Rav Kook's Ein Ayah: Hashem’s Concern for Us When There Should Be Anger

(condensed from Berachot 4:52)

Gemara: Rebbi Yehoshua says: “One who goes to a dangerous place prays the following short prayer: “Hashem, save your nation, the remainder of Israel in all of their parashat ha’ibur.” What is parashat ha’ibur? Rav Chisda said: Even when You fill up with evra (anger) like a pregnant (ibur) woman, let all of their needs be before You. Some have the following version: Even when they are over (violate) the Torah, let their needs be before You.

Ein Ayah: A pregnant woman puts up with the difficulties of pregnancy relatively well because she knows that it is for a wonderful goal. Similarly, all of the difficulties that the Nation of Israel undergoes must be for a good purpose, as the pasuk (Yeshaya 66:8) says: “If a nation will be born in one time.” Despite the fact that the troubles are not actually bad, the needs of the time can be pressing and it is hard to bear too much while waiting for future good. Therefore, we ask Hashem to provide for the needs of the present as well. This refers to financial pressure that is severe enough to prompt individuals to enter danger in order to support themselves. We ask that Hashem suffice with the fear related to the danger and should not actually allow damage to come.

It is also necessary to justify the fact that people enter these dangerous situations. As the Chovot Halevavot says, when one travels on distant, dangerous journeys for a livelihood, he is displaying a lack of faith in Hashem, as if He will not provide without the need to risk one’s life. Despite this shortcoming, He should still protect the traveler, even though a sin (lack of complete faith) is involved.

There is another excuse. A person may have enough resources to survive without such trips if he had the attribute of sufficing with less. However, once he gets used to luxuries, it seems to him as if they are necessities, forcing him to take further steps. While enslaving oneself to such habits began as a sin, after time he is trapped in the habit and needs what he is used to. Therefore, we ask that all of their needs, including the originally contrived ones, be seen by Hashem as real at this point, thus reducing the sin.