618 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-55)

We continue on this amazing Bitachon journey. We looked at a most fascinating passage from the Vilna Goan yesterday, where he writes that the entire purpose and motive for Hashem giving us the Torah and the point of all the mitzvahs is ultimately for the sake of Bitachon. We're going to look today at a different passage from the Vilna Goan, which takes the severity and importance of Bitachon to a complete another level.

 

The Vilna Goan in Evan Shlema (Chapter 3), writes “And the point of everything is Bitachon.” Okay, that's a bit of a summary of what he also writes in Mishlei, “The point of all Torah and mitzvahs is for the sake of Bitachon.” But now he writes “And somebody who is lacking Bitachon, his Torah will not last in his hands.” Again, because the whole purpose of all the Torah and everything is for the sake of Bitachon. So if I'm missing the foundation, even the Torah that I learn will fall and not make its true sincere impact on me, because the point of all the Torah ultimately is for the sake of Bitachon. And he continues “And this concept known as Histapkus”, which he'll define in a moment, “is ultimately the foundation of the whole Torah. And what exactly is Histapkus? This is the confident belief and trust in Hashem and to not worry whatsoever about tomorrow.”

 

The Vilna Gaon is coming from a Gemara which says that somebody who has provisions for today, but has no idea where he's going to get provisions for tomorrow. If he reaches the correct level of emunah, he will have not a worry in the world. Because I have belief that just like Hashem provided for me to this day, so too He will always provide for me, even if I see no way according to the laws of nature, and it seems to be against all odds, I trust in Hashem that He's always going to look after me. Just imagine for a moment, you're completely penniless. But that means I don't even have an item to sell. I've got nothing to my name. And I'm currently eating dinner this evening. But I have absolutely no idea how I'm going to get any food for tomorrow, for myself, for my family. And there does not seem to be any possible avenue open to give me some sort of promising direction forward.

 

Now of course we're not discussing the mitzvah of Hishtadlus. We have an obligation to try our best to find opportunities that could create a vessel for Hashem to shower His bracha on, and we'll discuss Hishtadlus when we get there. But even before Hishtadlus, regardless, let's say there is no Hishtadlus to do, I have no options available. Or even if I do, I've done what I can. How worried am I about tomorrow? Our job in this world is to work towards getting to such a confident place of trust and reliance on Hashem that even if I have no idea where my next meal is going to come from, and I have nothing to my name, I feel completely calm, as the Chovos HaLevavos taught us, true bitachon leads to menuchas ha-nefesh. Hashem is the master of the universe. He's always looked after me, and He's always got my back. So what that I don't see a way according to the laws of nature? Ultimately, in truth, He's way beyond that.

 

And in this passage, the Gra is teaching us that the foundation of the whole Torah is to reach this level of emunah of bitachon, that even if I have no idea where my provisions for tomorrow are going to come from, I am to work towards getting to such a place of reliance on Hashem that I don't worry whatsoever. And continues the Gra, “And if somebody is excelling in the mitzvah of bitachon,e ven though he is committing grave transgressions, he is better than somebody who is lacking bitachon.” We've quoted this passage numerous times in our previous teachings because it is so powerful for anyone who's even a little bit familiar with Torah literature.

 

We know that committing a transgression is not a small thing. There are very real and sincere consequences. Committing an aveirah chamurah - which is considered a very serious transgression, one certainly has to do anything and everything to stay away from committing this grave sin. But here he's teaching us something so powerful that bitachon is so important that our emphasis on it should be even more than the emphasis we place on staying away from sin. Not to God forbid underplay the importance of staying away from sin because ultimately a very important expression of Imun and bitachon is doing our best to stay away from what Hashem tells us to stay away from. But even more important than that is doing our best to truly succeed in bitachon. B’ezrat Hashem, let's continue this fascinating journey together and transform our bitachon.