To Expand His Mind and Cling to Emunah
Basic emunah is simple faith, which is an inheritance we received from Yaakov Avinu, and absolute emunah means for a person to expand his mind and heart with emunah in Hashem and to cling to it with all his might. And clinging to it is an enactment of all the major mitzvos that branch out of emunah, for “all Your mitzvos are emunah,” and emunah is the foundation of all madreigos....
The main mitzvos that branch out of it are bitachon, joy, purity, clinging to Hashem, feeling shame before Hashem, and distancing oneself from forbidden thoughts...and a great emunah in hashgachah pratis and belief in the geulah, belief in the words of our Sages, love for Hashem, and the desire for Hashem.... This is called “absolute emunah,” more than that of average people. Of such a person it is said, “My Eyes are upon the faithful ones of the earth,” for Hashem watches over such a person with extra care....
(Based on Shomer Emunim, Introduction)
Bringing Emunah Down to the Lowest Things
The meaning of “absolute emunah” is that if a person causes himself tremendous pain over the fact that he sinned, he should work on believing that everything is min haShamayim.... For example, while the Shevatim sinned with Yosef, everything that happened had been decreed upon him during the Bris Bein Habesarim.... This is the homiletic explanation of the passuk, “His Eyes are upon the faithful ones of the earth” – that one brings emunah down to the lowest things that belong to the earth.
(Based on Sifsei Tzaddik, Parshas Mishpatim)
More than What Is Demanded and More than His Level
The word “absolute” seems difficult to understand. This tells us that even if a person did not implant emunah firmly in his heart...he should speak words of truth and emunah with his mouth.... And this is what “absolute” means: more than that which is implanted in his heart, he should speak with his mouth.
Moreover, it can be said that regarding all other mitzvos, a person needs to make sure that his deeds are only in accordance with the feelings in his heart and not more than that, and he should not act on a level that is beyond him. But regarding emunah, his revealed acts need to be more than the feelings in his heart and his inner madreigos.
(Based on Harav Hakadosh Rav Moshe Kobrin, Imros Moshe)
To Be Infused by Emunah
These words bring to light a new concept regarding perfection in emunah. Not only should one believe that Hashem provides for and sustains all of creation, from the horns of an ox to the smallest of lice eggs, but rather, all of a person’s deeds should be infused by the belief that “no person can touch that which is prepared for someone else,” and even if he toils for a thousand years, he will not succeed in making even one penny more than that which Hashem yisbarach set aside for him on Rosh Hashanah. When he truly recognizes this, then he is worthy of being called one who holds on to “absolute emunah.” Clearly, as a result of this perfect emunah he will distance himself from causing harm to other people.
In light of this, the words “hold on to absolute emunah” mean that he should be so infused with pure emunah that as a natural outcome, his dealings will be faithful and he will not cause harm to others. His refraining from harming others will be derived from the perfection and purity of his emunah.
(Based on Be’er Moshe, Parshas Behar)
