It's Not Your Fault

Give me a paper and I'll sign it for you: whatever you're blaming yourself for, it's not your fault! You think you're stronger than Hashem or that He couldn't prevent what happened? That's heresy! What happened is exactly what Hashem wanted to happen.

Yes, cherished brother and sister - Hashem wanted you to do that sin. Sounds crazy? It's the first of the Rambam's 13 Principles of faith, that everything comes from Hashem.

So why does Hashem allow us to sin?

Hashem wants us to be humble. If we never sinned, our noses would be high in the air.

Hashem wants us to live our lives in teshuva. If we never sinned, we'd never make teshuva and we'd most likely never grow spiritually.

Hashem wants us to seek His help. The Gemara in tractate Succa says that unless Hashem helps us, we cannot possibly overcome the Evil Inclination.

So, rather than blaming yourself, just smile, and ask Hashem to help you be a little bit better today.

Don't forget - it's not your fault.

Comments

[Puah yiska]

Gr8 message :)! I think it illustrates sensual and spiritual awareness very well. Thnku!

[Yehudit Levy]

I understand the encouragement here, it is good chizuk in many ways for us Baalei teshuva with years of sinning behind us. Yet isn't it a little risky? I'd love to think I wasn't to blame for screaming at my kids, or ranting at my husband, or saying something nasty (and all the other terrible things I've done in the past). But I take responsibility for my free choice, at the same time acknowledging that Hashem had His reasons for not helping me out at those times, or for putting me in those situations in the first place.

If we were completely blameless, then why would we need to do teshuva? We must find fault and do a cheshbon nefesh at some point with our bad choices, but the key is not to let them depress us or hold us back from further progress. I think the line that we are never to blame for our actions can be taken the wrong way. Hashem has made us accountable for our sins, even if He wills them. At the same time, we are rewarded for our good choices, even if He helped us with those, too!!!