If one is trying to do something, and many obstacles come to stand in his way, how does he know that it is the Satan, or maybe it's a signal from Heaven that he should stop?
ANSWER:
Let him ask advice, because many times people think they are doing good things and it's the opposite of good. Ask counsel, and if somebody tells you it's good, somebody who is capable tells you it's good, then the obstacle is only a test. It makes you give a higher jump to get over it, that's all, you'll get more reward.
In general shomeia l'eitza chochom (Mishlei 12:15), a person who listens to good advice is a wise man. Good advice does not mean a marriage counselor. It does not mean a psychologist or psychiatrist; keep away from them like you keep away from a rattlesnake, unless he is a very frum Jew, because they have ruined a tremendous amount of people.
Look for somebody! If the Lubavitcher Rebbe will let you talk to him, if Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky will let you talk to him, if gedolei yisroel will let you take counsel of them, then prize them and utilize the opportunity. If lesser people are available then use them, but it's important.
Most people don't use this advice at all that I am giving, they never take counsel of Torah sages, because they think that they are capable of handling their own affairs. nobody is! Even the Torah sage should take counsel of somebody else. Rav Elchonon Wasserman always took counsel of the Chofetz Chaim or Reb Chaim Brisker. Even though he was well on in years he continued to take counsel of the great men.
This is a big error that Orthodox Jews today commit; there are some people today that don't even belong to a synagogue, they travel around Shabbos morning. They load their tallis underneath their coat and they are off for adventures to a new synagogue. And so you don't know anytalmid chochom, at least a local rabbi, a local rebbe, somebody, you have no connection.
A woman calls me up, she has trouble with her husband, he's getting off the derech hayoshor, he needs counsel, she's from Boro Park. I ask where does he daven? He davens in ten different places. That's a great pity; he has nobody to listen to. Everybody should be attached to somebody!
And think, when was the last time you asked advice? When was the last time that you had a conference with a talmid chochom? When was the last time you sought help from somebody who was capable of giving it? You never did it probably; that's a great error.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
Important Numbers
