A Thought on Bitachon
From the shiurim on Kav Hashgacha Pratis
Why should he be judged again for having been punished?
Based on what we said above, we can explain that by bringing upon himself the punishment of poverty, the bounty that should have come to him became available to the forces of evil. He is now doubly guilty for having strengthened the evil in the world.
(Based on Shem MiShmuel)
When a Person Eats L’Shem Shamayim, His Parnassah Is Readily Available
There are four levels of creation: inanimate objects, plant life, animals, and human beings. Everything, on whatever level it may be, naturally strives to be raised to the next higher level. The soil strives to produce plant life, thus converting itself from being an inanimate object to become a living, growing plant. Plants strive to become animal life, and therefore they offer no resistance to being consumed by animals.
Following this pattern, animals should naturally strive to be eaten by man, thereby raising themselves to a higher level of creation.
Why then do animals flee when people try to catch them and eat them? It is because man often eats without proper intentions. If man eats with proper intentions – l’Shem Shamayim – then he accomplishes a great tikkun for the food he is eating, and that food is elevated by the human soul, which is a part of Hashem. Naturally, this is how it should be, but man ruined it for himself. That is why the animals run away. And we learn from here that if a person has proper intentions when eating – that is, if he eats in order to raise the level of the food he eats, then his sustenance will reach him effortlessly.
(Based on Sefer Hamiknah)
Through Bitachon a Person Spares Himself Work and Toil
The fact that man needs to work for parnassah is a result of his sins. To carry out the curse, “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread,” it is enough for him to have to gather food right near his home, just as Am Yisrael gathered mann. All the work and toil he must endure are a result of his sins.
Because of the mere fact that a person believes his own work and toil are what bring him his parnassah, he deserves the punishment of having to work hard for his parnassah. The cycle then continues, as this punishment seemingly confirms his mistaken belief in the value of his own work, and his lack of emunah goes from bad to worse.
Thus, the person himself takes what could be an incredible state of dependence on Hashem and turns it into a state of rebuke and Gehinnom through the fact that he doesn’t trust in his Creator. On the other hand, through working on bitachon, he can be calm and at peace without any fears about the morrow, and he can spare himself much worry. Hakadosh Baruch Hu can then give him all his needs amply, in accordance with the natural order that He created in the world.
(Based on Chochmas Hamatzpun)
Person Receives Sustenance from Above, but He Might Deny Himself Access to It
The term “deny himself access” means that although the person receives his sustenance, his bad deeds can make him unable to access it, and it is usurped by forces of evil. Based on this, we can understand a lesson I heard in the name of the holy Reb Bunim of Peshischa zt”l, that every poor person will stand in judgment for the fact that he is poor. But what does that mean? If a person has sinned and therefore he is poor, he has already been punished.
