A Thought on Bitachon
From the shiurim on Kav Hashgacha Pratis
“Hashem is good to those who place their hope in Him,” meaning that while right now it seems bad, the end will be good.”....
I heard from my son-in-law that a rebbi once punished one of his talmidim more than the other, and they asked him, “Why are you punishing him more?” He responded, “He is my son, and because of my love for him, I am punishing him more, so that he will know better.” In the same way, since we experience yissurim more than others, we are important to Hashem as sons are to their fathers.
(As explained in Ein Eliyahu)
The Miraculous Hanhagah Applies Only to Am Yisrael
Hashem runs His world in two ways: One is the natural way, wherein all the creations are equal and there is no difference between the good and the bad. And the other is through hashgachah pratis, which is a miraculous way, and which applies only to Am Yisrael and is not controlled by the constellations. Hashem Himself supervises His nation, caring for each individual in accordance with his ways and as a result of his actions.
Each passuk refers to one of these levels. “Hashem is good to all” refers to the natural hanhagah, which includes both good and evil people. The owner of a field gives water – something that is necessary – to all the plants in his field, for the trees cannot exist without it. Likewise, the natural hanhagah is necessary for the world, and therefore it benefits the evil people as well.
But the second aspect is additional shefa, which results from a miraculous hanhagah that applies only to Am Yisrael. Hashem is mashgiach personally over every Jew. As it says, “Hashem is good to those who place their hope in Him” – when He hoes.... This is the aspect of additional good extended to specific trees, good that is not absolutely necessary for living.
(Siach Yitzchak)
His Actions Are Perfect
A person should never question Hashem’s ways. When he sees what appears to be injustice, especially when it seems that a righteous man suffers and a wicked man has it good, He should know that Hashem’s ways are perfect. And although it is impossible to comprehend His ways, sometimes the “injustices” he perceives are in order to cleanse the tzaddik of his sins. This is like drinking a bitter medicine, which causes a little bit of discomfort in order to cleanse the body of disease. And sometimes a wicked person is granted success so that he will receive all his reward in this world. This is like fattening an ox or a goose, which is meant for its harm – preparing it to be slaughtered.
And sometimes what a person experiences in life is not because he himself deserves that reward or punishment, but rather, it is part of Hashem’s general managing of the world. And that is why it says both “Hashem is good to all” and “Hashem is good to those who place their hope in Him.” When a person waters his field, he waters everything, but when he hoes, he hoes only the good areas.
(Beis Habechirah LaMe’iri)
Yissurim Are for One’s Good
The Gaon Reb Aryeh Leib of Kovno zt”l asked: It would seem that Dovid Hamelech, in whose time it was good for Am Yisrael, should have said, “Hashem is good to those who place their hope in Him,” while Yirmeyahu, in whose times the goyim were successful, should have said, “Hashem is good to all.”
He explains that “those who place their hope in Him” implies that while right now it is not good, they hope that the end will be good and that everything Hashem does is for the good. This is the explanation of “when He waters” – meaning when He is mashpia good, “He waters all of it,” meaning that He gives everyone good, and this was during Dovid’s times. “And when He hoes” – meaning when He gives yissurim, the end is good. He does it only to those who are good. That is why Yirmeyahu said,
