What Does Hashem Want From Me?

There are two ways a person can live his life. One is the conventional way the world operates — through calculations, logic, strategies, and whatever appears to make the most sense naturally. The other way is with the awareness that Hashem is running everything. And therefore, the most important question is not merely, "What works?" but rather, "What does Hashem want from me?" Sometimes even within halachah itself, there is the strict letter of the law and then there is the higher way of acting — a way that reflects deeper emunah, integrity, and trust in Hashem. A person may technically be entitled to something, yet still feel that giving it up would bring more nachat ruach to Hashem. A man from Yerushalayim related the following story about himself. His family owned two cars. One was a small Camry that he used daily, and the other was a minivan for the entire family. Although he knew most people kept multiple copies of their car keys, somehow he had managed for years with only one key to the Camry. Then one day, the key disappeared. The family searched everywhere, but it was nowhere to be found. Since the Camry was locked and unusable, he simply began using the minivan instead. Eventually, after some time passed, he contacted a mechanic. "How much would it cost to make a replacement key?" he asked. "A thousand shekels," the mechanic replied. The man hesitated. A thousand shekels for a tiny piece of metal felt like such a waste of money. He thought to himself that the money could certainly be used for something much more meaningful. So the Camry remained parked outside. Then one evening, while sitting at the dinner table with his family, he suddenly said, "You know what? Instead of spending a thousand shekels on a car key, maybe it would be a much better investment to donate that money to the kollel on our block." Then he asked his family, "Do you believe Hashem can return the key without us paying the mechanic?" His family loved the idea. That very night, immediately after finishing Arbit, he went to the kollel and donated the money. The next day, while he was at work, his children excitedly called him. "Abba! We found the key!" According to the normal way of thinking, the sensible solution was very simple: pay the mechanic and solve the problem naturally. But this man chose to live with a different calculation. He believed that if Hashem wanted him to have the key, He could return it without requiring a thousand-shekel replacement. Instead of investing the money into a new key, he invested it in something that he felt would bring greater nachat ruach to Hashem. And in the end, he received both — the key and the mitzvah. Another man from London related a story illustrating this same principle from a different angle. He worked in real estate and had developed a close relationship over many years with a certain broker. Because of that loyalty, the broker occasionally gave him significant discounts on deals. One time, he arranged several property purchases for an acquaintance through this broker. Since the discounts were only available because of his personal relationship with the broker, he felt it was only fair for him to keep part of the discount for himself. The broker agreed completely. From a conventional perspective, his reasoning seemed perfectly legitimate. Many people would even argue that he deserved compensation for the service he had provided. Everything felt fine until he attended a shiur on business halachah. The rabbi giving the class discussed different forms of ona'ah and questionable financial conduct. Although the man was not certain that he had violated any halachah, something no longer sat right with him. At first, he planned simply to ask a rabbi whether what he was doing was technically permitted. But by the next morning, he was thinking differently. Even if keeping the money might technically have been allowed, he wanted to act in a way that he felt Hashem would be proud of. So he called the broker and explained that he wanted to return the entire amount so the buyer would receive the full discount. Then he reassured himself with a powerful thought: "Hashem has many ways of sending me 2,500 pounds." That very same day, a property he owned — which had remained vacant for months — suddenly got a tenant. But not only that. The tenant voluntarily offered to pay exactly 2,500 pounds above market price and prepaid six months in advance. Hashem showed him immediately that nobody loses by choosing the path of yashrut and emunah. This is one of the great tests of life. The world trains people to think only in terms of calculations, rights, profits, and natural outcomes. But when a Jew truly believes that Hashem controls everything, he begins living a completely different kind of life. Then the question is no longer merely, "What am I allowed to do?" The question becomes: "What does Hashem want from me?" And when a person begins living with that mindset, his entire life changes.

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What Does Hashem Want From Me? is an episode from Daily Emunah Podcast - Daily Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear by Torah Learning Resources..

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This episode was published on May 14, 2026.

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