The Midrash says, "Everything can be attained with bitachon. If you suffer yesurim, have bitachon. To merit Hashem's compassion, have bitachon. If you want forgiveness, have bitachon. For the redemption, have bitachon, as it states [in this week's parashah, 49:18] 'ה קויתי לישעותך, 'For Your salvation, I trust, Hashem.'"
What are the techniques for acquiring bitachon?
One way is to speak about bitachon. One can say 'ה קויתי לישעותך several times (as is done by kriyas Shema she'al hamittah). He should review the concept of bitachon until he acquires it.
Rebbe Moshe Kobriner zt'l saw a Yid who was very worried and asked what was bothering him. The man told the Rebbe his problems. The rebbe replied, "When a Yid has a tzarah, he must say (49:18) קויתי לישועתך 'ה, 'For Your salvation, I trust, Hashem.' If the tzarah is greater, he should say, 'ה קויתי לישועתך. And if the problem is even greater, he should say קויתי לישועתך 'ה."
Perhaps we say 'ה קויתי לישועתך in three forms (קויתי לישועתך 'ה ,לישועתך 'ה קויתי ,'ה קויתי לישעותך) to hint that the salvation might come from the right, and maybe from the left, and it can come from a third place, too, from a place you never imagined. This is as Rebbe Pinchas Koritzer zt'l says, "Someone who lives with emunah and bitachon will have yeshuos and be saved in ways he never imagined."
The story is amazing because they lived in this rented apartment for several years and used the air conditioner many times, but the money never appeared. Furthermore, more than once, technicians came to work on the air conditioner, and they never came across the cash. It was as Rebbe Pinchas of Koritz zt'l teaches: "Someone who lives with emunah and bitachon will have yeshuos in ways he never imagined."
Reb Kopel Chassid zy'a (a student of the Baal Shem Tov) was called by the merchants "Reb Kopel Shevisi'nik" because he always said (Tehillim 16): תמיד לנגדי 'ה שויתי, "I have placed Hashem before me, constantly." Every few moments in the marketplace, he would repeat this pasuk so he wouldn't forget Hashem as he conducted his business. Rebbe Yaakov Kopel owned the most accurate scale in the marketplace, as required by halachah. All the G-d fearing merchants used his scale to sell their merchandise. On the day Reb Yaakov Kopel didn’t come to the market, the other merchants would say, "When Shevisi'nik isn't here, we can't do business." Their intention was twofold: When Reb Kopel Shevisi'nik is absent, we can't do business because we don’t have an accurate scale. And they also implied that without תמיד לנגדי 'ה שויתי, without Hashem's assistance, we won’t be met with success.
We repeat this story here as an example of how we should always repeat phrases and ideas that strengthen our emunah and bitachon. Slonimer Tzaddikim said that although sheker, falsehood, is a bad middah, one is permitted to speak about emunah and bitachon, even when he hasn't yet reached those levels, because by talking about it, he will attain it.
Reb Yechezkel Abramsky zt'l and a Lubavitcher chasid were detained in a Soviet prison. One day, an officer informed them that in another twenty-four hours, they would be hung r”l. Reb Yechezkel was very afraid, but the Lubavitcher chasid remained calm. He asked Reb Yechezkel why he was so worried. Reb Yechezkel replied, "Why shouldn't I be worried? The clock is clicking, time is moving along...!" The chasid replied, "The clock is ticking, and time moves on, but the Ribono Shel Olam is always here!" They were saved. Advocates from different countries pressured the Russian government to free these two men. Reb Yechezkel Abramsky would say that he learned bitachon from this Lubavitcher chasid.
Notice that each time one says קויתי לישועתך 'ה, Hashem's name comes closer to him. The first time, he says 'ה קויתי לישעותך, where Hashem's name appears as the third word. The second time, לישועתך 'ה קויתי, "Hashem" is the second word. Finally, the third time, we say קויתי לישועתך 'ה, and Hashem's name is said first. This hints that the more we think about Hashem and the more we trust in Him, the closer Hashem comes to us.
Reb Shlomo Kalish zt'l was with Reb Chaim Brisker for a shalosh seudos, and he related that for twenty minutes, Reb Chaim repeated the words 'ה קויתי לישועתך. This is because emunah and bitachon require constant reinforcement.
In a Sefer Torah, where it states ישראל שמע אחד 'ה אלקינו 'ה, the אחד is written with a large dalet. The Baal HaTanya zt'l said that the large dalet appears like a hammer because we have to hammer the emunah into our consciousness. We say 'ה קויתי לישועתך three times, and we speak about bitachon until we acquire it.
It states (Tehillim 91:9) מחסי 'ה אתה כי. At first glance, it seems that Dovid Hamelech is saying, "Because You, Hashem, are my refuge." However, Rashi and the Metzudas Dovid don't explain the pasuk that way. Rashi says that the word אמרת is missing in the pasuk. It is like it states מחסי 'ה אמרת אתה כי, "Because you say Hashem is my refuge." The chapter speaks about many salvations. We say in this chapter, יסך באברתו ...יקוש מפח יצילך הוא כי תחסה כנפיו ותחת לך, "For He will save you from traps... His wing He will cover you, and under His wings you will take refuge," etc. Dovid HaMelech reveals to us that all these miracles will occur to us because [אמרת] אתה כי מחסי 'ה, because you say מחסי 'ה, "Hashem is my refuge."
Hashem protects us because we say 'ה מחסי, "Hashem is my refuge." Partially, this is because when we speak about bitachon, our bitachon increases, and then we will merit Hashem's protection. Rashi concludes, קצר מקרא זה והרי, "The pasuk is written in brief," because the word אמרת is lacking in the pasuk. We can explain bederech tzachus that Hakodosh Baruch Hu doesn't ask too much from us. קצר מקרא, a few words are sufficient. All we have to say is a brief sentence, מחסי 'ה אתה כי, and Hashem will immediately save him from all bad.
