How pleasant it is to trust in the Creator of the world. Everything is in His blessed Hands. He made everything. He inflicts injury and He bandages; He crushes, and His Hands loosen (Iyov 5:18); He makes people poor and He makes people rich; he lowers people and raises them up (Shmuel I 2:7). He sends His messengers and arranges our entire lives for us, from the huge, monumental matters to the smallest details; and so, we need not do anything.
It is not difficult at all to remain calm, as King Chizkiyahu said, “I will sleep in my bed and You will act” (Eichah Rabbah 4:15).
Indeed, King Chizkiyahu said this at a time when Am Yisrael was facing a great threat. Sancheiriv and his huge army were making their way to Yerushalayim in order to capture it, and King Chizkiyahu trusted in Hashem so completely that he chose to do nothing at all.
On a practical level, however, we should follow the path of Dovid Hamelech, for while he said, “Hashem is my rock and my fortress...I will place my trust in Him (Tehillim 18:3), he also said, “I will pursue my enemies and I will overtake them” (ibid., v. 38). Dovid Hamelech went out to war, but at the same time he always bore in mind that “He is the One Who gives you the power to succeed.” (Devarim 8:18) and that he would succeed only if that was Hashem’s decree. This attitude requires much wisdom, as Rabbenu Bachyai instructs us in the beginning of chapter 4: “Despite the fact that a person may solidify his faith to know that he is totally dependent on Hashem’s decrees, and that whatever Hashem chooses for him is the best, he is still obligated to do hishtadlus.
We cannot ignore the obligation to do hishtadlus. Rabbenu Bachyai uses the term “obligated” – not only is it proper and correct to do hishtadlus, but we are obligated to do so, and we cannot disregard the decree that one must act in order to see results. There are varying degrees of how much hishtadlus one has to do – for some people a small amount of hishtadlus is enough, while others need to work more.
When Rebbetzin Sonnenfeld begged Hashem tearfully to send them parnassah, as they were penniless, her husband, the rav of Yerushalayim, the gaon Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld zt”l, went out to do hishtadlus: He walked some distance through the alleyways of the Old City of Yerushalayim and found two gold coins on the ground. The halachah states that a person is allowed to keep for himself an item that was obviously lost by a Gentile.
For a great tzaddik like him, this hishtadlus was enough. Each person, according to his level and his task and mission in this world, has to engage in the actions that will bring about the results he hopes to see.
We need to use the intelligence and the wisdom that Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave us, and to choose the proper way to act in every matter; to do things that are logical, to seek advice, to find out what needs to be done, to consult an expert – to get up and do. Bitachon does not mean laziness or disinterest. We need to do what is expected of us in the world. At the same time, however, we need to remember at every point, from beginning to end, that Hashem will do what He has decreed.
We should pay attention to the fact that Rabbenu says, “He is obligated lehitgalgel” – to take the steps necessary for hishtadlus, but he did not say “legalgel” – to do hishtadlus, because all the steps a person needs to take in order to reach his goal will also depend on the Creator of the world, the One Who brings about all circumstances and all forms of hishtadlus that one will take. Rather than leading the way, we are being led at all times. And yet, we are obligated to make choices and to do what we have to do; we must not shirk this obligation.
This understanding brings a great deal of serenity to the soul. For example, Naftali thought that certain actions would bring him success. He worked and toiled but in the end he failed. Reuven takes a taxi for what should be a ten-minute ride. The taxi gets stuck in traffic, and the meter does its job for over half an hour. Shimon bought a new suit, and afterward he discovered it didn’t fit him well. He could have been angry at himself, at the tailor, or at the advertisements, but when a person believes that Hashem will do that which He has decreed, he is calm. Yaakov prepares a cup of coffee for himself – or, even more disconcerting, for his friend – and puts in salt instead of sugar. He did all the hishtadlus to prepare something sweet, but instead he served his friend bitterness.
How much pain and ogmas nefesh do we spare ourselves when we know that it is Hashem’s decree. If you ate something that wasn’t fresh or that didn’t taste right, don’t eat yourself as well! If you broke something, don’t break your heart as well! It happened according to Hashem’s decree, and it was for our good. If my Creator is satisfied with me, then certainly I can be satisfied as well.
The above examples represent just a tiny portion of all of our actions. Most of the actions we take – almost 100 percent of them – achieve the desired results. There is hot and cold water; when we cook the food and spice it the way we choose, it tastes good; when we travel, once we arrive, we sleep, and we wake up refreshed. Most of our actions bring about the desired results, b’chasdei Shamayim, and these – just like the actions that did not succeed – are all in accordance with the decree of the Creator yisbarach. Hodu lo, barchu Shemo, ki tov Hashem l’olam chasdo!
from shiur 86 in Shaar Habitachon. To hear the shiur, press 4 after choosing a language; or dial directly: (02-301-1904)
