For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Sutton's new book A Daily Dose of Perek Shira click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/Books/9781422644584.html Welcome to Daily Bitachon . We continue with Rabbenu Avraham ben HaRambam's levels of Bitachon. The third level, which has many nuances to it, is, in his words, when someone relies on Hashem to get what he needs, מאמין בזאת/and he believes this, בוודאות—with conviction, ובלי ספיקות/without any doubts. That's a very high level. He says that מעלת בטחון שלישית זו, לא ישיגוה רוב בני אדם/ most people won't reach that level. Shedding more light on this level of Bitachon, he adds, הנעלה ונישגבה שבמעלות הבטחון/this is the highest and most elevated level. ולא בנקל תושג/ And it's not easy to attain. An example of this, he says, is found in the Mishnah in Masechet Berachot , where we see that Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa would pray for people who were sick. And he would say, " This one is going to live, and this one is going to die. " They asked, " How do you know? " He replied, " If my prayers come out clearly, I know he's going to live. If not, then not." Rabbenu Avraham gives this as an example of someone who had a Vadai/he knew for sure. In other words he felt that if his prayers came out right, that was an indication of his Bitachon. He goes on: ומהיות שבעלי המעלה הזאת בטוחים בהשגת מבקשם/these people are guaranteed in receiving what they seek. Not because they are relying on their righteousness, but rather because they rely on Hashem's Hessed, as it says: ואני בחסדך בטחתי/I rely on Your kindness. Now , I'm not quoting every word of his, and I'm taking some things out of context, but it's important to know that such a level exists. There is a concept that I can rely on Hashem with certainty and receive what I seek. However, he clearly says that this is not for everybody—it takes a lot of hard work. But it does exist and we need to know that. Are we Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa? Obviously not. Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa is known for En Od Milevado. He's the one who the witch's daughter cast a spell on, and he said, "You can't touch me. It says En Od Milevado. " Rav Chaim Volozhin brings this down in his sefer also says it's not something for all times, and it's not easy—but it exists. So we must know this concept exists. Another example he gives is about Hillel HaZaken. The Gemara in Berachot 60A tells that Hillel HaZaken was walking on the road and heard a cry, and said, "I am certain this is not coming from my house." They bring a pasuk in Tehilim in: משמועה רעה לא יירא/he's not afraid of bad news. Why ? נכון לבו בטוח בה—because his heart is steadfast; he relies on Hashem. The Gaon of Vilna explains that this is one of the sources for this level of Bitachon. It's not so easy, and this cannot be overstated. Some people hear this concept and say, " You know what? I relied on Hashem, I really believed in Him, and I didn't get what I wanted!" But that level is not easily reached. The people he gives as examples are very, very great people—Hillel HaZaken and Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa! It's like any other great level. Yes it's a great level to be able to learn Torah for ten hours straight, but not everyone can do it. Some people can, some people can't. Some can learn four hours, some can learn two hours. It's not all or nothing. There could be a moment in time that you feel it, and then it fades. As much as you have it—that's how much you get it. Again, let's return to Rav Chaim Volozhin's En Od Milevado rule, where he says: To the extent that you believe there is nothing else but Hashem, all other forces will be annulled. It's not an all-or-nothing concept. Even within this level of relying on Hashem with certainty, it comes and goes. Things fluctuate. Rav Chaim Volozhin discusses this regarding the high level of learning Torah Lishma , where it says: מתוך שלא לשמה בא לשמה/from doing something not for God's sake, you eventually come to do it for Hashem's sake. He says it could be that you have it for one moment, and not for another. So we work on it, we try to reach it, we aspire to it. But we understand that it's not so easy, and it's not for everybody all the time. Still, we must know that this level exists, and that we can aspire to it on some level. The main point is to realize that ultimately, Hashem can do anything. Hashem is reliable if you rely on Him. Are you at that level? Only Hashem knows. I hope this sheds a little clarity on this concept that constantly comes up.

For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Sutton's new book A Daily Dose of Perek Shira click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/Books/9781422644584.html Welcome to Daily Bitachon. Rabbenu Avraham, son of the Rambam, in his sefer HaMaspik L'ovdei Hashem, talks about different levels of bitachon . Previously, we discussed lackings in bitachon. Now we will discuss the positive. The first level he mentions is a person who hopes and yearns for the fulfilling of his needs from Hashem, because of Hashem's great mercy, although, at the same time, he's concerned and worried about getting what he wants because he thinks his sins might prevent Hashem's mercy. This means he believes in Hashem's mercy, and he knows he can receive it even though he's sinned, but he's still concerned that maybe he won't merit that mercy from Hashem. This, Rabbenu Avraham says, is called meyachel lechesed Hashem—hoping for the kindness of Hashem— and it's a great thing. David HaMelech talks about people like this throughout Tehillim and Rabbenu Avraham cites many of these pesukim. He says this type of person is given a title—he is called a Ba'al ma'alah zo. Someone who is on a certain level. What's the level? He is a Ba'al yir'ah v'tikvah/ He's a person who is both fearful and hopeful . That might sound like an oxymoron, but it's not. He's hopeful for Hashem's mercy, but fearful that maybe he won't merit His mercy. There are ways to receive Hashem's mercy. One of them, the Gemara says, is kol hamerachem al habriyot, merachamim alav min hashamayim—whoever has mercy on Hashem's creatures, has mercy upon him from Heaven. So we know Hashem has mercy, and we have to merit that mercy. It's not a contradiction to the fact that you get things through your bitachon, because you still need Hashem's mercy. Maybe I won't merit it. He brings a pasuk in Tehillim 147:11 that we've heard before, but he adds a beautiful explanation. It says: רוֹצֶ֣ה יְ֭הֹוָה אֶת־יְרֵאָ֑יו אֶת־הַֽמְיַחֲלִ֥ים לְחַסְדּֽוֹ / Hashem desires those who fear Him, those who hope for His kindness . The simple explanation (which we must always start with) is: Hashem is happy with those who fear Him—God-fearing people . And separately, He also likes people who hope for His kindness. That's definitely an explanation. But Rabbenu Avraham comes along and says no—they're not two different people. They're one person. They are yera'av/they are fearful. What are they fearful of? They're fearful of His punishment. And even though they are fearful of His punishment, at the same time, meyachalim lechasdo/they're hoping for His kindness. So it's a mixture of feelings, a mixture of emotions. And that's a wonderful level. That's level number one. Level number two is when beside hoping and yearning for Hashem to fulfill his needs, he also has what Rabbenu Avraham calls bikush penimi shebalev/an inner request of the heart— and an external one, on his tongue. He is actually asking. And that, he says, is called Doresh Hashem/He's searching…he quotes many pesukim like that… mevakesh panav korei el Hashem , Uvikashtem misham es Hashem Elokecha—you will search, you will ask for Him. This is a very interesting concept: He's taking a level of hope alone, where the person hasn't done anything yet. He didn't even ask. Hope doesn't mean I asked Hashem. I'm just hoping for the best. Hope is a wonderful thing— kivui , hope . But it has not yet turned into an actual, what we'll call, dialogue. It's just a hope. The next level is when I've taken that hope and turned it into bikush penimi—an inner request—and bikush chitzoni—an outer request , an expression of what's going on inside of me. And on this, he says, David HaMelech says ( and this is the pasuk that I say at the end of the Amidah, which starts with a ד , ends with a ד —my name is David. So I'll have an additional understanding tomorrow): דִּרְשׁ֤וּ יְהֹוָה֙ וְעֻזּ֔וֹ בַּקְּשׁ֥וּ פָנָ֖יו תָּמִֽיד׃ / Search for Hashem and His strength, constantly seek His presence. Which means: keep on asking, keep on yearning. He brings many pesukim for this point—that this is also included in a level of bitachon, the bitachon of bikush added on top of the hope. It's not separate. You can ask—just asking, that's a tefillah. That doesn't yet mean you have hope . You could ask without it coming from hope. But this is a bikush that's coming from hope. I'm looking for the connection, I'm looking for Hashem. Dorshei Hashem—those that are searching for Hashem, they will not be missing anything. Bakshu et Hashem, search for Hashem—kol anavei eretz, all those humble people. And he says there are endless pesukim talking about this level. So we have two levels: 1. The hope level 2. The prayer that is an expression of that hope.

For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Sutton's new book A Daily Dose of Perek Shira click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/Books/9781422644584.html Yesterday, we quoted a pasuk brought by Rabbi Avraham ben HaRambam from Hoshea 12, 7: ואתה באלקיך תשוב, חסד ומשפט שמר, וקוה אל אלקיך תמיד / As for you, return to Hashem, observe kindness and justice, and always hope to your God." That was his source showing that we have a command from God to constantly hope to Him and never to despair. Today I'd like to share the context of this pasuk with you. In pasuk 3 of that chapter it says, ריב לה' עם יהודה / Hashem has a contention with Yehudah (the Jewish people), ולפק ד על יעקב /and will visit upon Yaakov. What is Hashem's complaint? It says in the next pasuk: בבטן עקב את אחיו / In the womb he seized his brother's heel. ובאונו שרה את אלקים / And with his strength, he struggled with an angel. Rashi explains: Hashem is describing all that He did so Yaakov would become the chosen one. He seized the heel, he fought the angel, he prevailed. Basically, Hashem is saying: " Look how much I've done for you, from the beginning of your existence, Jewish people." Then in pasuk 6 it says, וה' אלקי הצבאות ה' זכרו / Hashem, the God of Legions, Hashem is His remembrance. Rashi explains: כאשר הייתי מאז כן אני עתה / Just as I was then, so am I now. אם הייתם הולכים עמי בתמימות כיעקב אביכם / If you would act with Me with simplicity like Yaakov Avinu (your father), הייתי נוהג עמכם כאשר נהגתי עמו /I would treat you as I treated him. Rabbi Yehudah HaChassid, in Sefer Gematriot , letter 152, connects יעקב איש תם to תמים תהיה. Yaakov is called איש תם, Ish Tam meaning " simple" or " pure " — and תמים תהיה Tamim Tihyeh means go with God in simplicity. Rashi on Devarim 18:13 says on תמים תהיה: התהלך עמו בתמימות ותצפה לו – Go with God with simplicity and l ook forward to Him. In other words. do not turn to fortune-tellers or sorcerers etc… Rather, כל מה שיבוא עליך קבל בתמימות/ Accept whatever happens to you with simplicity. ואז תהיה עמו ולחלקו /Then you will be with Him and part of His portion. (That's why the famous Meshech Chochmah says that when a person has bitachon , he fulfills the mitzvah of dveikut / cleaving to God.) So what is Hashem telling us through Hoshea HaNavi? Again, the words of Rashi: אם הייתם הולכים עמי בתמימות כיעקב אביכם/ If you went with Me with simplicity like Yaakov Avinu, I would act with you like I did with him. The Sefer Ikvot Moshe on Parashat Vayishlach, by Rav Moshe Akiva Tikutchinski, Mashgiach of Slabodka in Bnei Brak, writes: This shows that every Jew is capable and asked to go with the same Temimut/ simplicity and trust as Yaakov Avinu. And if we reach that level of connection, God will act with us like that. In the famous Mizmor in Tehillim perek 20 it says: יענך ה' ביום צרה, ישגבך שם אלקי יעקב /May Hashem answer you in a time of trouble; may the Name of the God of Yaakov lift you up. The Midrash says on that pasuk says it doesn't say אלקי Elokei Avraham or Elokei Yitzhak — only Elokei Yaakov. David Hamelech is saying: מי שענה ליעקב אביכם, הוא יענה אתכם – the One who answered Yaakov, will answer you. Furthermore, in Bereshit 35:3, it says about Yaakov לאל העונה אותי ביום צרתי / the God who answers me on my day of trouble. With that introduction, we come back to: ואתה באלקיך תשוב, חסד ומשפט שמר, וקוה אל אלקיך תמיד As for you, return to your God, observe kindness and justice, and always hope to your God." Rashi explains: What does it mean to hope to Him? בהבטחתו ובמשענתו /count on His guarantee and the ability to lean on Him. שהוא מבטיחך, אתה יכול לסמוך /He guarantees you; you can rely on His guarantee. And what should you do? לקוות לישועתו תמיד /constantly look forward to His salvation. This is all Rashi's explanation of God's words. But the very next pasuk (7) says : כנען בידו מאזני מרמה לעשק אהב – Instead, you are a Canaan/traitor who holds dishonest scales and loves to cheat. Rashi explains: Instead of relying on Hashem, you rely on shenanigans and crooked business. And you say about your wealth, אך עשר תי / I have become wealthy. ולא עבודת הקב״ה / I don't need to serve God. It wasn't God, it was me. Pasuk 8: ויאמר אפרים אך עשרתי מצאתי און לי – Ephraim says: I have become wealthy , I have found power for myself . כל יגיעי לא ימצאו לי עוון אשר חטא / I've worked hard and no one can find any sin in me. I'm clean. The Radak says this is the opposite of Kaveh el Hashem Hashem/ hoping to Hashem: They do not hope in Hashem. They do not admit that it is He who gives the power to succeed. Instead they say: כחי ועוצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה / My strength and my hand made this wealth. And they forget: ה' אלקיך, שנתן לו כח / that Hashem gave him the strength. They say: עשרתי מעצמי / I made myself wealthy. These are the two opposite paths. Either the person lives with the program of קוה אל אלקיך תמיד – constantly hoping to Hashem, or they take the אך עשרתי / I made myself rich approach.. Let's choose the path of קוה אל אלקיך תמיד Hope to Hashem constantly

For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Sutton's new book A Daily Dose of Perek Shira click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/Books/9781422644584.html Welcome to Daily Bitachon . We are quoting from the sefer HaMaspik L'Ovdeh Hashem from Rabbenu Avraham, son of the Rambam. He tells us there are two types of people that are lacking in Bitachon. One of them is the fellow that נואש האדם ממבוקשו/ has given up hope, יאוש /despaired on what he's looking for. ואיננו מצפה עוד להשיגו/and he's no longer hoping. The word ציפוי shares the shoresh with הר הצופים, Mount Scopus - looking from afar . So this fellow ואיננו מצפ ה /doesn't even see it on the horizon. It's just not coming. He really gave up hope. Suppose a fellow wants to buy a house or start a new business. He has a parnassa need, but he is נואש /he despairs , he gives up hope. He's no longer looking out on the horizon for a deal or opportunity to come his way, to somehow allow him to afford that house or make that business deal that he's waiting for. Rabbenu Avraham says this fellow that despairs from his parnasa and is no longer looking forward to getting it, נואש מן הפרנסה, ואינו מצפה עוד להשיגו, he is no longer hoping or yearning for it to come . ראוי לגנאי. This man is worthy of being disgraced. על שנתייאש מרחמי הבורא / because he has despaired of God's mercy. Now hold on. Who said I have to have God's mercy? He says, למרות שהוא מצווה על ההיפך הגמור/He's been commanded on the exact opposite. He's been commanded never to give hope. It's a command. As David Hamelech said, קוה אל ה ׳ /hope to Hashem. חזק ויאמץ לבך/ strengthen and make your heart courageous. וקוה אל ה/ and hope to Hashem That, says Rabbenu Avraham, is a command not to give up hope. So how dare you give up hope ? Furthermore, another pasuk in Tehilim say, יחל ישראל אל ה/The Jewish people should have יחול (which is another term for hope). מעתה ועד עולם/ forever . That means you're supposed to have hope forever. And Hoshea says, קוה אל אלהיך תמיד/Hope to your God constantly , and there are many more pesukim of the like. To recap, Rabbenu Avraham Ben Rambam says giving up hope is not just wrong- He uses the words, I'm sorry to say, ראוי לגנאי/ it's disgraceful . And the Sefer HaIkarim , fourth essay, chapter 49, quotes the entire pasuk in Hoshea which says ואתה באלהיך תשוב/return to your God, חסד ומשפט שמר/keep acts of kindness and justice וקוה אל אלהיך תמיד/and hope to your God constantly. Says the Sefer HaIkarim- התקוה דבר הכרחי אל המאמין/ Hope is an essential concept to the believer, כשמירת חסד ומשפט, no less than keeping kindness or justice, או יותר, and possibly even more than that. So if a guy is not Baal Hessed , you'd say that's not good. Or if he's not a בעל משפט /he's not straight, you'd think, Ooh, that's terrible. But that guy that gave up hope on success? You'd think, So what? But no. Lack of hope is a big problem. The Sefer HaIkarim further on in that same chapter says, כי התקוה והתוחלת לה' יתברך/hoping to Hashem, דבר יותר מעולה is greater מכל התהלות than all the praises שאפשר שישבח אדם להשם יתברך/More than any other praise one can do is hoping to Hashem. That's the biggest praise. I think we've proven the point that a Jew is not allowed to give up hope. It's not just that hoping to Hashem is an option, it's a must . You're never allowed to give up hope. Wonder of wonders.

For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Sutton's new book A Daily Dose of Perek Shira click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/Books/9781422644584.html Welcome to Daily Bitachon. There's a beautiful piece in the sefer Birchot Peretz, written by the famous Steipler )younger people might know him as Rav Chaim Kainievsky'a father) He passed away in 1985 and he was considered the Gadol Hador of the time, along with Rav Shach. In his sefer Birchot Peretz, he makes an important distinction. He says people sometimes get down on themselves because they're afraid of something, and so they think they lack bitachon. He says, when a person goes out to war, he is in safek sakana/a situation of possible danger. It says that when one goes out to war, there is no guarantee that he'll come back alive. So if someone is afraid—" Hey, I might not come back" —that is general fear. That is not included in the lo ta'aseh (negative commandment) that the Torah tells us: al tira'u — don't be afraid when you go to war, as brought down by the Rambam. And according to Rabbenu Yonah, this commandment applies to all situations of danger. One does not transgress if he's afraid in a dangerous situation. But, he says, if the fear comes because he sees a large encampment and says, " There's no way we're going to win because their camp is so big"— or if his fear increases because of the size of the opposing camp—that's when he transgresses that sin. As the pasuk clearly states: " When you go out to war against your enemy and you see horses and chariots more numerous than you, don't be afraid of them, because Hashem, who took you out of Mitzrayim, is with you." That means you have to know that winning or losing a war has nothing to do with the strength or weakness of the enemy. Of course you have to do all your hishtadlut , as you must do for parnassah , and everything else in the Torah. And yes, success or failure are both possible outcomes. A person could potentially go to war and not come back. That's possible. There is no guarantee. But to think that the reason he won't come back is because of the size of the enemy's army is a mistake. Whether he survives or not depends on whether God decided that. So when someone says, " Oh no, it looks like there are more soldiers" or " fewer soldiers "—that doesn't change anything. And this doesn't mean we're relying on open miracles. If there's a war, and the opposing camp is smaller, you may feel more confident; if it's a larger army, you may feel less confident, but Hashem can make you succeed in either scenario, and if you get more scared because of the size of the camp, that's where the problem arises. He clearly says—and I'm very excited by this—because the Steipler was a brother-in-law of the Chazon Ish, so he probably knew what the Chazon Ish felt on these things, that as far as bitachon in general, to have bitachon, to believe that Hashem will give me this and I'll get that, hu madrega gedola me'od/that's a very high level. Not everyone who has emunah has bitachon on that level. So he's saying that this level of bitachon is a high level. And the fact that it's a high level means it exists—it's possible. But someone can be a God-fearing Jew, who doesn't violate any sins, including sins related to bitachon, and still not make it back because Hashem simply decided such But he says: this is a general obligation: she'ya'amin—You have to believe—she'hakol bidei Shamayim—that everything is in the hands of Heaven . It must be clear to him—that all of the Hishtadlut he puts in will not help him achieve more than what was decreed on Rosh Hashanah. To me, this is important, because many people feel, " Well, if I'm still scared, I must not be holding by bitachon." No. Being scared is okay, because the Steipler is saying it's not necessarily guaranteed that you're going to make it through. Of course, if you're on a high level and you truly rely on Hashem, that's a higher level. But being scared? That's okay. So when do I get in trouble? If I'm scared because now it looks a little harder, or there's more difficulty, or it's more uncertain, if I'm less confident than I was because of the situation, that is a problem. You may say, " Hold on, maybe Hashem decided this year, chas v'shalom, on Rosh Hashanah, that I won't have good parnassah. That's possible. And I'm scared." Yes it's possible. But if you say, " Now I'm more scared because of the tariffs... now I'm more scared because of new regulations that some new official is going to put into place," and your fear increases, ask yourself: Why are you more scared? Every year brings fear of the unknown. We don't know what will happen. Nobody does. So you can be concerned—that's okay. Going out to war is a legitimate concern. And again, as the Steipler says: If one is afraid due to the general potential danger that exists on the path—he is not violating the prohibition of "do not fear." That's still within the realm of being a good, God-fearing, bitachon card-carrying Jew. Again, that's if he's generally afraid, But if the fear grows because of the specifics of the situation on the ground, and that makes him more uncomfortable—that's where bitachon must comes in. Because, that shouldn't make a difference to Hashem. The change in situation, more or less, is not changing what Hashem can do. It can happen anyway. I hope this point is clear. I felt that was a nice added point that I had never noticed before—in brackets—in the Steipler's Birkat Peretz on Parashat Shoftim.

Welcome to the Daily Bitachon. Yesterday we spoke about what true Bitachon is, based on the words of the son of the Rambam, Rabbi Avraham. True Bitachon means that at all times, you are focused on Hashem as the direct Cause for everything, realizing that all intermediaries are nothing more than that—intermediaries. The Gaon of Vilna explains three stages where one can trip up in relying on the wrong thing, and what the proper Bitachon mindset should be: Firstly, what happens at the onset of the challenge? When a person, lo alenu, has any type of challenge, whether, heaven forbid, medical, financial, or a challenge with a child not doing well in school, what is the initial reaction? The Gaon of Vilna calls this stage " B'eit tzarah/ when you're in a time of difficulty. And your first reaction should be: Elecha Nafshi Essa/To Hashem I lift my soul. Hashem is going to get me out of this . Using a child struggling in school as an example, we will explore the next step- You speak to the teacher, who consults with the principal, who finds you the perfect kriah expert to address the red flag, that he's not reading well in first grade. Now you have the perfect reading specialist to help him over the summer, and he will catch up with everybody else. At this point, the yeshua has come. But even when the yeshua has come, you should not be focusing on that kriah expert. You should be focusing on Hakadosh Baruch Hu, who's going to bring you the salvation. Finally, after an entire summer of reading intervention the child is reading wonderfully—the salvation has come. Who do you sing to? Who do you praise? Don't forget that the yeshua came from Hashem. When you've passed the test at all three levels, that is called " Bitachon b'shleimut." That is considered complete Bitachon. The Gaon of Vilna reads this into a famous pasuk in Tehillim 13:6: Dovid HaMelech says: וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ בְּחַסְדְּךָ֣ בָטַחְתִּי֮ יָ֤גֵ֥ל לִבִּ֗י בִּישׁוּעָ֫תֶ֥ךָ אָשִׁ֥ירָה לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה כִּ֖י גָמַ֣ל עָלָֽי׃ {פ} 1-"Va'ani, b'chasdecha batachti" – And I rely on Your kindness. 2-"Yagel libi b'yeshuasecha" – My heart rejoices in Your salvation. 3-"Ashirah laHashem, ki gamal alai" – I sing to Hashem because He has bestowed this salvation And here we go, step by step: Step number one is: " Va'ani/And I , in the time of challenge, who do I count on? " BaHashem batachti/ I rely on Hashem and nobody else. Once the yeshua has come. " Yagel libi b'yeshuasecha/ My heart rejoices in His salvation, because I only asked from Him and from no one else. And finally, when the salvation comes and I'm totally out of the woods: " Ashirah laHashem, ki gamal alai/I sing to Hashem because He has bestowed upon me this salvation. Those are the three points where one can possibly lose focus. And perfect Bitachon is at every step of the way—when the challenge is here, when the yeshua is coming, and when the salvation has fully arrived- At every step of the way, I focus on nothing else but Hakadosh Baruch Hu. We can use every example in the world—waiting for the shidduch, waiting for the right lawyer, waiting for the right house, waiting for everything and anything. There are always these three stages: 1-You're in the problem—you're in the tunnel. It's dark and you don't see a way out. 2-Next , You see the light at the end of the tunnel. 3-And finally, You're out of the tunnel. At each one of those stages, there should be nothing else on your mind but Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Easier said than done. But that's what we're here for- to keep on repeating and reiterating these important concepts.

Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We continue going through the words of our Rishonim on Bitachon. (The commentary of the Rishonim/the early rabbis, is often more succinct than that of the Achronim/ later Rabbis , but there are many pearls within nonetheless.) The Rambam had a son known as Rav Avraham Ben Rambam. He wrote a sefer called Hamaspik L'Ovdeh Hashem /What's Enough to be a Servant of Hashem , in which he has a section on Bitachon. He asks, What is true Bitachon? True Bitachon is when you rely on Hashem in all areas and don't focus on any intermediary. He provides examples such as when a person gets sick, has v'shalom, and then gets better. He has to realize in his heart, in his thoughts, and in his conscience that the healing did not come from anything but the word of God. So when someone gets better, they have to imagine that Hashem is whispering, " Let this man get better ." Nothing else will help him. He quotes a pasuk in Devarim 32:39, מחצתי / I hit, ואני ארפא /and I make better.. If someone goes through a procedure and it doesn't work out, it didn't work out because that's what Hashem wants. He quotes a pasuk to back that up as well. So before we go for to any procedure, we have to know that Hashem is the One that's literally performing the procedure. And if someone involved himself in business and was successful, he has to know and realize that that profit did not come from anything else but גזרתו Hashem's decree. As it says: כי הוא הנותן לך כח לעשות חיל – because He, God, is the One that gives you the strength to amass wealth, which Onkelos translates as God is the One that gave you the ideas. When someone gets a great license, has a great idea for a product, a great buy, or a great sell- Who gave them those ideas? Hashem gave you the ideas. And if, has v'shalom, something goes wrong, or there's a mishap, he has to realize again, that this was God's decree. There's a pasuk that says: זרע רב תוציא השדה /a field can give forth much grain, ומעט תאסוף/ and only a small amount will be brought in . How could that be? It can be, because that's what Hashem decreed. So again, what is true bitachon? When the one who's relying places his reliance, and his belief in all areas on Hashem above, and not on any of the standard intermediaries that exist. That is Bitachon. So if we want to know if we have Bitachon, that is the way we know.

Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We continue with another beautiful teaching from Rabbenu Yonah on Mishleh Chapter 3, Pasuk 25. He writes these powerful words: One should rely on Hashem in all times of difficulty and darkness, knowing the truth that Hashem is rav l'hoshia—abundant in salvation—as we say every single day in our Amidah. Mikol tzarah/from all difficulties v'yeshuato ke'heref ayin/His salvation comes in the blink of an eye. Therefore, we must rely on Hashem's salvation even if a sword is on a person's throat. Rabbenu Yonah quotes a pasuk in Iyov: Hen yikteleni, lo ayachel/Even if he were to kill me, I would still hope toward Him." Where does this concept come from—that even if a sword is at your throat, you shouldn't give up hope? It's from a well known Gemara in Masechet Brachot: Chizkiyah HaMelech was ill. Yishayah the prophet came to him and said, " Command your household—you are dying and will not live; you are dying in this world and will not live in the next." Why? Because Chizkiyah chose not to have children, having foreseen with ruach hakodesh that his children would be wicked. The prophet rebuked him for this, saying, " That is not your concern. You must do what you are obligated to do, and Hashem will do what He must." Chizkiyah responded to the prophet, " Let me marry your daughter—perhaps through my merit and yours, we will have righteous children." But the prophet replied, " You're a dead man. I won't give you my daughter." Chizkiyah answered, " Prophet, please leave. I have a tradition from my grandfather's household that even if a sword is on one's neck, one should not give up hope." Who is this grandfather he's referring to? Rashi explains that it refers to David HaMelech. In Divrei Hayamim א , 21:16 , David HaMelech counted the people, and Hashem decreed punishment on them. David lifted his eyes and saw an angel of Hashem standing between heaven and earth, v'charbo shlufa b'yado/a drawn sword in his hand, netuya al Yerushalayim/stretched out over Jerusalem. And what did David Hamelech do? He prayed. Even though the sword was over him, he prayed. That is the source Chizkiyah HaMelech referred to, as he was descended from David HaMelech. But the Vilna Gaon, in his commentary in Sefer Kol Eliyahu , is troubled. He points out that the text doesn't say the sword was literally on David's neck—only that it was stretched over Yerushalayim. So metaphorically, yes—but do we have a source that a sword was truly on someone's neck? The Vilna Gaon refers us to Melachim א , 22: 30–33, and also Divrei Hayamim ב , 18:31–32. There, Yehoshafat was at war. He disguised himself and was in hiding, and the king of Aram sent assassins specifically to find and kill him—like a targeted assassination. They found him and were about to kill him. And the pasuk says: Vayizak Yehoshafat—Yehoshafat cried out—v'Hashem azro—and Hashem helped him—vayesitem Elokim mei'meno—God diverted them away from him. Miraculously, they disappeared. The Yalkut Shimoni comments on this episode, saying: melamed shelo yechaser ki'im hatzat harosh—all that was missing was the removal of his head. It was that close. According to the Vilna Gaon, this is the source Chizkiyah drew on. His ancestor Yehoshafat had a sword on his neck and didn't give up—and was saved.He was one step away. The Chomat Anach, from the Chida on Divrei Hayamim , brings down this same concept, similar to the Vilna Gaon. He explains that normally the term " Hashem " refers to midat harachamim (the attribute of mercy), while " Elokim " refers to midat hadin (the attribute of judgment). In that pasuk, both names are used, indicating that according to strict judgment, Yehoshafat should have died—but through his prayers, the judgment was transformed into mercy. This is our tradition—a tradition passed down through generations. Rabbenu Yonah concludes this piece by quotinga pasuk in Tehillim 62:9: Bitchu vo b'chol eit—"Rely on Hashem at all times." What does "at all times" mean? He explains: Gam b'eit shehatzarah krova—even when the trouble is very close, v'lo yeda adam derech l'hinatzel mimena—and a person has no idea how to escape, how he will get out of it—still, trust in Hashem. I once heard a beautiful story from Rav Yaakov Hillel related to this idea. It says, "Even if a sharp sword is on your neck." Why emphasize " sharp "? There was a Rabbi Antebi from Damascus. During a blood libel, he was imprisoned and subjected to psychological torture. They brought him to a guillotine, and the sword came falling down toward him. But it was meant as psychological warfare—the blade was dull. He said, a sword has two sides: sharp and dull. That, he explained, is what Chizkiyah HaMelech meant. If the sword is blunt there is still what to fear. But afilu cherev chada—even if it's a sharp sword—do not give up hope.

Welcome to the Daily Bitachon. We continue with the Rabbenu Yonah on Mishleh , citing different pesukim to prove the point that we need to rely solely on Hashem and not focus at all on human beings. Today's pasuk is from Yeshayah 10:15 הֲיִתְפָּאֵר֙ הַגַּרְזֶ֔ן עַ֖ל הַחֹצֵ֣ב בּ֑וֹ אִם־יִתְגַּדֵּ֤ל הַמַּשּׂוֹר֙ עַל־מְנִיפ֔וֹ כְּהָנִ֥יף שֵׁ֙בֶט֙ וְאֶת־מְרִימָ֔יו כְּהָרִ֥ים מַטֶּ֖ה לֹא־עֵֽץ׃ {פ} Can a hatchet glory over the one who chops with it? Can a saw be greater than the one who wields it? As if a rod could shake those who lift it. As if a stick could lift one who is not wood. The Navi is providing four different metaphors to make the same point, each one with a slightly different nuance. The commentators explain that the reason it's superfluous is to drive the point home. Let's study them one by one: 1-Can a hatchet glory over the one who chops with it? Let's say a wood chopper is using the hatchet (or ax) to chop down a tree. Can the ax look back at the man holding it and say, " Wow, look what I'm doing?" Excuse me, Mr. Ax, you're not doing anything, says the woodchopper. That is mashal number one, that God says to people who glorify themselves with what they're doing. In this case, specifically referring to King Sanheriv who considered himself a world conqueror. World conqueror? Excuse me, you are nothing more than an ax. I am chopping with you. How can you glorify yourself over the One who chops with you? That's the way we're supposed to look at powerful people, rulers and world rulers, and other beings that boast of their accomplishments. We'll leave to everyone's imagination whom we're talking about. 2-Can a saw be greater than the one who wields it? The saw, which is another device used to cut down a tree, can't be greater or more powerful than the one that's holding the saw. 3-As if a rod could shake those who lift it. If I'm lifting the rod, obviously I'm more powerful than the rod I'm lifting. Can you, who's being lifted by God, shake God? Who do you think you are? You're like in the stories of the Dor Hapelaga or the like, going out to fight against God, to throw God off…. God is lifting you. The rod is being lifted. It's like you're swinging a golf club and suddenly the golf club throws you off of him. It doesn't work that way. The rod can't shake those who lift it. 4- As if a stick could lift one who is not wood. כהרים מטה לא עץ which could be understood as Rashi says that, לא העץ הוא המרים./ It's not the tree that lifts, it's the person who's lifting the tree. But the Radak offers a slightly different explanation: Why is the term stick used? He says a stick is not like a tree. A tree can continue to grow after one of its branches have been severed, but the severed branch can no longer grow. So too, human beings are like a tree. They're rooted, and they're growing because they're connected. But when somebody boasts, as in this case, Sanheriv, that boasting will prevent him from growing. Moreover, it will cause your destruction, because when you boast, you're disconnecting yourself from the source of life. The Gaah becomes disconnected. All of the arrogance is actually disconnecting and rather than showing strength and bringing growth, it will actually cause the destruction. In the words of the Radak, וּמֵעַתָּה And now, בהתפארו, in his arrogance/his glorification, יסוף ויכלה, he will cease and will be destroyed. That is our lesson from this pasuk in Yeshaya, beautifully describing how the person is not doing anything. He is nothing , as all of the above metaphors illustrate.

Welcome to Daily Bitachon. Before the war started, we were in the middle of our study of Rabbenu Yonah in Mishlei , Chapter 3, Pasuk 26. We were discussing that whenever someone is being hit , he should not focus on the stick, but on the One who is holding the stick. He quoted a pasuk in Yeshayah (10:20): " Nish'an al Hashem, kedosh Yisrael be'emet/They relied on Hashem, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. We discussed the concept of Bitachon gamur bli safek/complete trust without doubt. Now he quotes a source that ultimately Hashem is in charge of all " hitters ." As it says in a pasuk in Mishleh : " פלגי מים לב מלך ביד ה׳ י Palgei mayim/like flowing waters and streams, the heart of a king is in the hands of G-d. " על כל אשר יחפץ יטנו/ G-d can turn and tilt him in whichever way He desires . What does that mean? The consensus of the commentaries is that although human beings have freedom of choice —we make choices, and of course, Hashem can decide whether or not our choices will materialize—human beings still have choices. But when it comes to a king, it's very different. In the words of the Chida in his sefer Kiseh David , the tenth derush for Shabbat Zachor: " HaMelech en lo bechirah"—a king does not have free choice. "Rak libo b'yad Hashem"—his heart is in the hands of G-d. "El kol asher yachpotz yatenu"—he will turn and tilt as G-d desires. This applies specifically to a king —a full controller. The Sefer Chassidim in Siman תמא brings an example from Rechavam, who listened to the counsel of the younger advisers instead of his elders, and it ended up backfiring. The pasuk clearly says there, " hayta sibah me'et Hashem"—it was caused by G-d. G-d made it happen. So when we see kings making decisions, we must realize—they are literally puppets. The Sefer Chassidim also quotes another pasuk in Malachim א , Chapter 22:20, where G-d says, " מי יפתה את אחאב, הרי —who will seduce Achav ? G-d was speaking to His angels. An angel agreed and said, "I will. " It was the spirit of a certain person who had been killed. He said, " I will go down." The Sefer Chassidim explains: שהמלאך מטה המחשבה להרהר אחר אותו דבר The angel tilts the thoughts, —to cause to think the thought שגוזר הקב"ה that G-d has decreed. So the brain is hijacked by the angel. It may look like the king is making a decision—but he is not. In the words of the Midrash Mishleh , Parashah 21: " עולה למלוכה לבו נתון בידו של הקב"ה. when a man rises to become a king, his heart is placed in the hands of G-d. If the world is merits, G-d causes him to issue good decrees; if not, bad ones. וכל גזירה שיוצאה מפיו אינה יוצאה לכתחלה אלא מלפני הקב"ה. any decree that leaves the king's mouth, does not go out unless G-d permits it. That's how controlled the king's words and decisions are. Rabbenu Yonah on Mishlei explains the reason behind this: Since שהרבים תלוין במלך, / The masses depend on the king —and G-d gave him the power to bring life or death, to do good or bad, שומר ה׳ את לבו שלא יטה רק לעשות גזרת ה׳ Hashem guards his heart so he will only be inclined to do G-d's will. Obviously, this is timely with what's going on with Trump, Khamenei, Netanyahu, and others. We must realize: it all falls under this principle of Lev Melech b'Yad Hashem.