Chazal tell us that spiritual growth does not happen in leaps and bounds. The real battle, the choice between truth and falsehood, life and death, happens in the smallest possible steps – teeny, tiny, micro-movements, not miles.
There is a well-known, often-quoted midrash: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “My sons, open for Me an opening of t’shuvah like the size of a needle, and I will open for you openings big enough for wagons and carriages to pass through [or like the gates of the sanctuary]: Midrash Shir HaShirim (5:2).
Rav Dessler brings an interesting insight about it: We usually understand the idea of “Heavenly Aid” in the sense that Hashem provides us with the means by which to serve Him…This may take the form of a good environment, a good teacher, etc. [i.e., the person is put into situations that will help him grow further]… But Heavenly aid can also come in another form… [J]ust as the needle point refers to an inward spiritual reality – the complete penetration of the heart’s obstruction, even if to a tiny extent – the Divine response must be of the same nature… an inward reality in the heart. This is how the world is run. A person makes a choice [to come closer to Hashem] and bores a hole the size of a needle point into the obstruction around his heart… and the “great gate of the Sanctuary” develops from this. This is God’s response to our actions… We only need to begin, and Hashem will complete our task (Strive for Truth, Vol. 3, pg. 91-92).
When we make even the slightest real effort to come closer to Hashem, what results is a small opening in our heart. Always. Without exception. Though we may not feel much different after spiritual growth in Judaism the moment it has passed, on a spiritual level a lot is happening. From that small, little impression, Hashem makes a hole the size of a gate in our heart so that the light of t’shuvah can flow in and we are empowered to further our spiritual growth. This, too, is always, without exception, and regardless of where you currently are in life.
This means a seemingly insignificant movement on our end can in fact be great leaps and bounds spiritually. It’s like holding a very long stick in your hands. If you move the stick even slightly on one end, the movement on the end, the side that you are not holding, is much greater. This is how Hashem created the world!
So, don’t underestimate those little victories along the way. And don’t get down on yourself because you feel that you don’t have the personal strength and stamina to change and grow… Because the truth is that no one is strong enough to do anything in this world alone – not even the Avos. There is a beautiful midrash on the pasuk: And Avraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised…(B’reishis 17:24).
And Avraham said to [Hashem], “And who will circumcise me?” He said to him: “You yourself.” Avraham took the knife and took hold of his foreskin, but he was afraid because he was old; he was shaking. He said to Him, “Ribbono Shel Olam, I am an old man.” What did the Holy One do as it were? He stretched out His Hand and took hold along with him. (Midrash Tanchuma, B’reishis, Ch. 3)
At every moment we are faced with choices, between good and bad, truth and falsehood, Hashem versus our own belief on how the world should be run. If we choose correctly, even if only for an instant, the spiritual result is way greater than the effort we have made. And should we feel overwhelmed and unable to follow the truth we know in our heart of hearts, Hashem is right there with us ready to help us along the way.
(Material was previously published on www.ShiratMiriam.com).
List of People Who Need a R’fuah Sh’leimah
(a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Yeshayahu Yosef ben Zari
Rachamim ben Sa’eda Mazal
Alter Shmuel ben Chavah Leah
Meir Yaakov ben Esther
Yehudah ben Dinah
Chaim Avraham ben Shifrah Zisel
Yosef ben Basya
Yehudah Yudel ben Miriam Gittel
Yisachar Dov ben Chayah Brachah
Refael Aharon ben Devorah
Meshulam David ben Alta Hendel
Moshe ben Chasiya
Rafael Avraham ben Ivonne
Tinok ben Tzivia
Gideon ben Ludmilla
Yishai ben Moriasha Tovah
Yosef ben Miriam
Rafael Moshe Yehudah ben Feiga Necha
Yerachmiel Daniel ben Tovah Basha
Chaim Meir Binyamin ben Chanah Sarah
Pinchas ben Feiga Dinah
Yitzchak Mordechai ben Rose Nizha
Chaim Menachem ben Leah
Yechiel HaLevi ben Rachel
Moshe Shmuel ben Freida
Sariel Yosef Yitzchak ben Bat-Chen
Lev David ben Chanah
Nisan ben Rachel
Yehudah Uriel ben Yafah
Isaac ben Esther
Tzvi ben Miriam Rachel
Rivkah Fruma bas Leah Baila
Irina Ester Chayah bas Yafah
Yafah bas Basanda
Chayah Sheva bas Sheina Reizel
Hadassah bas Hennah Rivkah
Ruchamah Perel Malkah Leah bas Chanah Serel
Hinda Zalma bas Sarah
Esther Hadasah bas Devorah
Sarah bas Ilanah
Rechamah bas Feiga Rivkah
Tinokes bas Efrat Tehilah
Efrat Tehila bas Nina
Chayah Esther Yirat bas Feige Dinah
Tziporah Yeta bas Yehudis
Rachel bas Hinda Reizel
Efrat bas Sonia
Gila Glikel bas Feige
Chayah Rachel bas Yafah
Bilyura bas Shurah Shoshanah
Naomi Leah bas Nena
Sarah bas Chanah
Rinah Basya bas Shifrah Rus
To add names of individuals
who need a r’fuah sh’leimah
to next week’s T’hilim column,
please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and complete the Google form.