Angels in Disguise

Have you ever wondered why life’s struggles can feel so overwhelming? What if I told you that they’re actually angels in disguise?

Today is the yortzeit of the Bat Ayin, Rav Avraham Dov of Avritch, a great Chassidic master. I want to share a beautiful teaching from his Torah that can completely change the way we view life’s challenges.

Messengers in This Week’s Parsha

In this week’s parsha, Yaakov sends messengers to Esav. The Bat Ayin explains that these messengers symbolize struggles—challenges sent by Hashem to help us grow spiritually.

For Esav and his descendants, suffering is often what wakes them up to recognize Hashem’s sovereignty. But the Jewish people, represented by Yaakov, have a unique mission: We’re able to connect to Hashem not just in moments of hardship but also during times of peace and blessing.

The Connection Through Shema Yisrael

We see this in the words that are used in the pasuk. When sending his message to Eisav It says “Ko tomrun ladoni eisav, Ko amar avdecha Yaakov im lavan garti va’eichar ad atah” – go tell my master eisav that your servant Yaakov says I have been staying with Lavan until now.

So how do we connect to Hashem in every situation? Through Shema Yisrael. The Bat Ayin explains that Shema Yisrael contains 25 letters, the numerical value of the word “Ko” in the pasuk, symbolizing complete acceptance of Hashem’s sovereignty over every aspect of life—whether we’re facing challenges or experiencing blessings.

The word Ko is used both for Eisav and for Yaakov But for eisav it says “ko tomrun” in future tense and for yaakov it says “ko amar” in past tense.

Finding Hashem in Every Moment

When we say Shema, we declare: Hashem is One. He is with us in our struggles, and He is with us in our peace. This is what Yaakov lived by. When he says, ‘I sojourned with Lavan,’ the Bat Ayin explains that even in a place of chaos, Yaakov stayed humble, like a sojourner. He didn’t wait for suffering to push him closer to Hashem. He acted immediately—he acted now.

And that’s our message: Struggles are just angels in disguise, sent to guide us. And in times of blessing, we can use those moments to live with purpose and strengthen our connection to Hashem.

A Message for Today

On the Bat Ayin’s yortzeit, let’s take his message to heart.
When life feels hard, remember: Struggles are angels in disguise. And even more when life feels calm, use that moment to connect through gratitude and the words of Shema Yisrael.

Every moment—whether challenging or blessed—is an opportunity to grow closer to Hashem. Let’s take it.

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