Shemos

The Gemara says that the reason Pharaoh decreed for all boys born to be thrown into the river, was because his astrologers said that the savior of Bnei Yisroel will be struck by water.  Out of his great fear, Pharaoh decreed that all the sons of Bnei Yisroel, and even of Mitzrayim, should be thrown into the water.  All of this was just in order to be saved from Moshe Rabeinu becoming the leader.

This was Pharaoh’s plan.  However as the saying goes “mentch tracht un G-t lacht; people plan and Hashem laughs.”  The end result was that the daughter of Pharaoh himself was the one who saved Moshe Rabeinu, and Pharaoh himself brought Moshe Rabeinu up in his house.  It was through the decree itself that Bas Pharaoh found and brought Moshe Rabeinu into Pharaoh’s house!

The Steipler zatzal says, from here we see that all people’s doings and tricks won’t change what was decreed in shamayim by even a tiny bit.  Even more, the very action that one does to bring out his own personal desire will be the action to bring out the decree of Hashem!

The Gemara in Sukkah brings there were two handsome people named Elicharav and Achya who were the scribes of Shlomo HaMelech. One day Shlomo HaMelech saw that the malach hamaves was sad and asked him why. He responded, “They want these two people in Shamayim.” Rashi explains it was their time to die and the malach hamaves could only kill them in the entrance to the city of Luz. Shlomo gave him two scribes over to the demons who took them to the city of Luz. This was a place over which the malach hamaves had no rulership. The Maharsha explains Shlomo thought the malach hamaves was sad because they were handsome and he needed to kill them, but really he was sad because he was unable to kill them where they were. Once they reached the entrance of the city, they died. The next day Shlomo saw the malach hamaves was happy and asked why. He responded, in the place where they needed to be, there they were brought.

The Steipler explains anything that a person plans will not help him to change, add, or subtract, from that which was decreed on Rosh Hashana, besides for davening, teshuva, or a zechus which can change a decree. That which a person puts in effort and is successful to do what he wants, is because Hashem decreed that he should have success even without his extra effort.

May Hashem help us recognize that everything that happens is with His ratzon and anything that a person does will lead to what Hashem decreed.