There is Only One Thing We Can Give to Hashem

Regarding our forefather Abraham it is said: "And he believed in Hashem, and He accounted it to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6)

In his holy words for Parshat Va'etchanan, our teacher, the great tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, speaks of the exalted level of the trait of faith.

Hashem says: It does not work like that; I do not only give gifts. I also want something from you. What are you giving Me?

Man says: What can I give You, Hashem? I have nothing to give You. I have nothing at all. I am poor and destitute. I am not wise. And I do not understand. You grant man knowledge; You give everything, everything is with You, I have nothing.

But there is one thing that you can indeed give Me, and this Hashem cannot give; in no way can He give it. Only you can. Hashem does not have this. He lacks this, and this is what He wants from you - faith.

The fact that you believe in Hashem, and you hope for Him, and you connect to Him, and you bind yourself to Him—this is the part that you give, and then you create the vessel through which He can give to you.

And this is what the Patriarchs did. They saw nothing at all, nothing; they only believed and believed, and they practiced self-sacrifice and endured trials. They created this great, wonderful vessel; they only prepared vessels, vessels, vessels.

The Patriarchs suffered; they had difficult tribulations. What did our forefather Jacob say at the end of his days?

"Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life"!

The people of Israel left Egypt; soon they would have it good. They would have manna, they would have quail, they would have a well, clouds would accompany them, and later they would arrive in the Land of Israel and have wonderful things. But what did the Patriarchs have?

They had nothing! They only invested and invested and invested; they made the vessel, and they did so for generations to come, until the arrival of Mashiach ben David. Because Hashem does not give for free. He says: I want you to give Me the vessel.