Therefore, Hashem specifically guarantees that even people whose bitachon is lacking and who ask such a question will be sent His blessing and they will receive enough produce during the sixth year to last for three years. The proper way, however, is not to question Hashem at all and to rely on Him to provide for us.
In the Olam Ha’emes, Everything is Chesed:
Before his petirah, the Magid of Mezheritch zy”a promised his students that when he went up to Shomayim, he would do all he could to annul the harsh decrees that were facing the Jewish people. However, a while passed after his petirah and nothing changed.
His students made a “she’elas chalom”, asking him to appear to them in a dream and reveal why he hadn’t caused the decrees to be cancelled. When the Magid appeared to them, he said, “In the World of Truth, I saw how everything is a chesed from Hashem, so I could not ask for the decrees to be annulled. You, however, are still in this world and cannot see how the decrees are really good. So you can daven to have them cancelled.
The Admor of Parisov zy”a (Sefer Halekach V’Halivuv page 102) relates the following story, which he heard from someone who heard it firsthand from Rav Hershel Rapaport zt”l, the gabbai of Rav Dovid Moshe of Tchortkov zy”a:
When pogroms broke out in the city of Kishinov (in the year 5663/1903), and many Yidden were mercilessly murdered, a telegram arrived in Tchortkov asking the Rebbe to daven for mercy. Rav Hershel brought the telegram to the Rebbe and, when the Rebbe read it, he got very excited. He began to run around his room, going back and forth from one corner to another for a long time.
Finally, the Rebbe turned to the frightened gabbai and said, “How can I ask for the decree to be cancelled when I see how much good will come from it?”
The Admor of Parisov adds that the Ruzhiner Rebbe zy”a would say that when one is in need of a yeshua, it is best to go to “small tzadikim” who do not know what the future will bring and will daven with simplicity. Hashem will hear their pleas and remove the suffering.
Hashem Gives Everyone What is Good for Him:
Sefer Chofetz Chaim al Hatorah (page 284) relates that the Chofetz Chaim once asked someone how he was doing and the man replied, “It wouldn’t hurt if things were a bit better“.
The Chofetz Chaim told him, “How do you know it wouldn’t hurt? Hashem knows what is good for you better than you do. He cares about you more than you care about yourself, so He certainly wants to give you as much as He can. If He isn’t giving you more, it is a sure sign that having more would not be good for you.”
The Present is the Main Part of Life:
There is a well-known statement from Rav Avrohom Eliyahu Desler zt”l, author of Mishtav M’Eliyahu, that goes as follows: “The past is merely memories. The future is merely fantasy. The present is merely tests. But how you live your life is the main thing.”
The meaning of this is that it is a waste of time to worry about the past, which is merely memories and cannot be changed. The future is merely a fantasy and also is not worth worrying about because no one knows what tomorrow will bring and the thing one is worried about may very well never happen. Therefore, one’s main focus should be on the present. And when one focuses on the present, wisely utilizes every moment as it comes, and strengthens his emunah and bitachon, he will be living a truly good life.
Through Bitachon One Brings About Heavenly Goodness:
The pasuk says (Yeshaya 26:4): “Trust in Hashem very much because Hashem is the Creator of the world.” The Maharal (Nesivos Olam, 1) explains as follows:
There are times in life when one cannot see the good, everything looks terrible and his mazal is bad. Still and all, one should trust in Hashem, even in these times. This is seen from the words of the pasuk that one should “trust in Hashem very much because Hashem is the Creator of the world.” Since we know that He created the world, and we know that he is completely good, we must trust that everything that happens is good.
We can learn an incredible thing from this. We see that even if a person has bad mazal, and this mazal indicates that he is not destined for anything good, through the power of his emunah and bitachon, we can receive and abundance of Divine goodness.
One Who Knows He Doesn’t Deserve Anything is Guaranteed Everything:
The Maharal’s statement that emunah and bitachon have the power to change one’s mazal from bad to good and provide him with untold goodness can be explained by citing the words of Rav Bunim of Peshischa zy”a (Kol Mevaser, Chelek 3, Emunah U’Bitachon, Ois 4). He says as follows:
The root of the word “bitachon” is “betach” – secure. This is because one who completely trusts in Hashem will always live “securely” and without worry.
But why should a person be secure if he doesn’t deserve anything based on his own merits? The answer is that the very fact that one recognizes that he deserves nothing is the reason he can rest assured that he will be helped.
If someone thinks he is worthy and deserves some goodness for himself, he needs to worry about whether or not he really will get it. But if one knows he doesn’t deserve anything and everything he gets is a free gift and a kindness from Hashem, he can live securely, knowing that Hashem will always provide for him, whether he is worthy or not.
Similarly, the Vilna Gaon zt”l (quoted by the Chofetz Chaim in Sefer Shem Olam) writes that everyone can have bitachon, even one who is undeserving. Anyone who trusts in Hashem will receive his kindness. He discerns this from the pasuk (Tehillim 33:18): “The eye of Hashem is to those who fear Him, to those who hope for His kindness.” The pasuk seems to be saying that Hashem keeps watch over two types of people – those who fear Him and those who hope for his kindness. This indicates that even one who is not on the level of being called a person who fears Hashem will still be helped by Him, as long as he hopes for His kindness and trusts in Him.
One Who Believes in Good Creates Goodness:
The Gemara (Brachos 60A) relates that Yehuda bar Nosson was once walking behind Rav Hamnuna. Yehuda sighed and Rav Hamnuna said to him, “Why do you sigh? Are you trying to bring suffering upon yourself?” He quoted the pasuk in Iyov (3:25) that says: “I was not quiet, and I did not rest, yet trouble came.”
The Maharal (Chidushei Agados, Bava Metziah 33A) explains that it is easier for a person to bring about salvation for himself than for others. This is because one who tries to help himself has no force opposing him, but when one tries to help someone else, it is possible that the other person won’t want to accept his help, thus creating a force of resistance.
So too, if a person is afraid of poverty, he creates a force of poverty that stands in opposition to him. This was Iyov’s intent when he said that since he was not silent, trouble came. If someone gives credence to any entity and is afraid of it, he is giving that entity power over him and making it harder for him to overcome it. Thus, the best way to overcome a force like poverty is to not be afraid of it.
The Magid of Mezheritch zy”a (quoted in Likutim Yekarim, Ois 207) uses this concept to explain the pasuk (Tehillim 32:10): “Those who trust in Hashem are surrounded by kindness” by saying that if a person has faith that Hashem will treat him with kindness, he will be surrounded by His kindness. But if one has negative thoughts and is afraid of something, he will be treated harshly.
All of this is in accordance with the famous statement of the Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch zy”a: “Tracht gut vet zein gut.” (If you have good thoughts, it will be good.)
Meriting Living With the Shechinah Through Humility:
My grandfather, Rav Mordchele of Nadvorna zy”a, in his Sefer Maamar Mordechai, writes, explains this pasuk to be saying: “Hayesh Elokim b’kirbeinu” – how can a person know if Hashem is in his midst? “Im ayin” – if he is nothing. If a person is humble and considers himself to be nothing, Hashem will be with him, as is stated (Yeshaya 57:15): “With the lofty and the holy ones I dwell, and with the crushed and humble in spirit.”
קְ רָ א שֵׁ ם הַ מָּ קוֹם מַ סָּ ה וּמְ רִ יבָ ה וגו' לֵאמֹ ר הֲיֵשׁ ה' בְּ קִ רְ בֵּ נוּ אִ ם אָ יִ ן (יז, ז) ִ וַיּ And because of their testing Hashem, saying, Is Hashem in our midst or not? (17:7)
