When Everything Falls Apart for No Apparent Reason.
Sometimes things happen in life that logically should not have happened. Everything was going well — and suddenly something breaks. Not just a “breakdown,” but as if someone switched off your luck. As if someone gave you the evil eye. Or as if you jinxed something yourself.
Sounds strange? Perhaps. But if we set aside mysticism and superstition, there is still something to it. And most importantly, it is not a reason to be afraid, but a chance to stop and think: what is happening to me? Not outside. Inside.
Yes, sometimes we put the evil eye on ourselves
In one place the Babylonian Talmud gives a piece of advice that at first glance seems absurd, almost comical: if you fear the evil eye, look at the left side of your nose. Funny, isn’t it?
But one of the commentators, the author of “Megadim Chadashim,” explains: sometimes a person puts the evil eye on himself. He looks at what he has achieved — with surprise, with admiration, with an anxious thought: “Can this really be mine?!” — and it is as though he breaks it himself. Not because of magic. But because inside he is not ready to accept what he has received. He feels undeservedly lucky. And he himself sets the process of destruction in motion.
Boasting is a subtle form of spiritual self-destruction
Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler writes: when you begin to display your well-being too openly — whether material, professional or personal — it can provoke a backlash. Not because the world is evil. But because your display calls into question whether you truly deserve it.
And then, as Dessler explains, in Heaven your case is “re-examined”: did you really earn this? Or is it a lucky hit that you are too proud of?
Sometimes we confuse a gift with ownership
A very subtle point. We start to think: since I have it, I must have earned it. It is my success. My merit. Well done me.
But the Torah teaches otherwise: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all that fills it.” What you have is not your property but a trust, a temporary loan. It is as if a king lent you his garments for a while, and you decided they were your new style.
And so, when you begin to “take pride” in what was only temporarily entrusted to you, the process of loss begins. Not because G-d is jealous, but because you have stopped being a vessel for blessing. You have replaced gratitude with pride.
And then there is the tithe
The book of the prophet Malachi speaks surprisingly bluntly: “You rob Me… in tithes and offerings!” That is: if you do not set aside a tenth of your income, you are not merely stingy — you are stealing. Not from people. From G-d.
This is less about finances than about trust and acknowledging the source. Want to hold on to blessing? Learn to share. Not out of pity. Out of understanding where everything comes from.
What to do when something in life is falling apart?
The book Pele Yoetz advises: don’t ignore the signals. If something unpleasant happens, don’t look for someone to blame. Don’t dive into superstition. Stop. Look at yourself.
Perhaps you have become too self-confident. Or stopped being grateful. Or forgotten to share. Or simply stopped praying, speaking to G-d from the heart.
And if you begin to change even one element, that is already teshuva. That is already a return to yourself. To the source.
Not everything in life can be explained. Not everything has a clear answer. But nothing that happens to us is random. It is not a broken universe. It is a challenge. Sometimes a light flick on the nose. Sometimes a harsh awakening. But all of it is for the sake of growth.
So if something in your life suddenly takes a sharp turn for the worse — don’t panic. Check your inner settings. Perhaps you simply took too much upon yourself. Or forgot where all the good comes from. Or shut yourself off.
