BS’D
Today’s daily dose of emuna is dedicated to the refuah shleimah of Devorah Nomi bas Raizel. May Hashem shower her with complete healing among all of Klal Yisrael who are sick and suffering b’karov, b’rachamim, Amen.
One of the difficulties of experiencing emotional pain during childhood is that we experience the trauma before the onset of da’at. Da’at is mental and emotional clarity which generally develops with maturity. Thus, the pain sets in before we develop the necessary tools to maturely and rationally process and deal with the hardship.
Children are often not able to absorb and process their pain as easily as mature adults. Most young children (and adults who have not achieved da’at) do not know how to react to such pain and may either repress their feelings or inappropriately lash out. Suppressed feelings may thus emerge at various points in their lives. They may become more aware of the agony inside, but not necessarily where it is coming from or why they are suffering.
Suffering is more unbearable when it feels meaningless or accidental. Viewing suffering in this way may make us feel alone, isolated or unfairly treated. However, when we toil and begin peeling away the layers of emotional pain, we are able to reach our core being and the point of truth connecting us to Borei Olam. This awareness elevates us to a new dimension – a higher consciousness and understanding of the hand of G-d and Divine Providence behind everything that happened to us in the past. The bitterness can slowly change to sweetness. From weakness we are gradually strengthened.
This increased awareness of Hashem’s presence and love represents our coming out of the darkness of exile (galut hada’at). Finally, we realize were never alone or abandoned. HaKadosh Baruch Hu was, is and will always be with us. However, it is only now, after we endure this often slow and painful therapeutic process that we are able to accept this truth intellectually and subsequently feel His Presence in our hearts.
