Chovos HaLevavos Sha’ar HaBitachon Shiur 32, Part 2
The Entire Creation Pursues the Ba’al Bitachon
Meriting the Serenity of Shabbos During the Weekdays
The Ba’al Bitachon Always Lives with the Serenity of Shabbos
Previously, we learned the yesod that the tzaddikim taught us: The serenity, the menuchas hanefesh that is inherent in the ba’al bitachon, is similar to the serenity of Shabbos—both are characterized by the feeling עשויה, מלאכתך כל כאילו as though all your work has already been done.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai teaches us in the Gemara (Berachos 35b), “If a person is worthy, then his work is done for him by others.” This is consistent with another teaching of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, in the Zohar HaKadosh, where he says that a talmid chacham is always in a state of Shabbos. That is, even during the weekdays, he lives with the serenity of Shabbos; he always lives with the feeling עשויה, מלאכתך כל כאילו and therefore, “his work is indeed done for him by others.”
The Creation Contains the Serenity of Shabbos
Although the Gemara (ibid.) tells us, “Many have done as Rabbi Shimon did [i.e., they spent their time learning in the hope that their work will be done for them] but it didn’t materialize... they were not successful.” Tzaddikim have already explained (see Toldos Yaakov Yosef, Parashas Mikeitz) that this is because they weren’t truly on the level of bitachon... they constantly turned to look back to see if they were having their needs met. This is why it didn’t work.
But this is certain—and everyone agrees with Rabbi Shimon on this point—that inside the Creation is hidden the serenity of Shabbos, and everyone can tap into it, even during the weekdays. If one is worthy, his work is done for him by others... he doesn’t need to worry at all. Every Yid must aim to go in this direction... and we can see this on a daily basis: When a person truly relies on Hashem, the Ribbono shel Olam will provide for him. Because when one chooses to live with the serenity of Shabbos during the weekday, he can merit to have that level of serenity.
Of course, if a person insists on toiling on his own for everything, he can choose that path as well. We have free choice in This World. But a Yid also has the choice to have the טוב, כי מנוחה וירא to choose the serenity of Shabbos always.
Through Bitachon, He Was Served on a Golden Tray
We see this over and over: When people choose to have bitachon, they merit that “their work is done for them by others...,” and they have no need to toil for it at all. The following incredible story illustrates this concept:
A distribution was recently held by a chessed organization in Bnei Brak to allocate heaters to people with large families, bringing warmth into their homes during the cold winter months. Understandably, a large crowd converged to take advantage of this free offer.
During the distribution, a yungerman with a large family sat in Kollel, learning diligently with his chavrusa. His family was in desperate need of a “heated bath” in which to bathe their young children. But because it was during seder, he resolved to keep on learning.
Fifteen minutes before the end of the seder, his chavrusa closed his Gemara, saying that he wanted to take advantage of the distribution; he desperately needed a heater at home. But the first yungerman remained learning at his place.
A little while later, the chavrusa returned, and said with disappointment, “By the time I arrived, there were no radiators left. All they had was small heated bath to bathe young children. I took one, but I don’t really need it. Perhaps you can use it?”
The ba’al bitachon had remained at his Gemara, and his needs were brought to his door!
Inherent in Creation
The concept of יסובבנו, חסד בה› הבוטח one who trusts in Hashem, kindness surrounds him, is inherent in the creation of the world; it is a fact. And if we open our eyes, we will see that such stories happen all the time for those who work on their bitachon. Such a Yid knows with certainty that he simply needs to continue his Torah and tefillah, and the creation will pursue him to provide him with his needs. It happens again and again, because this is the nature of the world.
This is what the Maggid of Mezerich taught: יסובבנו חסד בה› והבוטח is not a segulah, it is a fact. HaKadosh Baruch Hu inculcated this fact into the creation, and this is the way the world works. The same order of nature that makes things grow... the same order of nature that makes the sun come up in the morning... this same order of nature accompanies and provides for the ba’al bitachon.
If a person goes with bitachon, he will see that this happens. It is not a miracle; it is the order of Shabbos that has been instilled in creation! The Ribbono shel Olam has arranged for menuchah in this world, and He said: Whoever wants to connect to the serenity of Shabbos can tap into it even during the remaining days of the week. A Yid who lives with bitachon can merit to live לבך, משאלות לך ויתן ה› על והתענג to take pleasure in Hashem and He will provide all your heart’s desires. He will receive pleasure from his menuchas hanefesh, and, rather than having to pursue what he needs, the creation will pursue him to provide his needs.
Calm While Facing a Pack of Dogs
The Midrash (Parashas Vayeishev 84:5) relates: Once there was a person who was going on his way when he saw a pack of dogs. He was afraid of them, and then he sat among them. So too, when Yaakov Avinu saw Esav and his legions, he was afraid, and then he sat among them.
The Chiddushei HaRim explained that this Midrash is teaching us that when a person finds himself in a calamity... he is surrounded by a pack of dogs... he should not preoccupy himself with escaping—rather, amid the challenge, he should find calmness, serenity, and acceptance, believing wholeheartedly that it is all from Above.
When a person wants to escape his challenging situation, he should not do so by focusing on the hishtadlus aspect—rather, he should escape by running farther towards Hashem and His plan. Because this is the way the Ribbono shel Olam designed the creation: A Yid who is prepared to do the difficult work of bitachon in order to attain menuchas hanefesh, will merit נעמה, כי הארץ ואת and the land that it is sweet—all the yeshu’os will pursue him.
The Serenity of Yosef HaTzaddik in Prison
In a similar vein, the Kedushas Levi (Parashas Vayeishev) teaches us that regarding Yosef HaTzaddik the Torah states הסוהר, בבית שם ויהי and he remained there in prison. Yosef HaTzaddik accepted Hashem’s will upon himself—no matter how difficult it was. שם, ויהי he remained there... completely reliant on Hashem, not doing anything to fight his way out of prison.
He could have taken steps to try to emerge, but instead he said, “I am living here with the Ribbono shel Olam, and He will help me. Everything will be okay.” And for this reason, the pasuk testifies, “he remained there...” calm and serene, knowing that if he is here, then he is meant to be here—until it will be the will of Hashem to free him.
Indeed, his emergence from prison came about in a way that he could never have fathomed, through the dream of the Sar HaMashkim which he deciphered. (It was only after the dream that the Sar HaMashkim forgot him, and Yosef HaTzaddik was punished for asking him to remember him before Pharoh. But during all the years of his incarceration, he did nothing but accept the will of Hashem).
The Blissful and Serene Life of the Ba’al Bitachon
What Is Your First Reaction When Encountering a Problem?
The teachings of these tzaddikim may raise some eyebrows. “What does it mean that we sit, remain, and accept.... What about hishtadlus? Aren’t we taught that we must take action? To do our part?!”
The answer is very simple. Of course we need to do the necessary hishtadlus. But there is a crucial distinction: When you need to take care of something... when you have something troubling you... Where do you turn first? What is your first reaction, with your heart, your brain, and your actions?
The Mistake of Turning to Hishtadlus First
Usually, a person will turn to hishtadlus first, in the hope that it will help him. His picks up the telephone... he runs to take action... he becomes tense.... He reacts to the problem with outward actions—all with the excuse that he needs to do hishtadlus.
Later, when he sees that it’s not working, he remembers bitachon. He throws in a kapitel Tehillim, and he thinks thoughts of bitachon... all in the effort that his actions should bear fruit. But this is not the “Shabbos way,” and it is not the way it supposed to work. There is no reason to pursue your needs to this extent: HaKadosh Baruch Hu arranged the creation in a way that it will pursue you!
The Key Is Here; Where Are You Going?!
Imagine that a person arrives with his entire family at an apartment where he is meant to stay for Shabbos. It is the middle of the night, the door is locked, and it is pouring outside. He becomes frantic. He begins calling whomever he can.... But wait! The key is right here! The owner hid it away for you! Look around a bit, and you will find it.
The same thing plays out with all the situations into which Hashem places us. The first thing we must know is that the keys are right in front of us, within our challenging situation. You can be calm! You don’t need run and turn everything over. If you will look within your own heart, you will find the key; Hashem will send the solution.
The Ba’al Bitachon Knows That the Key Is in His Pocket
Suppose that our guest receives a phone call from the owner of the apartment, during which he is told exactly where the key is hidden. He will be calm even before he finds it, because he knows that the key is within reach. It is right here.
The ba’al bitachon always lives with this serenity. He knows that the key is here. He lives with the feeling of עשויה, מלאכתך כל all my work has been done. Every Yid, in every situation, can attain this deep serenity, every person according to his level.
If we will feel the pleasure of טוב, כי מנוחה וירא we will always want to live this way. We will be willing to bend our shoulders and do the hard work of trusting Hashem—accepting His Will completely—all to attain the serenity that comes with it. And even if what we want doesn’t materialize, we will still be joyful and serene, knowing that it was not meant to be: I didn’t need it.
The ba’al bitachon is happy no matter the situation—whether or not he gets what he wants—because he has seen so many times that Hashem provides for all his needs. Thus, he has developed the knowledge and the feeling that if something does not happen, it is because it isn’t good for him.
Why Pharoh Dreamed for Two Years
The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh tells us that Pharaoh didn’t just dream his dreams once; he constantly dreamed them for two years, and forgot his dreams every day, until the last day, when he remembered it. Asks Rebbe Meir’l of Premishlan: Why was it necessary for him to dream constantly if he was going to forget it anyway? Wasn’t it enough for him to dream the dream once?
The Yeshu’ah Was Ready; They Waited for Bitachon
Answers Rebbe Meir’l. The salvation was ready to come all along—and this is why Pharoh began dreaming. But Yosef HaTzaddik’s bitachon hadn’t been perfected yet—as evidenced by the fact that he petitioned the Sar HaMashkim to remember him before Pharoh. It took two years until Yosef HaTzaddik attained a lofty level of bitachon; only then did he merit to be taken out from prison.
Hishtadlus Will Not Help
We must always remember that it is not the hishtadlus in any given situation that will help us; we must turn to hishtadlus only after we have turned properly to the Ribbono shel Olam. After we have ingrained in our hearts the fact that our salvation will come only from Hashem... after we have tapped into the serenity of Shabbos Kodesh.
After we have become “Shabbos’dig,”—with bitachon attitudes that reflect the serenity of Shabbos—can we approach doing hishtadlus. Because, until we have attained the loftiest level of bitachon, our mahn lies at a distance, and we must venture out to retrieve it. But we only do so because Hashem commanded us to do our hishtadlus as a complement to our bitachon—it is a means to an end, not an end in itself.
The ba’al bitachon never runs away from Hashem. He takes the right actions... he discusses his next steps with wise people...he inquires, and he takes his hishtadlus seriously—but only as a complement to the main event, which is his bitachon, and only because Hashem commanded us to do so.
A Shabbos’dig Life
A Yid who has bitachon lives even during the weekdays with the mindset of עשויה, מלאכתך כל all your work has been done, because even during the week he is as serene as on Shabbos.
True, he has not attained the level of bitachon of the Rebbe Rav Zusha whose food would come to him without him having to lift a finger. He is not there yet... he must still do some hishtadlus... but he does his hishtadlus with the proper mindset and attitude.
He knows that the middle of the week is no different from Shabbos—as far as serenity is concerned. Perhaps it is more concealed, but in depth, it is the same creation: for the ba’al bitachon it is always Shabbos!
Unnecessary Hishtadlus Is Akin to Unnecessary Work on Shabbos
To emphasize this point, we will liken the ba’al bitachon as he engages in hishtadlus to someone who is mechallel Shabbos to save a life.
Someone who is mechallel Shabbos for piku’ach nefesh—solely for the sake of saving a life—will do the minimum that is necessary. He will use the telephone, but he will put it down the moment the call is complete. He will drive with a car to the hospital, but no farther than that. He contemplates every step to see whether it is necessary in order to save a life. He doesn’t do anything extra, because he doesn’t want to be mechallel Shabbos in vain.
Similarly, the ba’al bitachon lives with this attitude regarding hishtadlus. He contemplates every measure of hishtadlus to see whether he is moving away from the Ribbono shel Olam by doing so. “Is this move necessary—or am I overdoing my hishtadlus?” In this way, he acquires incredible serenity. He is not carried away with his hishtadlus because he is serene, with his Shabbos’dig menuchas hanefesh.
The Incredible Menuchas Hanefesh of the Ba’al Bitachon
One can attain the incredible serenity that comes with bitachon by tapping into the menuchah of Shabbos Kodesh. We see this in the Minchah of Shabbos, in which we recite nine different expressions of menuchah.
When a Yid is mevatel himself to the Ribbono shel Olam, he believes that if he needs something, then Hashem will certainly send it to him... he becomes so filled with love for Hashem! It brings him such closeness to Hashem! He is unable to forgo a tefillah with kavannah; he has no choice... he is compelled to give effusive thanks to Hashem. He is so consumed with thanks for everything that he is given on a constant basis—recognizing that it’s all from Above—how can he not offer thanks?! His bitachon brings him such joy and true serenity.
A True Feeling of “King of Creation”
A Yid who lives with this attitude begins to feel what the Mesilas Yesharim says in the beginning of the sefer: man is the “king of the creation.” This Yid stands and wonders how he merited that Hashem chose him to be the king whom the entire universe works around and provides his needs.
Every Yid—even a simple person—can attain this feeling. This is one of the great principles of bitachon: When it comes to bitachon, it matters not what a person did yesterday or the day before. If he serves Hashem, and he has true bitachon in Hashem, then the entire creation will go to work for him. He will be the הבריאה, מלך the king of creation.
And of course, his bitachon will bring him incredible serenity... it will be very hard to upset him... it will be very hard to get the better of him... because this person is living in serenity! He has already experienced the feeling twenty times today alone that Hashem accompanies him. He remembers the same thing from yesterday... the chessed of Hashem is constant. Thus, how could he not live with an incredible serenity.
The Purpose of Torah Is Emunah and Bitachon
The truth is that when Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said that a talmid chacham is in a state of Shabbos, it is clear that he didn’t mean a person who learns Torah but doesn’t have emunah and bitachon—for such Torah can’t possibly be retained by such a person. As Chazal tell us אלא תורה נתנה לא המן, לאוכלי the Torah was given only to the generation who received the mahn, the generation who relied on Hashem completely for their sustenance. Without emunah, the Torah cannot bring a person the kedushah that the Torah is meant to bring him.
A true talmid chacham is someone who was influenced by his Torah to understand that: I don’t need to pursue the world, because the universe is running after me!
This is the purpose of the entire Torah, as tzaddikim explained in the pasuk אלוקיך, ה› אנכי לאמר האלה הדברים כל את אלקים וידבר HaKadosh Baruch Hu spoke all these words of the Torah for the sole purpose that we should acknowledge and internalize that Hashem is our G-d (Shemos 20:1). If a person wants to know where his Torah stands, he should examine where his bitachon stands—for the purpose of Torah is emunah in Hashem.
If We Have Bitachon, We Don’t Run Anywhere
If we learn Torah in the proper way, it will help us become true ba’alei bitachon. The Torah influences the person to become closer to Hashem. He no longer needs to pursue anything, because he trusts that Hashem will give him everything he needs! This in turn brings the person incredible menuchah. He begins to understand that Hashem gave us the gift of Shabbos so that we should understand how close He is to us, and thus we can transfer that same feeling and serenity to all the days of the week.
The ba’al bitachon doesn’t run after all sorts of hishtadlus measures. He remains in place and finds pleasure in Hashem—as Shlomo HaMelech teaches us, תנח, אל מקומך עליך תעלה המושל רוח אם if the anger of a ruler flares up against you, do not leave your place (Koheles (10:4). If the yetzer hara comes to you and seeks to propel you this way and that way, stay calm! Don’t be afraid. Don’t lunge for the hishtadlus....
This feeling of “remaining in place” brings a person such calm and serenity and pleasure. David HaMelech calls this משאלות לך ויתן ה› על והתענג לבך, and rely on Hashem for your enjoyments, for He will grant you the desires
