Come With Me
Asked to approach a dangerous minister, a chassid was told that Hashem does not say 'go,' but 'come.'
A story ofRav Yisroel Yitzchok Kalish of Vorkaהרב ישראל יצחק בן שמעון קאליש מוורקאProfile ›
It is told that in the days of Rav Yitzchok of Vorka, a plan was rumored in the government to burn every copy of Choshen Mishpat, the part of the Shulchan Aruch that deals with civil law. The authorities wanted Jews to bring their disputes to the secular courts rather than to a beis din. No decree had been issued, but many feared one was coming.
The Rebbe called for Reb Mottel of Kalshin, a chassid who did business in Warsaw and spoke fluent Polish. He asked him to approach a powerful minister and plead that the plan be dropped.
Reb Mottel was alarmed. The minister, he said, had a violent temper, and was known to threaten to shoot anyone who came on such missions.
The Rebbe answered with a verse. When Hashem sent Moshe to Pharaoh, He did not say 'go to Pharaoh.' He said 'come to Pharaoh' (Shemos 10:1). Moshe feared the Egyptian king, so Hashem was saying: come with Me, I will be with you.
Reb Mottel set out with a light heart and no fear, trusting that his rebbe went with him in spirit. When he stood before the minister, the man was awestruck by his presence, and granted what he asked.
Source: A Treasury of Chassidic Tales (ArtScroll); adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles, 'Proceeding Together,' KabbalaOnline.org.
When something in front of you feels too big or too frightening, remember the word 'come.' Before you make the call, start the conversation or step into the meeting, say a short prayer asking Hashem to go with you, and then go. You do not need certainty about the outcome. You only need to take the first step with trust. Write down one thing you have been avoiding, and do the first small part of it today.