When we strengthen our bitachon, the question arises: How are we to view dangerous situations?
A person who needs to travel somewhere might have a choice of taking a longer route, which is safer, or a shorter route that involves some danger. The danger inherent in the second route might be enemies, or the road may not be paved and is full of rocks that could cause him to stumble. Which of the two ways should he choose? Does he have permission to say “I trust in Hashem that He will save me” and to take the short, albeit dangerous, route?
Chazal teach: A person should never put himself in a dangerous situation and assume that Hashem will make miracles for him, for perhaps Hashem will not make a miracle for him, and if He does make a miracle for him, it will decrease his merits (Shabbos 32a).
In the beginning of the fourth chapter of Shaar Habitachon, Rabbenu Bachyai brings an example from the parshah regarding Yaakov Avinu, who said “Katonti – I have been made small by all of Hashem’s kindnesses to me. This implies that his merits have decreased as a result of Hashem’s goodness to him.
Why did Yaakov suspect this after Hashem had promised him, “...and I will safeguard you wherever you go?” Yaakov went on to speak of all of Hashem’s chessed, and his large family (“and now I have become two camps”), and he recognized all the limitless good of Hashem. His conclusion is: katonti.... But doesn’t Yaakov know that he is a loyal servant of Hashem? What he really meant to say was: I was zocheh to learn Torah and do mitzvos, but Hashem’s kindness to me was so great that I have already eaten away all my zechuyos, and now I cannot depend on them, but only on the chessed of Hashem.
Nor should we depend on nissim or on our zechuyos, and where there is possible danger, we should do whatever we can to safeguard ourselves and steer clear of it.
In maseches Taanis (20b) the Gemara relates: Rav Huna had many jugs of wine in a storage room, but the room was part of a house that was in imminent danger of collapsing. If this were to happen, all the jugs would be smashed and he would incur a tremendous loss.
So he called workers, who started clearing the jugs of wine out of the house. Now, however, not only was the wine in danger, but so were the people who were moving it. This was a far greater problem. What could he do to ensure that people would not be hurt?
Rav Huna thought of a solution. He called the Amora Rav Adda bar Ahava and engaged him in a Torah discussion. Rav Huna spoke at length with Rav Adda about a sugya, while the family members and workers carried out the jugs. When they finished and the house was empty, with everything outside, Rav Huna and Rav Adda left it immediately.
At that exact moment the house collapsed.
Rav Adda now understood Rav Huna’s idea. Rav Huna knew that Rav Adda had tremendous zechuyos, and with his great kedushah he would safeguard the house. That was why he brought him there to speak in learning – in order to ensure that the house would not collapse. Rav Huna knew that Rav Adda’s kochos were very great, so that even if the house was supposed to collapse, it would not have collapsed while he was inside, and the mere fact that he was there served to protect them.
But Rav Adda was upset, because he claimed, as it says in the Gemara, that one should not stay in a dangerous place. It is forbidden for a person to depend on his own merits to save him from danger, because if, chalilah, he is hurt, he will be liable for what occurred to him. And if he is saved – his merits will be decreased. Moreover, the reward for his zechuyos is his for the World to Come. Heaven forbid that he should give away even a bit of it in this world!
Let us learn from Yaakov Avinu, who was a tzaddik elyon, who served Hashem under trying conditions, who went through so many difficulties and tzaros, and who remained staunch in his emunah. He invested all his kochos in raising the twelve Shevatim, and despite everything, when he faced danger, he prepared himself with the hishtadlus of gifts, davening, and plans for war, and did not depend on a miracle.
May it be the will of our Father in Shamayim that we know how to safeguard ourselves. May we be spared from all sorts of dangers and evil things, and may our zechuyos increase and serve as a blessing for us; amen.
