Daily Chizuk #1541

Parashat Yitro: Nothing Goes Unnoticed
In this week's parasha, Yitro exclaimed, "Now I see how great Hashem is, 'כי בדבר אשר זדו עליהם'" Rashi explains that Yitro recognized how Hashem made the Egyptians suffer in the very same way they had tormented the Jewish people. He knew that the Egyptians had drowned Jewish babies, and now, at the miracle of Kriyat Yam Suf, they perished through drowning as well.
It had been 80 years since they threw those infants into the river. By this time, many had already forgotten that painful period—but Hashem never forgets. Yitro was amazed at the precision of divine justice.
Every action a person takes is accounted for. This world is not a free for all. Though the world may appear as if people can commit terrible deeds without consequence, that is an illusion. Nothing goes unnoticed by Hashem.
However, if reward and punishment were too obvious, free will would no longer exist. Hashem, in His infinite wisdom, ensures that every action is repaid—whether for good or for bad—but in a way that does not remove our ability to choose. A person may receive a reward for something he did 20 years earlier, just as we see the Egyptians being punished 80 years after their crimes.
Of course, we know that the ultimate reward for any mitzva is reserved for the Next World. However, Hashem often grants dividends in this world as well. At times, Hashem allows us to see clear connections between our actions and their outcomes, knowing that these isolated cases will not disrupt free will.
When we do recognize these connections, it strengthens our emunah and reminds us how much Hashem values and records every deed.
Shabbat Shalom!