Distinguished Rabbis, recently happened to us a strange story. At night, a strong gust of wind broke the tree, and it fell to the our car, which was parked near the house. To repair the car had to spend a lot of money. Tell me, how to treat this? A friend of mine said that this atonement of our sins. And tell me, how the losses can be avoided in the future? Alina

Meets Rabbi Jacob Schub

Dear Alina,

Thank you very much for your question. Of course, it is impossible to say exactly what the intentions of God and how to regard all the events that happen to us. Sometimes, however, the sages reveal to us some of the basics of the Divine Providence.

Rabbi Natan Tzvi Finkel (who is called Saba E-Slobodka, 1849-1927) in Article Etz When recorded with the words of the founder of the Mussar movement Rav Yisrael Salanter (1810-1883), wrote that each person in the Almighty from birth has special plans for performance of which it is given a certain quality, and material resources, as stated in the Gemara (Nida 16 b) is a person rich or poor, is decided at birth. This so-called "natural" world management. To change this state of things a person can only with the help of his achievements in the study of Torah and the performance of the commandments.

Therefore, if in accordance with the "natural" Office people had to get something, but for some reasons (not because of his sins), Hashem deprived him of this, it can be considered as suffering that swim.

Also, sometimes there are situations when the Almighty decides to reward the person anything contrary to "natural" operation - so that the person used a reward for his service. But if one uses a gift for other purposes, the Almighty takes a gift. And it can also be considered as suffering that swim.

However, if by "natural" Office of man is not worthy of anything (and it does not have sufficient merit in the study of Torah and fulfillment of commandments), then, if he lost his "gift" or did not receive it, it can not be considered the suffering that atones.

It happens also that the Almighty decides to give the sinner any benefits in this world as "payment" for a small number of commandments, which he still played, and good works, which were made. In this case, Hashem wants to reward all the sinner received in this world, and in the future, the eternal world, only a punishment for the sins he relies.

So, it is impossible to say exactly, are those or other financial loss Redemptive Suffering or not - because we do not know it was part of the "natural" Management or not, but the way of the Divine Providence are hidden from us.

However, from the words of Saba E Slobidka we can deduce for themselves and practical lesson - how to relate to material possessions. We had discovered the secret of how to "insure" the property, which is in our possession, - use it to serve the Creator. After all the property and wealth, which are necessary for the person to serve Gd and used to commit good deeds and perform the commandments, purchased "at the expense" of Gd and saved regardless of the "natural" Management and human merit.

In the case of a machine it is fairly easy, because not for nothing that in a normal car except the driver, there are four places. The machine offers a large range of possibilities for doing good and helping people.

Let the Almighty will help you to use their property for this purpose and will save you from potential losses.

Sincerely, Jacob Schub