Bounce Back

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A man told me that it seemed that he was finally going to get his salvation from a long-standing problem, but at the last minute, the whole thing fell apart. Now he has to start all over from scratch. In general, it is hard to keep fighting for something without seeing results. However, after almost achieving what you were hoping for and then getting knocked down, it becomes so much harder.

There are people who are trying for such a long time to have children. Then, when it seems that things are looking good, and they are about to hear good news, their hopes are dashed. It is so hard to start again. People are trying to get married, and finally after so many years it looks like their Zivug has finally arrived, and then for some reason it gets broken off. How can they possibly find the strength to continue?

We find Hashem dealing with the Jewish people in a similar manner in Egypt. Moshe and Aharon told the Jews that the Geulah has arrived, and they are being released from slavery. They showed them signs, and the people believed and rejoiced. After over 200 years of slavery, they were finally getting out. Then Pharaoh told them, "You think you are getting out? I am going to make it harder for you!" Then he took away the straw used as raw material, and they had to continue producing the same amount of bricks. Not only weren't they redeemed, their back-breaking labor got worse.We don't understand the ways of Hashem. But obviously that "knockdown" must have been necessary for them to ultimately be redeemed.

In many situations the same is true for our salvations. First we have to experience a let-down, and for some it is many let-downs. However, when that happens, it is an opportunity to show tremendous Emunah in Hashem. A person could strengthen himself and say, "I know this was You, Hashem for a good reason. I am not going to wallow in my misery. I am going to bounce back and become stronger than ever. As hard as it is to do, I am going to continue trying and praying."

We are very strong people. No matter how difficult things become, we always have the ability to rise to the challenge. We have seen people in our history with astounding resilience in the face of adversity, and that response enabled them to rise to the greatest heights. Before the Holocaust, the Ponevitcher Rav was the rabbi of a community, the head of a Yeshiva and had a beautiful family. Then he witnessed his entire world being destroyed. He lost his community, his Yeshiva and his entire family, except for one son. At the time he was almost sixty-years-old. If he would have retired and spent the rest of his life away from people, sulking about his misfortune, it would have been understandable.

Instead, he moved to Eretz Yisrael with a mission to start a new family and rebuild his Yeshiva. In the summer of 1942 he met with a real estate broker to purchase land on top of a hill in Bene Berak to build a new Yeshiva. At that time, General Rommel was marching through North Africa, conquering country after country. He was poised at the gates of Egypt and was planning on conquering them, and then heading straight for Israel to wipe out the Jews there. The broker, who was ready to sell the land for a cheap price, asked the Rav if he was sure he wanted to make the purchase, as it looked like in a few weeks the Nazis would be taking over. The Rav replied, "If you would have ten more hills with land like this, I would purchase every one of them, and they still would not suffice for all of the Yeshivot that will one day be the pride of Bene Berak." The realtor was floored by the Rav's attitude. Then the Rav said with conviction, "The Chafetz Chaim told me that it will not happen here in Israel; The Nazis will never get here, as it say in the Navi (Ovadia) that "Tzion will remain a stronghold of refuge." Indeed, Rommel was defeated, and today Bene Berak is a thriving Torah community. The Ponevitch Yeshiva is world-famous, with over one thousand students. The Ponevitcher Rav was the one who made it all happen. He could have remained a broken man, but instead he soared to the greatest heights.

Everyone has it inside of them to bounce back from a knock-down. The Emunah we show at that time is extremely powerful. B'ezrat Hashem it should be a Zechut to bring all of the Yeshuot we need,

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