Since Rabbi Frand did not give a shiur tonight due to the fast, I would like to substitute a vort from from R' Shraga Kallus as recorded on torahanytime.com (https://www.torahanytime.com/#/lectures?a=92372). Same rules as usual apply - I have attempted to reproduce the vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to the maggid shiur.
In Parshas Vayelech the Torah has a seemingly dark prediction where Hashem tells Moshe in Devarim 31:16 that after Moshe dies, the Jews will worship the gods of other nations and will abandon Hashem. The Torah then states in 31:17 that Hashem will be angry at the Jews and abandon them and hide His face from them and the Jews will say הֲלֹ֗א עַ֣ל כִּי־אֵ֤ין אֱלֹהַי֙ בְּקִרְבִּ֔י מְצָא֖וּנִי הָֽרָע֥וֹת הָאֵֽלֶּה - is it not because Hashem is not in my midst did these bad things occur. The following pasuk then states וְאָֽנֹכִ֗י הַסְתֵּ֨ר אַסְתִּ֤יר פָּנַי֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא - Hashem says that he will hide His face on that day.
R' Kallus gave a slightly more upbeat version of this based on the Sfas Emes. He explains that the Torah is saying that that there are going to be days when Hashem will hide from us and we will say that we don't feel Hashem. This is the worst sin, because if we say that Hashem is not with us, then He will get angry. The worst thing that can happen is if a Jew says that he does not feel Hashem. Because even when we are suffering, Hashem is with us.
R' Kallus explained that the same way that we need to work on relationships with people that we do see, we need to work on our relationship with Hashem and feel His presence, even when it is not readily apparent.
R' Kallus quoted a gemara in Chaggiga where an apikores gestured to R' Shimon Ben Chananya and he gestured back. The Caesar saw the exchange and asked what was going on. R' Shimon said what the apikores saying to you and what did you say? He responded, the apikores said that Hashem had left us and I responded that He is still here. The Caesar asked the apikores and he said the same thing, so Caesar killed the apikores.
R' Kallus noted the minhag that the Ba'al Shacharis says "HaMelech" from his place and then goes up to daven for the amud. Why? Because a person thinks that he is in a particular difficult situation because of something external that he wishes could be corrected. If only he had different parents, or lived in a different town, or had a different job...A person needs to realize that Hashem puts him in the situation for a reason and that HaMelech = Hashem is with him there.
R' Kallus observed that many people have problems davening because they don't like the tune of the Chazan, or the air conditioning, or the guy who is next to him. But Hashem wants him to be there.
Moshe's message to the Jews is -I know that you are going to fall, but Hashem will be with you anyway, so don't give up and find Hashem with you.
R' Kallus gave a mashal of a Meshullach who comes to the door. The homeowner answers and asks the Meshullach to give him 2 shekels. The Meshullach smiles because he knows that he is getting 4 shekels. The Meshullach knocks on another door and is asked for 10 shekels. He smiles greater because he knows that he is getting 20. He knocks on a third door and is asked for a 100. Now he beams because he knows that he is getting 200. A Martian viewing this would think this is crazy - he is collecting and instead he is asked for money and he is happy?
R' Kallus explained that this person knows that the more that he is being asked for, the more that he will get back. Hashem is putting us in a situation where we need to work, but we need to know that the more work that we do, the more that we will get back.
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