A Thought on Bitachon
From the shiurim on Kav Hashgacha Pratis
The wicked are considered dead in their lifetime, as they indeed become like the idols they serve. Even though everything has a life force from a holy source, the wicked man who trusts in nothingness sheds that power of kedushah. On the other hand, he who trusts in Hashem sheds the cover of externality and nature and cleaves to penimiyus, and an existence of kedushah descends upon him. As much as he is mevatel teva in order to cleave to Hashem, to that extent penimiyus becomes revealed.
(Sefas Emes, Sukkos 5649)
He Has No Yoke of Malchus upon Him
Hashem is the Master of all, the One and Only, Who does not accept the yoke of malchus upon Himself because He is the first and foremost of all powers in existence. Similarly, the baal bitachon has no yoke of malchus upon him at all, not in the heavens above and not on the earth below, for his eyes look toward Hashem alone with the feeling that everything Hashem does is good.
So indeed, one who trusts in Hashem is just like Hashem. But one who trusts in idols becomes like them, subservient and dependent on the powers that are above them.
(Divrei Shaarei Chaim)
His Words Don’t Return Empty
Once the talmidim of Volozhin visited the Netziv zt”l on Purim and asked him for whiskey. He told them he had none in his house. Afterward he said, “Do you believe I can give you whiskey? If so, then I really will be able to give it to you! Because it says in the Midrash: He merits to be just like Him. While they were talking, someone opened the door and handed the Netziv a bottle of whiskey as mishloach manos. The Netziv told them that this is the meaning of that midrash: When someone trusts in Hashem, his words do not go unfulfilled.
(Otzar Peninim V’uvdos)
He Merits to Support Others from His Own
This seems difficult to understand. While an idol worshipper can indeed become [useless] like the idols he serves, how is it possible for a person created by Hashem to become just like his Creator?
An answer to this question can be found in the mishnah at the end of maseches Pe’ah, which teaches that if someone is needy but doesn’t accept charity, he will end up supporting other people with his own money. Of such a person it is said, “Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem, and for whom Hashem is the Source of his confidence.” This means that someone who trusts in Hashem merits to support other people, which is the middah of Hashem, and since he does what Hashem yisbarach would need to do – to support the poor – this means that he has become just like Hashem.
(Divrei Yoel)
He Connects Himself to Divinity and Kedushah
In truth, nothing can be added to or taken away from the portion that Hashem designates for a person. But as we learn in Chovos Halevavos, there is a difference between one who trusts in Hashem and depends on Him, and one who wants only whatever Hashem chooses to give him. When a person lives with bitachon he gains a spirit of sanctity, and he becomes intrinsically connected to this power of divinity, of giving.
This is the meaning of the words, “...and for whom Hashem is the Source of his confidence.” That is why it says that he merits to be just like Hashem. Hashem is the Source of all that exists, and in the future, Hashem and His Name will be One. It is only in this world that physicality covers over the penimiyus.
