The Definition of Bitachon: Nullifying Ourselves to Ratzon Hashem
Doing Hishtadlus Will Not Bring Spiritual Harm
A person who declines to do his hishtadlus because, for example, he wants to learn Torah, is just like the person who doesn’t want to get married because he would rather learn Torah. HaKadosh Baruch Hu commanded us to marry! “But,” a person will say, “I want to learn Torah!” It is clear that such a person is going against the will of Hashem. Ben Azai was able to declare נפשי חשקה בתורה; he didn’t marry because he wanted to devote himself fully to Torah. But he was on a madreigah on which he was able to do so. The בני יששכר brings down that he fulfilled the obligation of פריה ורביה through authoring chiddushei Torah, and some opinions maintain that he did marry previously. But an average person who refuses to marry is declaring his lack of trust in Hashem and His commands. And if a person has proper bitachon, he will have success and siyata diShmaya in his ruchniyus as well.
And the same applies to hishtadlus in parnassah and other areas: Even if it seems to a person that he can grow more spiritually by not engaging in hishtadlus, he must still do so out of bittul to ratzon Hashem, each according to his life situation.
Each According to His Situation Ordained by Hashem
Every person must make an honest reckoning for how much, when, and how to do his hishtadlus—but, first and foremost, there must be bittul to the word of Hashem Who commanded us לעבדה ולשמרה, to work and to guard (Bereishis 2:15). This is certain: People who don’t do their required hishtadlus cannot complain that their needs aren’t being provided, because they are not ba’alei bitachon who follow Hashem’s plan.
Bitachon “Together” with Hishtadlus
Imagine that a person was given a field to maintain, but he refuses to plant any seeds, citing his bitachon in Hashem and saying that he prefers to learn Torah. He believes that Hashem will provide parnassah in other ways....
We would tell him very clearly: You must do your hishtadlus! You can learn before you plant, you can learn after you plant, you can even listen to a shiur during your planting. But hishtadlus must be done.
After the hishtadlus comes bitachon. After one has done his hishtadlus, then one must have bitachon. According to Torah, one must believe that he won’t necessarily derive his parnassah from these efforts—but that Hashem will provide for him in whatever way He desires. Even if the parnassah does come from this hishtadlus, one must understand that this “happens” to be the pipeline through which Hashem chose to reward his hishtadlus—as the Chovos HaLevavos writes: When a person receives parnassah through his work, he should be thankful only to Hashem; not towards the land that he worked.
Balancing the Two Requirements
There are common errors that people will make in both areas—bitachon and hishtadlus—based on their personal nature.
Some people will work fourteen hours a day, finding it difficult to be קובע עתים לתורה and to daven properly. They will cite pesukim that exhort a person to work and engage in hishtadlus to support their actions. They excuse their lack of Torah learning because... “I can’t. Hashem made me this way.” And they wonder why they’re in debt, having done so much hishtadlus.
On the other side of the coin, some people who are unmotivated to work, and they support their approach with pesukim and sayings about bitachon, conveniently ignoring the requirement of בזיעת אפיך תאכל לכם. This means that we must sweat, working hard for our parnassah—and this cannot be avoided. The Torah tells us that it will not work.
Don’t Be Afraid to Change Course
People are hesitant to reexamine their positions, because they’re afraid that they will have to change. Don’t be afraid to become a ba’al bitachon! If a person makes a firm decision to balance his bitachon and hishtadlus—thereby becoming a true ba’al bitachon—he is truly fulfilling the ratzon Hashem.
People must be willing to have bittul to the ratzon Hashem from now on. They must be willing to admit, “Maybe I was mistaken until now, and now I want to change course.” But this requires bittul, and when they are mevatel themselves to Hashem, a whole new world opens up before them, and they will surely have the siyata DiShmaya to know how to navigate this sensitive balance.
This much is certain: When we fulfill all the aspects of bitachon in the way that Hashem asks of us, our lives will fall into place. This is the promise of the Chovos HaLevavos who assures us, “One who has bitachon will not lack for anything at any time and any place.”
If a person goes on the proper path, he will not lack b’gashmiyus or b’ruchniyus. One will be able to daven and learn even better, because he is with Hashem, doing everything with bittul to HaKadosh Baruch Hu. And when a Yid lives with the Ribbono shel Olam, then there is no area—in ruchniyus or in gashmiyus—which is not elevated.
