Independence

A kid goes off to college, At last he is independent. He awaited this moment for eighteen years. Nobody can tell him what to do. He can make his own decisions, he can do what ever he wants.

Never mind that his mother is paying the tuition, that every class he takes, every meal he eats and the bed he sleeps in at night are given to him only because of the check his mother sent in the mail, that does not bother him, he still feels independent. You see, the check – his mom's influence is not in his face at every moment, it is therefore easy for him to ignore.

If a mother would move into the college town and say to her son I will support you. Before you go into a class I will write a check for the class, before every meal I will come into the cafeteria and pay for the food. Every night I will come to the dormitory and pay for the nights stay. The son would say no way! I need my independence, Send the check in the mail and get out of here.

The check is in the mail it is not in his face, it’s very easy to ignore and it does not get in his way.

Chasidus explains that Hashem revealed himself to the Jewish people at midnight of the fifteenth of Nisan to take them out of Egypt. The revelation was so powerful that the Jews were nullified, they lost their felling of independence from Hashem, they felt that the only true existence is Hashem. The revelation did not allow their bread to rise, for rising bread represents the ego and when Hashem is revealed one cannot feel independent of Hashem.

In truth one should always feel that way. After all Hashem gives us everything we have including life itself, but usually the check comes in the mail it's not so obvious and it’s easy to ignore.

When there is a "GILUY ELOKUS" a revelation of G-dliness all of existence is nullified.

Don't be fooled by the illusion of independence, he is with us every step of the way, he's paying all the bills, waiting to see if we will say "thank you".

(from a Chasidus class taught by my Shver)