The Alter Rebbe now draws a practical conclusion from everything he has said about faith (emunah).
- A Jew Should Live with Constant Joy
He writes:
A person should rejoice and be glad at all times.
Why?
Because he believes that Hashem:
- Gives him life every moment.
- Sustains him every moment.
- Is constantly doing good for him, even if that good is hidden.
This is not merely optimism. It is a consequence of genuine faith.
- Why Sadness Is a Spiritual Problem
The Alter Rebbe makes a very sharp point:
When a person constantly complains or sinks into self-pity, he is saying:
“Something essential is missing from my life.”
In other words, he feels that Hashem is not giving him what he truly needs.
The Alter Rebbe sees this as a deficiency in faith, because if everything comes from Hashem and Hashem is good, then even the things we dislike must have a good purpose, whether we understand it or not.
- The Baal Emunah Relates Differently to Life
The true believer understands that:
- Favorable circumstances are from Hashem.
- Difficult circumstances are from Hashem.
- Both come from the same source.
Therefore, he does not build his happiness solely on:
- Wealth
- Health
- Success
- Comfort
His security comes from Hashem Himself.
- What Is the Real Test of Life?
The Alter Rebbe says that this is one of the main reasons a person is created.
Life tests us:
- Will we chase bodily desires as our ultimate goal?
- Or will we seek attachment to the “Living God”?
The challenge is not whether we have difficulties.
The challenge is where our heart ultimately rests.
- Everything Comes from Hashem
He emphasizes that:
“The steps of a person are established by Hashem.”
The details of a person’s life are not random.
Therefore, even when something appears harmful, it is ultimately coming from the same Divine source that gives life and goodness.
- “Everything Is Good, Only Not Understood”
This is perhaps the central sentence of the passage.
The Alter Rebbe’s view is not:
“Everything feels good.”
Rather:
Everything is truly good, but that goodness is not always understood.
The apparent “bad” comes from a level of Divine wisdom that is beyond human perception.
- Faith Reveals the Hidden Good
The final idea is especially important.
The Alter Rebbe says that when a person truly believes that the apparent evil is actually rooted in a higher and hidden good, that faith itself elevates the experience.
In his words, the concealed “bad” becomes included within the higher good from which it came.
This does not mean suffering instantly disappears. Rather, the person’s relationship to it changes because he now sees it within a larger Divine reality.
Key Takeaway
The peshat of this chapter is that a Jew should strive to live with joy because every moment of life comes directly from Hashem. What appears to be suffering is not truly independent evil, but a hidden form of Divine good that we do not yet understand. The central test of life is whether a person places his trust in worldly conditions or in Hashem, the source of all life and goodness.