean, and completely black. Yes, Hashem helps us even with the most minute details of life. We know He is with us at every moment. But when we see it so clearly, it is very heartwarming. Another woman said she has a child with special needs. She has many challenges with this child as he requires constant, round-the-clock care. One day, she was literally at the end of her rope when she reached out for support. She spoke to a woman and shared with this woman her dream that one day her five-year-old son would stand at his bar mitzvah and deliver a speech that everyone in the crowd would be impressed with. While this dream brought a smile to her face and light to her eyes, she expressed concern whether she was being realistic or not. The woman who she was speaking to told her, it was a very important dream, and she should hold onto that vision and keep it alive. Later that same day, a friend of hers called her. They don't see each other that frequently but she mentioned she was passing by the area and wanted to come by and say hello. This particular friend has a degree in Special Ed. And so, she shared with her some of the challenges she was going through with her son. She also mentioned that her son just began attending a new school. After hearing that, her friend shared something with her that blew her mind. She said she had a student several years ago with a very similar profile to her son. He attended this very same school and made tremendous progress. Years later, her friend attended this student's bar mitzvah in which he stood up and delivered a speech that impressed everyone in the crowd. The woman couldn't believe this incredible hashgacha . The very same day she expressed her dream, Hashem came and whispered to her that this dream could indeed be a reality and that gave her so much chizuk . Hashem does everything for us down to the smallest details. It is incumbent on us to feel this way and express our hakarat hatov all the time.