How to Gain Hashem’s Favor

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

In Parshas Ki Sissa, Moshe Rabbeinu begs Hashem to forgive Klal Yisrael for the sin of the Golden Calf. When Hashem finally grants this, Moshe realizes that it is an auspicious moment and asks: “Please, show me Your glory.” Of course, Moshe knew that he could not literally see Hashem or His glory; rather, Drashos Haran (4) explains that Moshe wanted to have a greater awareness of Hashem, akin to what the soul feels upon leaving the body.

Hashem answered Moshe: “No man can see me and live…. I will make all My goodness pass and I shall call out with the name of Hashem before you, and I shall show favor when I choose to show favor, and I shall show mercy when I choose to show mercy” (Shemos 33: 20, 19).

In Rosh Hashana (17b), the Sages explain what Hashem meant: “He wrapped Himself in a tallis like one leading the congregation in prayer, and taught Moshe His 13 Attributes of Mercy, so that when the nation would sin in the future, these attributes could be recalled to gain His forgiveness.”

Hashem’s answer does not seem to fit Moshe’s request. Moshe asked to behold Hashem’s glory, and Hashem showed him how to daven?

The Alter of Slobodka answers that Moshe did not simply want greater awareness of Hashem for its own sake. Rather, he wanted this awareness in order to use it to find favor in Hashem’s eyes (see verse 33:13). Hashem replied that ultimate knowledge of Me is impossible, but what I can show you are My 13 Attributes of Mercy. Awareness of My attributes has two benefits: First, you can use them in davening, which will gain you My favor. Second and much more so, emulating My ways brings a person the closest to Me that is possible. A person who does this will surely find favor in My eyes.

This idea is found in Maseches Shabbos (133b), that the way to cling to Hashem is through emulating His attributes: “Just as Hashem is merciful, so too shall you be merciful.”

Rav Yechezkel Levinstein notes that the above statement applies to everybody. Every Jew is obligated to strive to go in Hashem’s ways. Even one who is naturally endowed with the best middos must still work to apply Hashem’s traits. If a Jew does not undertake to do this, he may be kind or good-hearted, but this is not enough.

For example, some people express anger and others restrain it and try to move on. However, the Mesilas Yesharim (11) says we should strive to be like Hillel, a man who could not be brought to anger, no matter what was done to him.

The Mesilas Yesharim (ibid.) writes similarly about bearing a grudge. Many people think: Even though I am very disappointed about what so-and-so did to me, I will not hold it against him. But I should love him like my best friend? That’s insane! And yet, the Mesilas Yesharim writes that we are expected to feel the same about this person as we did before he wronged us.

We cannot rely on natural good heartedness, kindness, good thoughts or the like. We have to see the work of character perfection as a spiritual obligation that applies to all of us. By doing it, we are clinging to Hashem.

Character perfection brings us favor in Hashem’s eyes. Every time we perfect a midda, we are gaining this favor. Of course, this is not a replacement for Torah and mitzvos. Every one of us is obligated to fulfill the mitzvos and learn about them as much as we can. Nevertheless, even Moshe Rabbeinu, despite his unparalleled greatness in Torah, found it necessary to find ways to gain special favor from Hashem. In Shaarei Teshuva (1:42), Rabbeinu Yonah states that this is the desire of all the tzaddikim. Even though they have already achieved perfection in their deeds, they still desire to find more favor.

In Shemos Rabba (45:6), it states that when Hashem said: “I shall show favor when I choose to show favor,” this refers to various treasure houses of reward in the World to Come. There is a treasure house for doers of mitzvos, another for those who raise orphans, and so on. One such treasure house is for “free gifts.” What does this mean?

Rav Yechezkel Levinstein explains that the intent is that when people want to gain Hashem’s favor and put in great efforts in fulfilling mitzvos and improving their middos, even if they are not yet holding at the peak of perfection, the very fact that they 1) want Hashem’s favor, and 2) are trying hard to reach this, gains them Hashem’s favor already! This is what the Medrash meant by a treasure house of “free gifts.”

The Telsztone community is now mourning the loss of a great tzadekess of this town, Mrs. Tikva Kruger, a”h. She was a person who sought always to find favor in Hashem’s eyes. In addition to fulfilling mitzvos meticulously, she was always looking for ways to deepen her service of Hashem.

Her daily schedule revolved around an array of chassadim, from bikur cholim, visiting the elderly, sharing a kind word with someone and other forms of assistance to others. She would go from shiur to shiur, taking notes all the time. After each shiur she would review her notes and write down practical conclusions on how to apply what she had learned. Her husband told me that she was so focused on going in Hashem’s ways that everything else in life became secondary to her. Avodas Hashem was all that she wanted.

May we be zoche to find favor in Hashem’s eyes!