Why Bitachon Will Always Bring Salvation
The Yeshuah That Comes After Strengthening Ourselves with Bitachon
Previously we learned the yesod of the Chovos HaLevavos that a Yid should never be afraid to trust strongly in Hashem, even when he executed a foolish move in business. One should never fall into the rut of thinking, “I am a shlimazel.... I did something foolish, and now I’m paying the price.” Rather, a person should continue to turn his heart to Hashem, secure in the knowledge that everything transpired with direct Hashgachah Elyonah, and it is what is best for him.
When a Yid believes this, he will later merit to be helped with open yeshuos. There is a well-known Midrash that the Ba’al Shem Tov would often repeat on the pasuk צלך ה', Hashem is your shadow. The Midrash explains that Hashem is your shadow: however you behave, Hashem will mirror and shadow that behavior. Thus, the more a Yid strengthens himself with emunah and bitachon, the more Hashem will indeed assist him with revealed good, and the person will merit a torrent of shefa from Above.
The Reward for Bitachon Is Yet More Bitachon
There is yet another reason that when a Yid strengthens himself with bitachon even in strained business situations, he will later be helped with revealed good. There is a tremendous yesod from the Brisker Rov (see Chidushei HaGriz, p. 53) who explains that to reward the ba’al bitachon with money would be silly. His pleasure of kirvas Elokim far exceeds any pleasure that could be had by material things. So, what kind of reward can we give him?
The answer is that the ba’al bitachon is given even more feelings of trust in Hashem and closeness to Hashem. There’s no limit to how much bitachon a Yid can have. The Ribbono shel Olam repays a Yid who trusts in Him by giving him an even higher level of bitachon. This is the true reward for the mitzvah of bitachon—the fact that a person will feel even more strongly that Hashem is orchestrating all his affairs. The more he sees it and senses it, the greater the pleasure he will feel.
His Salvation Strengthens His Bitachon
By definition, one of the ways Hashem will gift a person with the gift of bitachon is to send him salvation, a solution to his dilemma. He receives more parnassah; his business becomes more established; his problems are resolved—but the purpose is not the yeshuah itself.... The idea is that the person should acquire more bitachon, and the way in which he will gain more trust in Hashem is to see with his own eyes that the Ribbono shel Olam resolves his most difficult problems.
When the Ribbono shel Olam wishes to repay the ba’al bitachon for his trust, He will give him yeshuos from Above—for this will cement in the person the idea that he isn’t beholden to the natural order, and it emphasizes in him the sweet feeling of bitachon. Thus, the yeshuah is a steppingstone toward building more and stronger bitachon.
The Sfas Emes teaches us this idea (see Sfas Emes on Shevi’i shel Pesach): In order for Klal Yisrael to merit the great madreigah of emunah at סוף ים קריעת, they first needed to experience the miracles of מצרים יציאת, through which they saw that the Ribbono shel Olam helps them. The yeshuah of מצרים יציאת gave them the strength to have the proper emunah at Kriyas Yam Suf, which was necessary in order for the sea to split.
When We See the Yeshuah, Our Emunah Is Strengthened
The same plays out in all our lives, as the sefarim haKedoshim tell us that we all endure difficult problems and experiences similar to those of מצרים יציאת and סוף ים קריעת when we’re in need of salvation, and the very purpose of these experiences is so that we will acquire stronger emunah after being helped. After we see that Hashem helped us, we will become more elevated in our bitachon.
Sometimes, Hashem places a person into business difficulties expressly so that he will work on his bitachon, and then Hashem will perform a מצרים יציאת for him—but this will not simply be the reward for his bitachon; rather, the true reward is that this will enable him to feel emunah and bitachon on a deeper level. Thanks to the fact that he toiled on his emunah... he recited Tehillim... he pleaded with the Ribbono shel Olam... he was patient, and didn’t push fate... he will be rewarded with new and deeper insights and inspirations of bitachon.
Building Bitachon
We all know people who experienced difficult times with parnassah. Some people experience a downturn in their fortunes for 10-15 years! Unfortunately, this is what was bashert for them. But those who kept up their bitachon—they understood that this is what has been ordained for their good—come out on the other end greatly strengthened, having acquired a much deeper level of bitachon, precisely due to this path on which the Ribbono shel Olam has placed them.
These people will tell you, “These are the years that the Ribbono shel Olam wanted from me!” They truly felt in their most trying times that this is the mission that Ribbono shel Olam wants from them: to strengthen their bitachon. They didn’t become forlorn, nor did they despair even though it took many years, because they remembered the yesod of the Chovos HaLevavos: The Creator orchestrates your affairs far better than you can, and He chooses for you far better than anything you would choose!
The Economy’s Bad? There’s a Special Eye on My Business
The ba’al bitachon knows that even when the entire world seems to be in an economic crisis, his affairs are being overseen directly by Hashem, and his welfare isn’t tied to anything that is happening anywhere else. Proof of this is that there are people making plenty of money despite the economic conditions. The reason this person experiences difficulty is not because he happens to be in an industry that was affected by the bad economy—but because this is what was bashert for him, for his own good!
When the world is roiled by bad economic realities, it is especially important to keep our emunah about us. We must constantly reiterate it and fortify ourselves with pure bitachon.... While superficially it may seem that there’s a general blanket of a negative decree that is affecting everyone and which doesn’t discriminate between good and bad people—the reality is that there is a precise Hashgachah Pratis for each and every person in each and every situation. Every person’s parnassah has its own cheshbon, governed by precise Hashgachah. Whatever happened has nothing to do with what’s going on in the rest of the world—but is the result of the specific and particular cheshbon of what is good for your tachlis.
When Someone Doesn’t Pay, It’s for Your Good
When Someone Hurts You by Choice
There’s a special nisayon to trust Hashem even when it seems that someone hurt you of his own freewill, when it seems the pain is coming from another person, and not, chas v’shalom, from Above. This is the second example that the Chovos HaLevavos gives us. A person may experience business troubles when his customers don’t pay him. He managed to move his inventory, but he isn’t getting paid.
He is now facing mounting debt, threatened with lawsuits, and stands to lose lots of money. This brings him great anger and disappointment.
“Why is this person such a rashah? Why isn’t he paying me what he owes me? He is choosing to hurt me! It’s in his hands!”
While these feelings are understandable, the ba’al bitachon must adopt the proper attitude as outlined in the sefer Amud HaAvodah (Derush HaBitachon)—which is to know that this, too, is from Hashem, and thus there’s no reason to become broken.
It Would Have Happened in Any Case
Addressing this very dilemma, the Amud HaAvodah states, “A person can more easily be trapped when it comes to interpersonal matters than in matters between him and his Creator.” A person can be much more easily convinced to believe that when a friend chooses to hurt him—such as when he’s dishonest with him or if he embarrasses him—it isn’t from Hashem. When dealing with other people, it’s more common and likely for a person to forget that it’s from Hashem, that it has nothing to do with the other person. But this isn’t true. Yes, the person has chosen this path. But the aggravation has been specifically ordained for you.
Therefore, a Yid must always remember that the other guy is not the real reason for his suffering—it’s purely the decree of the Creator! If it didn’t come from him, it would come from elsewhere! The Ribbono shel Olam has many emissaries. It never happens that a person receives a blow that wasn’t ordained for him. Nothing happens by accident or happenstance. When a person suffers due to someone else’s dishonesty or degradation, he should know with clarity that if it wasn’t from this person, it would have come from elsewhere in any case.
We Can’t Outrun It
The Amud HaAvodah continues: When a person internalizes this idea, he will never feel hatred toward another person even when he hurts him, for he couldn’t have escaped the bad under any circumstances. When a Yid remembers these thoughts of emunah, he will never feel anger or hatred toward someone who hurt him, because he knows that he couldn’t escape it in any case, as everything is from Hashem; ואין חכמה אין ה' לנגד עצה ואין תבונה, there is neither wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel, against Hashem (Mishlei 21:30). No one can outsmart or outrun the plan of Hashem.
This is the true and proper view and attitude of the tzaddikim. They look at the world entirely differently. And we must strengthen ourselves constantly with the words and the exhortations of the tzaddikim, allowing them to penetrate our feelings. Even though the pain happened to have come to us through this particular person, it still has nothing to do with him.
The Correct Answer to the Yetzer Hara
The Amud HaAvodah elaborates further: Sometimes, the yetzer hara will seek to convince a person to retaliate against someone who wronged him. “I will tell him, once and for all, so he should know!” We must resist this temptation, and this is what we should answer the yetzer hara: “If it is bashert for this person to experience pain or humiliation, he will get it regardless of whether I do it. Why should I be the shaliach to do this dirty work? Let his wife yell at him....”
Sometimes a person feels, “He must hear it! He is so wrong! He’s hurting me, and he’s hurting others... someone must tell him!” But the offended person must make the cheshbon: “If it’s bashert from Above for someone to admonish him or punish him, it will happen in any case. I don’t need to be the one to do it.”
If It Isn’t Bashert, I Cannot Do It in Any Case
Conversely, says the Rebbe, if, on the other hand, it has not been ordained for this person to receive this admonishment or punishment, there is nothing I can do to bring it about. All my efforts will be in vain. If so, why should I toil for naught.
We must look at the matter this way: If it’s bashert, it will happen regardless—and if it doesn’t happen, it means that the Ribbono shel Olam doesn’t want it to happen; thus, there’s nothing I can do to make it happen.
When we’re engaged in business, we must relentlessly reiterate these words. If someone doesn’t pay me on time, if someone plays games with my invoices, this means that it’s bashert from Above for this to happen; it has nothing to do with him. It’s often difficult to remember this when it happens, because we’re so consumed with pain, but this is our duty and our life’s work.
The Eternal Gifts We Receive by Strengthening Our Emunah
The Joy of Blame
These holy words teach us a tremendous principle in life:
The nature of a person is that when he experiences a failure of some kind, or a loss of money, he desperately searches for someone or something to blame. It’s a way of dealing with the pain. He feels tremendous pain, he is aggravated that something didn’t go as he wished, and it’s thus very important for him to have something on which to blame it. It is soothing to feel that someone is at fault....
Sometimes, a person is content to blame... himself! Even this is better than not having anything to blame it on. Thus, this person will knock himself and blame himself: “Why did I do this? Why did I deal with this person? It was so foolish. I, myself, am to blame!”
The temptation is even greater when we’re legitimately able to blame someone else. Even if we’re embarrassed to yell at the person outright, we will tell the story to others... thereby falling into transgressions of lashon hara. We unburden to a friend, and we become great psychologists: “This person is built this way... he possesses such a personality, and this is why he did this....” We invest all our energies into explaining that this person behaved this way because of the way he’s calibrated—and this is why I am now suffering.
Acquiring Pure Emunah
Given this tendency, it is very difficult for a person to completely transform his attitude, to think, “It’s not my fault, nor is it anyone else’s fault, but this is what Hashem wanted, and this is why it happened.” This attitude may be painful for a person, because he can’t express his frustration by blaming anyone.
It may be painful, but we are told that ביסורים נקנית הבא עולם, the World to Come is acquired through pain. You’re acquiring a wonderful thing! You will experience a true feeling of emunah if you’re willing to transform your attitude and feelings. The Ribbono shel Olam will grant you great pleasure as a reward for enduring this pain.
A Recurring Nisayon
The temptation to blame others isn’t a one-time event—it’s a nisayon that comes to us constantly, and we must resist it. Yesterday I was able to refrain from besmirching someone, because I strengthened my emunah and bitachon. But today, there’s a fresh nisayon to talk about him and what he did to me. Often, it will happen on the same day; in the morning, he was able to resist the temptation, and it comes back in full force in the afternoon—because the pain is unbearable.
But a Yid must have the inner strength and fortitude to proclaim, “No! It’s not him, it’s not me—it’s all the Ribbono shel Olam, and I will turn only to Him! Only He can help me!” It’s very painful, but this pain enables us to acquire emunah on levels we never thought possible! It becomes yours, and it accompanies you forever, giving you endless serenity.
Blaming others (or yourself) may give you a temporary reprieve and calm you for the moment—but it wears off after a while. A while later, the aggravation and pain will return, and you will have to calm yourself again by blaming others. But if you acquire emunah, this is the greatest reward, because it penetrates deep inside your soul, and you no longer feel the pain or embarrassment.
Practical Application
When a talmid chacham wishes to become a dayan, to rule on halachah, he must first review and bring together all the details and sources, because he must later compare the actual queries he receives to the original cases brought in the sources. This Moreh Hora’ah takes the theoretical and makes it practical; he brings it down to this world.
When a person engages in business and wants to have a joyful life, he must also walk this path. He must internalize all the yesodos of bitachon, so when he gets a practical “she’eilah” (i.e., a dilemma or a loss) he should be able to apply the yesodos to his precise and particular situation. For example, when he suffers a loss at the hands of another person, he will invoke the teaching of the Amud HaAvodah to remember that nothing comes from others, only from Hashem. When he remains stuck with excess inventory, he will recall the words of the Chovos HaLevavos that address this matter—even if a person is unworthy.
Each one of these principles is a sugya in itself—and we can study it with much depth. But the main thing is to remember the conclusions, because while doing business, these dilemmas may present themselves two or three at a time—and a person must be ready to address them armed with these yesodos of bitachon.
Why It’s Difficult
The Chovos HaLevavos (Perek 3) explains that one reason the Ribbono shel Olam designed the world in such a way that a person should have to engage in hishtadlus is to see whether the person will remain faithful. For when one does business, very difficult situations arise, and if the person navigates them in the right way, he will elevate himself tremendously; if he recalls these important yesodos, it will bring him tremendous kirvas Elokim. For this reason, the Ribbono shel Olam created difficult situations in business, because He wants you not to forget about Him.
Imagine that money flowed into your bank account every month, and all your needs would be satisfied without any exertion... You would never become close to the Ribbono shel Olam. You’d be like the nachash that eats soil and has all the food he can ever wish for—but he has no connection to the Ribbono shel Olam.
He Desires Us
But the Ribbono shel Olam wants a relationship with us, and for this reason, He ensured that we would endure these situations. Sometimes, we can’t get paid... other times we can’t move inventory... on other occasions, someone else is at fault, and yet other times a person is stuck paying a loan that he co-signed.
The Ribbono shel Olam will intentionally make these things happen through other people who do it of their own free will—but really, it has been ordained long before, all for the purpose of testing us and bringing us closer.
It is all for the purpose of bringing a Yid to rely on the Ribbono shel Olam and always remember תקותי ממנו כי נפשי דומי לאלוקים אך, for Hashem Alone wait silently my soul, because my hope is from Him.
