Detoured Good

Sometimes it happens that you set out to do something with the best of intentions—and you end up with what appears the opposite.

Know with absolute certainty—because this is a tradition of our sages—that if your true intent is good, then from it only good can emerge.

Perhaps not the good you intended—or care for—but good nevertheless.

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From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. Subscribe and get your dose daily. To order Rabbi Freeman’s latest book, Wisdom to Heal the Earth, click here.

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Rebbe means teacher. Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson is seventh in a prestigious line of chassidic rebbes. Even after his passing, he is known worldwide as simply "The Rebbe"- a Rebbe for any person in the world. This book offers every person a taste of the Rebbe's wisdom, condensed from over 50 years of letters, public talks, private conversations, and written works. Presented in an accessible format.

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Z Miami April 19, 2022

Where can I find this sicha or maamar? Reply

Brett Canada April 9, 2015

This is a great truth.and the time factor in this is huge.
With fullness of heart follow the Torah. When all hell breaks loose against you, know that at some point you will see Yah "bring forth" the good that was seeded. Right when you cannot stand to wait one more second to see the good result, that's when it will emerge. Everytime!

Thank you Rabbi for an excellent meditation. Reply

Ruth Chana Indiana April 8, 2015

Sometimes what works well for many situations works poorly for my own. But yes, I find if my intention was pure things work out for good in the end, even if not according to my definition of perfect. I like the line that we might not care for the good. Sometimes I don't, but I can see that it is good nonetheless. Reply

valerie usa August 18, 2013

'detoured' good this is something to always keep in mind. if the heart tells me it's something good to do, i'll do it - after all, we could never know the outcome - so for me, to live with a clear conscience and think first then follow my heart is all i can ask for. G-d knows what's in our heart. Reply

Allan R Honolulu August 18, 2013

How does the good you intended brings evil into your home and only ends up breaking a family apart? This is one of the reasons people are not willing to help others. Took a chance to do something good for someone and got a rude awakening. Don't know if I'll ever do it again Reply

Anonymous m.m. August 18, 2013

good intentions is not one to one Since we have lost the one on one direct verbal approach to dealing with each other, it has complicated the ability to follow the Laws like pay for services that day or be compassionate toward our fellowman.

With the one to one verbal ability being lost in communication, it makes us behave more from our animal nature than our souls nature.

One example is: A patient has their own doctor prescribe a certain treatment after knowing the patient for many years: the insurance company doctor does not see the patient one time but makes the call on whether they will pay for the prescribed treatment from their own rule system. The patient has paid for their insurance regularly and expects the coverage. The payment is delayed.

There is no communication between the insurance company doctor and the patient and there is no verbal communication between the insurance company doctor and the patient's dr. Reply

Anonymous August 18, 2013

Thank you for this message, it was encouraging.
We can only hope that best intentions will result in the betterment of situations, even if at first glance it may look like we failed. May be it opens another door, another phase which leads to something. we must not let go of that spark in order to continue what we began in the first place. Reply

Marian netherlands August 18, 2013

;-) Beautiful, and indeed; true
(though it took me some time to see that ;-)

And I see more and more that sometimes (most times?) even when (through blindness?) evil is intended (when I gard my compass(ion) and trust) good can come from it. For both.
Thanks. Reply

Thomas Karp New Haven, Ct. May 1, 2011

Why is that? Why is that one can do according to the best of their intentions and end up with what appears the opposite?

There are, no doubt, a variety of answers to this question.

One of them, no doubt, concerns whether one can discern always between the yetzer hatov and the yetzer hara (the good and the bad inclinations inherent in all of us).

The sad likelihood is that even the learned and the elect fail in this regard sometimes.

At this point I am not sure anyone, Jew or Gentile, escapes from having some of their presumptions of what is good as opposed to what is bad challenged and held in check.

I suppose that is why there is only one true G-d for all of humanity, and good and bad are only His to tell in their totality. Reply

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