615 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-52)

Guys, we continue this amazing bitachon journey. We're discussing a really important section in this whole bitachon outline, about what the Meforishim teach us, how important exactly bitachon is. And as we discussed in the last session, the Beis HaLevi teaches us that the obligation to have bitachon, again, notice his words, bitachon is not an added something for the pious to practice, it is an outright obligation for every single one of us.

 

But again, says the Beis HaLevi, there are so many verses that command us to have bitachon throughout all of Tanach, that I'm not even going to give you a source, it's too many to count. And the Beis HaLevi continues his statement by saying that somebody who is lacking in bitachon is committing a great sin. Now again, it's important to remind ourselves, we're not going to get to the ultimate pinnacle of bitachon in one day. However, our take-home from a passage like this should lead us to understand and internalize that although we might not be able to get to a place of having absolute bitachon today or any time soon, however, seeing as the Beis HaLevi is telling us that if I don't have bitachon it is considered a great sin, I am called on to make my maximum effort to excel in bitachon as best as I can. Because the more I do this, the more I'm fulfilling my purpose in the world, and the more I intentionally neglect to make bitachon a priority in my life, God forbid a person can be in the category of what the Beis HaLevi is calling an aveira gedolah - committing a great sin.

 

We now move to the next Torah passage that we're going to be looking at. The Chovos Halevavos, right at the beginning of the Shaar HaBitachon, writes “I sought to now discuss what is more necessary than anything else for a servant of HaShem, and that is relying on HaShem in all areas of my life.” Again, let us not rush these most beautiful and powerful words of the Chovos Halevavos. He is writing here, what is the one thing that is more necessary than anything else for someone who desires to be a servant of HaShem? Bitachon.

 

There are so many areas to Yiddishkeit, Baruch Hashem it's a very vast Torah, with so many beautiful mitzvos, and really the sky is the limit to the whole sea of Torah and mitzvahs and everything else that it encompasses. But ultimately, if you have to boil it down to one thing, the Chovos Halevavos is teaching us the sole most important thing for somebody who is looking to serve HaShem, is bitachon in HaShem bechol devarav - relying on HaShem in any and every area of my life.

 

As we've discussed previously, and I'm sure it's very easy to realize when we just take a few moments to think about it, there are literally a billion levels to what it means to have bitachon. God forbid at the bottom of the spectrum there could be somebody who really doesn't live with HaShem, and just makes his own efforts in this world thinking that he's calling the shots. And then right at the top there is somebody who has absolute clarity that there is nothing in this world except for HaShem. And there are a billion levels in the middle of to what extent are we relying on HaShem.

 

And as the Chovos Halevavos taught us previously, when somebody relies on HaShem with absolute sincerity, one lives with complete menuchas hanefesh - with complete tranquility and peace. And that doesn't only mean when things are tranquil and peaceful, but even if I'd be surrounded by bombs falling all around me, or other situations in my life that are really anxiety-triggering and seem to have no solutions, even under those circumstances I can reach a place of absolute bitachon in HaShem, not just in one area of my life, but in all areas of my life, because ultimately the point of my life is bitachon. When the problem is too big for me, putting it on HaShem's back and realizing that not only can I do so, but HaShem desires that I do do so. B'ezrat Hashem, let's move forward in this incredible journey and transform our bitachon.