Just a few days ago, on Purim, we sang with joy and excitement, “To make it known that all those who place their hopes in You will not be shamed forever.” Dovid Hamelech requests of Hashem (Tehillim 25:3), “All those who place their hopes in You shall not be shamed.” Dovid is davening for all Jews throughout the generations, and for us as well, the Jews of 5785. He is asking that a person who strengthens himself in emunah and places his hopes in Hashem’s salvation will not be shamed, that everyone would see that his bita- chon indeed resulted in salvation.
And since Dovid asked for this, we also have per- mission to daven to Hashem in this way. We can ask: Ribbono shel Olam, help me strengthen my bitachon in You, to hope and anticipate your sal- vation with all my heart and soul. And please don’t let me be shamed! People should not say, “What is the worth of this bitachon of yours?” Ribbono shel Olam, I know that I do not deserve anything, but in the zechus of the fact that I trusted that You would help me, let me not be shamed for the fact that I trusted in You! Let everyone see that “Fortu- nate is the man who trusts in Hashem!”
The passuk goes on to state who are the peo- ple who should be shamed – those who rebel; the wicked, the apostates, those who destroy Yiddishkeit. These people should be shamed; they should not succeed, and all should see their downfall; and through this, emunah will be strengthened in the hearts of Jews who seek Hashem.
The Midrash on Tehillim sheds additional light on Dovid Hamelech’s request. The Midrash explains that Dovid was saying, “Hashem, when I stand before You in tefillah, let not my tefillah be reject- ed by You, for Am Yisrael depends on me, and I depend on You.”
Dovid Hamelech is not asking for himself, he is not speaking here about his personal needs. Rather, he is asking for the needs of Klal Yisrael, and therefore his tefillah is a tefillas rabbim.
Here we come to an important point on the topic of bitachon: How are we to relate to the idea of asking a tzaddik to daven for us?
Throughout the generations, in all the different communities and circles within Am Yisrael, peo- ple knew about going to a tzaddik to ask for a brachah and to be po’el yeshuos. What is the place of the tzaddik in the context of our bitachon in Hashem? Is this simply hishtadlus that doesn’t contradict bitachon, or is it part and parcel of de- sirable bitachon?
Rav Yerucham Levovitz, the mashgiach of Mir, in his sefer Da’as Chochmah Umussar, explains that in truth there are things on which it is appro- priate to rely, and we are even commanded to do so, as it says in the passuk (Devarim 18:15), “A navi from among you...you shall obey.” We are to rely on the navi and to trust him regarding whatev- er he instructs Am Yisrael, according to the Word of Hashem. Likewise, we can rely on him that he passes on our requests to Hashem yisbarach, as the passuk states (Devarim 5:24): “I heard what the nation has said to you; what they have said is good.” Bnei Yisrael asked Moshe to pass on their request to Hashem, and Hashem listened and answered Moshe Rabbenu that indeed they had requested something appropriate. This is the proper way: to make requests of Hashem through a navi. In this way they will surely come closer to Hashem, and they can trust and rely on the navi with complete bitachon.
Nowadays, we do not have either a navi or an urim v’tumim, but we still can connect to a tzad- dik, who is closer to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. The concept of “going to a chacham to plead for mercy for him” exists at all times, and it is a mitzvah for us to listen to the words of chachamim, because through them a person can come closest to Hash- em.
There are many stories that have come from all the communities and sectors, of very simple or ignorant Jews who barely knew how to open a sefer and barely did any mitzvos, and when they came upon difficult times they asked a tzaddik to be po’el a yeshuah for them, and they merited a miracle, and things became easier for them. Through this they came closer to the tzaddik and to Yiddishkeit in general, and the Name of Hash- em was sanctified in the world’s eyes.
When a Yid comes closer to a tzaddik, he comes closer to Hashem, and these things go together: “And they believed in Hashem and in His servant Moshe.” Each generation has its leaders and tzaddikim. The Creator doesn’t leave any genera- tion orphaned, and even in the final generations, there are genuine tzaddikim.
When a Jew comes upon hard times, and he dav- ens to Hashem with all his heart, he sometimes knows that his burden is too heavy, that he has done too much nonsense in his life, and therefore he approaches a tzaddik, who is more pure, clos- er to Hashem, and his tefillah is accepted. This is how it was in all the generations, and this is how it is in our generation as well.
May we be zocheh to trust in Hashem and to be- lieve in the tzaddikim, and may the chachamim of Am Yisrael remain among us for many healthy years. May we be zocheh to Chazal’s promise: In Nissan our ancestors were redeemed, and in Nissan we will be redeemed; amen.
