Think Good & It Will Be Good
Jan 07, 2021
Think Positively & Manifest Positivity
Rabbi Amichai Cohen
It is a fact that thoughts have a discernible effect on our emotions as well as our bodies. Our thoughts also affect manifesting our future.
In this week's Torah Portion Shemot, the Torah recounts the story of Moses seeing a cruel Egyptian taskmaster viciously striking a poor Hebrew slave. Moses makes the quick decision to protect the Hebrew slave and kill the Egyptian taskmaster.
The next day, Moses saw two Hebrews fighting with each other. Acting with chivalry, Moses tried to stop the two feuding slaves. Responding to the gesture, the two men said to Moses, "you killed a man, and now you tell us "not to fight.
Upon discovering that his secret "had been discovered," the verse says that "Moses was fearful." Indeed, Pharaoh learned of the episode shortly after that and sought to have him killed.
With this episode, the Torah hints at the extraordinary power of bitachon—complete trust in G-d's goodness and grace.
Having bitachon requires more than just believing that G-d orchestrates every detail of existence at every moment, and therefore understanding that whatever happens to an individual is undoubtedly for the very best.
More profoundly, to have bitachon means to trust that G-d will grant you goodness in the most revealed and tangible manner, one which can be seen and grasped.
How can one be confident that G-d will indeed bless you with revealed good? Does the Torah not promise to reward those who are worthy and to punish those who are not?
Regarding bitachon, the verse in Psalms (32:10) says: "He who trusts in G-d, kindness will encompass him."
The Sefer Haikkarim 4:46 explains that "even if one is not worthy on his own accord, bitachon draws down gratuitous kindness [from Above] upon he who trusts in G-d."
The reason is fervent bitachon alone makes a person worthy of G-d's blessings.
If a person genuinely trusts that his life is in G-d's merciful hands and therefore not subject to any natural limitations. He can be confident that G-d will guard him and provide for him in a revealing way—even if he is not necessarily worthy of this for any other reason.
To paraphrase the Tzemach Tzedek's famous advice, "If you think positively, the future will be positive."
The Torah alludes to this principle of bitachon by telling us about Moses's worries, which preceded his life's actual threat. Considering the Torah's usual conciseness, it makes special note of Moses' unease.
Even before Pharaoh sought to execute him, the fear of Moses directly contributed and affected the outcome. Had Moshe not been afraid, the threat to his life would never have materialized.
We learn from the Torah's timeless lessons the effect our thinking has on our psyche and the outcome and results.
Let us think positively and thereby manifest positivity!
Based on a Sicha from the Lubavitcher Rebbe
