Only One Who Trusts in Hashem Can be Saved:
Sefer Kedushas Yomtov asks that everything is in Hashem’s control. If He didn’t want the people to return to Egypt, He could make it impossible for them to do so.
He answers by quoting the pasuk (Devarim 7:17-18): “If you will say in your heart: These nations are larger than us. How will we be able to take the land from them. Do not be afraid of them...” Sefer Bina L’Itim explains that the pasuk is saying that Klal Yisroel should not think that they can take the land on their own. They should not believe that their army can defeat the gentile armies. If one thinks this, he does, in fact, have good reason to be afraid because one cannot be victorious through his own might (1 Shmuel 2:9). However, if one sees that the gentile armies are larger than his, and he recognizes that he has no natural way of beating them and taking the land from them, and, therefore, he places his trust in Hashem, then he has no reason to be afraid because Hashem will perform miracles to save him and give him the land.
With this in mind, the Kedushas Yomtov explains the pasuk to mean that if the nation would see a war and think that they can save themselves by returning to Egypt, they would be in serious danger. If they believed that they have a way to protect themselves, Hashem would be unable to save them. Therefore, He led them through the desert, so that they would see that they have no natural way to save themselves and they would recognize that their only option is to trust in Hashem. In this merit, He would be able to miraculously protect and save them from all dangers.
The Difference Between Emunah and Hishtadlus:
The Alter of Novardhok, Rav Yoizel Horowitz zt”l, would say that if a man would place his complete trust in Hashem and accept that he is the only one who can protect and save him, he would certainly be saved. Unfortunately, many people fail to recognize think this and tend to believe that bitachon is a form of “extra hishtadlus”. In other words, they think that they have to do whatever they can on their own, and, in addition to this, they also have to have bitachon. Because of this erroneous mindset, they do not receive their salvation.
He explains this with a parable of a poor man who heard about the famed philanthropist, Baron Rothschild. He decided to travel to Germany to meet the wealthy baron and to ask for his help.
He traveled for months until he reached his destination and he returned home from his arduous journey with his face beaming with happiness, his cart loaded with expensive goods, and, in his hands, a huge sum of money that he received from the wealthy man. His friend witnessed this and decided to try his luck as well. However, unlike his friend, he decided that while he was traveling to Berlin, he would stop by all the towns on the way and collect money there as well.
He was very disappointed when he met with Rothschild in his mansion and was handed a small donation. He immediately began to complain and asked why he got such a small amount when his friend was given a fortune. Rothschild replied, “There’s a big difference between you and him. Your friend traveled all this way just to come to me. He saw me as the only person in the world who could help him and relied completely on my assistance. Therefore, I had mercy on him and gave him a lot of help. But you went around to many people for help and also stopped by me as well. Since you didn’t rely solely on me, I didn’t feel any need to give you more than a minimal amount.”
So too, if we rely solely on Hashem and recognize that no one can help us besides Him, then He will give us whatever we need. But if we make our own efforts to try to help ourselves and also ask Him for help, He will not feel the need to take care of us.
Bitachon Even When There Seems to be No Way Out:
In truth, bitachon is the exact opposite of hishtadlus. Hishtadlus refers to a person trying to create his own yeshua through his own machinations, while bitachon refers to a person trusting in Hashem even in times when there seems to be no hope of salvation.
Rabenu Yona (Mishlei 3) writes as follows: The mitzvah of bitachon is to know with one’s heart that everything is in Hashem’s hands and that He can change nature and change one’s mazal. It means to recognize that nothing stands in the way of Hashem because He is all-powerful. One should trust in Him during all times of pain and suffering and know that He can send salvation in the blink of an eye. Therefore, one should anticipate His salvation, even if a sharp sword is upon his neck, as is stated (Tehillim 62:9): “Trust in Hashem at all times.” This means that one should trust in Hashem even in times of suffering, when one does not know how he can possibly be saved. The pasuk says (Yeshaya 26:4): “Trust in Hashem very much because Hashem is the creator of the world.” He created this world and the world to come and everything is in His hands. Therefore, trust in Him because He can do anything.
From the following amazing story, we see how one can be saved by Hashem even when there is seemingly no hope. Therefore one should always have bitachon in Him:
During the Holocaust, there were two friends who were sent to a concentration camp. One of them lost his emunah completely, while the other remained strong in his faith. The man who had lost his emunah would constantly antagonize his friend and say, “Can’t you see where we are? How can you still believe?”
His friend would answer with unwavering bitachon, “I believe in Hashem with emunah sheleimah. I trust that we will be saved.”
One day, they both were taken into the gas chamber and the door was closed behind them. As they waited for the gas to turn on and kill them at any moment, the first man turned to the second and asked, “Do you still believe in G-d?”
His friend answered, “Yes. I believe that Hashem can do anything. If He wants, He can save us even now!”
Just then, a wagon full of dead bodies that the Nazis were taken to be burned flipped over and they needed several Jews to help them turn it back over. They opened the door to the gas chamber and brought out one of the men to do this job. The man they took out was the Jew who remained firm in his emunah, and he ultimately survived the war.
Emunah Peshutah:
The Alshich Hakadosh would teach his students that one who has bitachon in Hashem does not need to do anything on his own. He can sit in the bais medrash and immerse himself in learning and davening, and Hashem will take care of his livelihood.
However, the only student who merited this divine assistance was a simple wagon driver who found a box full of gold coins. When the students asked the Alshich for an explanation, he said, “What I taught is only true for someone who has emunah with no doubts or questions. This baal agalah is the only one who had genuine emunah peshutah. Therefore, he was the only one who merited this.”
The Difference Between Pharaoh and Klal Yisroel:
The Zohar Hakadosh explains this pasuk to mean that Pharaoh drew the Jews close to their father in Heaven. The Liske Rebbe zy”a (Sefer Ach Pri Tevuah) explains by quoting the Shelah Hakadosh’s explanation of the words we recite in davening: “You chose us from all of the nations.” The Shelah explains that even in times when Klal Yisroel are not learning as much Torah and not doing as many mitzvos as they should, they still are far superior to any other nation, which is why Hashem chooses us over all other nations.
With this in mind, the Liske Rebbe explains that Pharaoh drew us closer to Hashem because the difference between Klal Yisroel and him was so clearly evident.
Do Not be Afraid:
The Dubno Magid zt”l (Sefer Mishlei Yaakov) explains this pasuk with a moshol:
There once was a distinguished rich man who had daughter. He found her a chosson who was an excellent bochur who came from a very poor family. When the wedding day arrived, a great feast was arranged in honor of the scholarly young man who was joining the wealthy family. Everything was organized in a very fancy and classy way, as befit such a prestigious family. The entire extended family came to the affair and presented themselves with all of their elegance.
The chosson, however, was uninterested in all of the relatives and all of the goings-on. Since he was so poor, he hadn’t eaten a good meal in a long time, and he was completely absorbed in the food. He didn’t take his eyes off his plate the entire evening.
A few days later, the groom realized that he should find out some more about his father-in-law and his family. But when he asked about his new relatives, his father-in-law said, “Everyone was present at the simcha but you didn’t pay any attention to them.”
The nimshol is as follows:
When the nation arrived at the sea, Moshe Rabenu warned them not to be afraid. The reason he did so is because it is known that fear obstructs a person from using his common sense. When a person is running in fear and panic, he is unable to take note of his surroundings or even see items right in front of his eyes. Therefore, Moshe told them not to be afraid but, rather, to stand firm with bitachon in Hashem. He told them that if they did this, they would be undistracted and they would be able to see His salvation and the miracles on that day.
Parnassah is From Hashem:
Rav Meir of Premishlan zy”a (quoted in Divrei Meir) explains that the word “yilachem” (fight) also has a connotation of “lechem” (bread), and the word “tacharishun” (be silent) can also mean “to think” (as in Mishlei 6:18). Thus, the pasuk can be translated to mean that Hashem will provide bread for all who need it, but they will continue to think about how they can make parnassah. Moshe was beseaching Klal Yisroel not to do this because one gains nothing from making his own plans for livelihood since everything really comes from Hashem.
It is related that a man once came to the Sanzer Rov zy”a and complained that a competitor had opened a grocery store right next door to his and was taking away his customers. The Rov told him, “When a horse wants to drink from a river, it first kicks the water until it gets murky and it then drinks. The reason it does this is because when it looks into the clear water, it sees its own reflection and thinks that another horse is there that wants to drink the water. It gets scared that there won’t be enough water for itself, so it kicks away the other horse before it starts to drink.
“If it had any brains it would understand that there is more than enough water for two horses and by kicking, all it is doing is dirtying its own water. So too, no one can possibly take away his friend’s livelihood. Even if many stores open near yours, you will not lose one penny that is destined for you. By trying to kick them away, all you will be doing is harming yourself.”
Shabbos Shira With Emunah:
This Shabbos is known as “Shabbos Shira” because the shira that bnei Yisroel sang by the sea is read this week. However, the connection between shira and this Shabbos still needs to be explained in more depth.
The pasuk in Tehillim (106:12) states: “And they believed His words; they sang His praise.” The Medrash Rabbah (22:3) states: “Even though it previously said that the nation believed (Shemos 4:31), they returned to not believing, as is stated (Tehillim 106:7): ‘Our fathers in Egypt did not fathom Your wonders.’ But once they came to the sea and saw the might of Hashem and how He meted out judgment to the wicked, they once believed in Him. In the merit of this emunah, ruach hakodesh rested upon them and they said shira.”
The Yismach Yisroel states that we see from this Medrash that one who has emunah is able to say shira. He continues to say that Shabbos represents the creation of the world. The holiness of Shabbos strengthens our emunah that Hashem created the world, as we recite in Kabalas Shabbos: “Toch emunei am segulah” – through emunah, we can merit greeting Shabbos and benefiting from its holiness. Accordingly, it is called “Shabbos Shira” because Shabbos strengthens emunah, which enables us to say shira.
Relating the Miracles Creates Salvations:
Relating the stories of the miracles that were performed for our forefathers during the exodus from Egypt, is a segulah to see miracles and salvations in our times as well.
The Brezhaner Rov zy”a (Sefer Semas Emes) quotes Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk zy”a as using this idea to explain the pasuk in Tehillim (145:7): “Zecher rav tuvcha yabiu.” (Of the remembrance of Your abundant goodness they will speak.) This means that when people speak about past miracles and acts of goodness that Hashem did for Klal Yisroel, He will cause even greater miracles to occur. He compares this to a flowing spring. The source of the spring may be small and narrow, but as it flows further and further, it gets wider and bigger. Thus, the pasuk is saying that if we speak of Hashem’s goodness, the result will be “yabiu” – the flow will get bigger and bigger and will provide greater and greater salvations.
The Benefit of Reading The Shira:
The Magid of Trisk zy”a (Sefer Magen Avrohom) writes that every year when the shira is read, the “Kesser Malchus” is revealed. When a king puts on his royal crown, he acts leniently towards his citizens. So too, when Hashem puts on His crown, He certainly pardons Klal Yisroel from our sins and grants us many blessings in ruchnius and gashmius.
Parnassah From Shomayim:
Rav Moshe of Kobrin zy”a (quoted in Imros Moshe) explains that Hashem was saying that He will rain down from Heaven the wisdom to recognize that “bread”, i.e. parnassah, comes from Shomayim.
The Mann Fell Every Day So That They Would Daven:
The Gemara states (Yoma 76A): “Rav Shimon ben Yochai’s students asked him, ‘Why didn’t the mann fall for Yisroel once a year?’ (Why didn’t a large amount fall once a year that could last all year.)
“He answered them with a parable of a king who had an only son. He gave him food for an entire year, and the son never visited the father all year. (He only visited his father once a year to get his ‘check’.) The king then started giving him food every day, and he visited his father every day. So too, if a family had four or five children, they would be worried that perhaps mann would not fall tomorrow and they would all be hungry. Therefore, they would all daven to Hashem.”
We see that the reason the mann fell every day, rather than a lot at one time, was so that the people would daven to Hashem and remember that He was the one sustaining them.
Parnassah Every Day:
Rav Hirsch of Rimanov zy”a (Be’eros Hamayim) notes that the pasuk actually says “I am raining”, in the present tense. We learn from this that Hashem is telling Klal Yisroel that He will rain down sustenance for them in every generation. However, if the nation “goes out” from the walls of bitachon, then they will have to “gather” – they will need to work hard for their sustenance.
The Torah is Like The Mann:
The Mechilta states: “The Torah is only given to those who eat mann.”
The Kotzker Rebbe zy”a once asked his attendant how this statement is commonly understood. The attendant answered that it is said that this refers to those who are supported by others and do not have to worry about parnassah. Therefore, they can learn with peace of mind and serenity.
The Rebbe responded, “I say that the opposite is true. The Mechilta is speaking about people who work hard for a living but still do not worry at all and trust in Hashem to provide for them. They are akin to those who collected mann in the desert every day and did not worry about tomorrow. Rather, they trusted in Hashem to send it the next day as well. The Torah is given to Jews like those!
Mann Affected Their Speech:
Sefer Igra D’Kallah quotes Rav Menachem Mendel of Rimanov zy”a as asking why the pasuk refers to the mann as a “d’var”. He answers that this is because the mann affected the people’s speech (dibbur) and caused them to speak to Hashem properly and to avoid unnecessary or hurtful words. Thus, the people would “gather words” every day, as each day required its own pure and new words to be said to Hashem.
One Can Daven Better in This World Than in Olam Haba:
The Imrei Emes zy”a (quoted in Imrei Shamai, Shemos 5:22) related that the Magid of Mezheritch zy”a promised his students that after his passing, he would work in Shomayim to annul the decrees that had been issued against the Jews. After some time went by after his petirah and the decrees were not rescinded, they performed a “she’elas chalom” and the Magid told them, “In the World of Truth, I saw that everything is part of Hashem’s kindness.
