First Fear, Then Bitachon
The Brisker Rav explains that we make a mistake about bitachon. The pasuk in Tehillim (56:4) says: יום אירא אני אלי ך אב טח – “The day I fear, I will hope for You." Dovid Hamelech said, there were many days in my life when I had fear. He was often overcome with tremendous fear. The situation looked hopeless. But when that happened, he put his full faith in Hashem. "When I am afraid, I will put my bitachon in You." The Brisker Rav asked, what is Dovid Hamelech saying? What is he trying to teach us?
If a person is at ease and is tranquil because he isn't aware that there is any danger; or if he isn't aware of the extent of the danger, and he is calm and says אם ירצה ה' everything's going to be fine. That's not bitachon. That’s complacency. Bitachon is only after a person is completely aware of his predicament, only after he contemplates on how great of a difficult spot he's in and he says, in spite of all this, I'm going trust in Hashem.
Here's a person speaking to a doctor and the doctor tells him how terrible the situation is. So, he pours his heart out to his friend. That person then tells him, "Doctors are all liars. You can't trust them. They think they know something, but really they know nothing." And the guy walks away thinking, "Ach, the doctor doesn't know what he's talking about." And that puts him at ease. He has nothing to worry about. It's nothing. That's not bitachon. That’s a fool. Bitachon means that you understand that the situation is serious. The doctors may be right. There is a growth there. There is something there. It's not pashut. Moreover, there is no natural derech how to be cured from this outside of a direct yeshua from Hashem. Only after a person understands that there is no escaping from his matzav, and he then turns to Hashem and he trusts that Hashem will help him, then he has bitachon. He turns around and he says, "I'm going to be with Hashem." That is how you have bitachon.
But sometimes you see people that aren't holding by such a level. They're not capable of bitachon; they're not holding by it. These people have a weak constitution and have never worked on bitachon. So, they come to a Rav and they're besides themselves. Can't pull themselves together.
The Rav is a kindhearted person. So, in order to encourage them he tells them, "Don't worry, it's going to be alright." "Rabbi, promise me, tell me it's going to be better." "Don't worry, it's going to be better." But it didn't get better, and the person eventually died. That happens when the Rav sees that the people have lost hope, and he wanted to give them some encouragement. That's also a big chessed. To give people hope so they don't fall apart. But, the Rav adds, don't stop davening.
You have to know that surprises are in store for all of us. All of us. Because as long as we're alive, we have to face challenges.
A person finds himself in a tough predicament. You don't see a way out. You don't see a gateway for hope. You have to know, that's when you employ bitachon. But you can't start with bitachon at that point. You can't call up the Rav and say, "How do I get bitachon?" You can't get bitachon at that moment. You have to take a course in bitachon. You have to work on bitachon. You have to practice bitachon.
