642 - Transform Your Bitachon! (Part-79)

We're moving forward now, B’ezrat Hashem, to the next Torah passage we're going to be exploring. And this is a piece from one of the commentaries to the Shulchan Aruch, the Shaarei Teshuva (see Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 118), where he writes, In the Shemona Esrei, in the passage Es Tzemach David Avdecha, we tell Hashem that for Your salvation we have hoped, Hashem, and says the Shaarei Tsehuva that when we say these words “for your salvation we have hoped”, We should actually have intention that we have hoped for the ultimate salvation, which is really the coming of Mashiach and the ending of the exile. So the main thing to pray for, says the Shaarei Teshuva, is for the ultimate redemption.

 

And again, the Shaarei Teshuva is teaching us here what we should have in mind when we say these words of the Shemona Esrei, That we are having hope in Your salvation, Hashem. But obviously, this idea can be extended to not only the words of the Shemona Esrei, but any time we delve into Hashem in our own words, as we've elaborated on many times previously. This idea of hoping to Hashem for the ultimate redemption should be at the forefront of our minds.

 

And the Sharei Tshuva now quotes from one of the great rabbis, who states that besides having in mind for the ultimate salvation, he also has in mind the personal salvations that he needs in his life. So we're learning two things here from the Sharei Tshuva. Firstly, we should have in mind that the ultimate salvation is the salvation of the ending of the exile and Hashem bringing Mashiach, and ultimately that also leading to salvation in every and all other areas.

 

And secondly, we should also have in mind our personal salvations that we need, be it paranossa, be it family relationships, illness, or any other situation we might be experiencing. But it is so important to also remember, guys, as so many other Torah passages teach us, it is not only about our own personal problems.

 

We are all accountable for one another, and there are so many people going through so many things. We are to pray and hope for one another, and constantly, We see someone in trouble, we see someone going through a difficult situation, as the one who doesn't pray for them, as the Gemara says, is considered a sinner, because maybe our prayer will just be the only one that makes its way up to Hashem to help this individual.

 

So let us take to heart that both through the official texts, such as Shemona Esrei, as well as through our personal prayers, we are to hope to Hashem for the ultimate redemption as well as for all our personal redemptions and salvations, but not to limit it to ourselves, but rather to remember one another, that we are to pray for one another, and constantly hope that Hashem will send our salvation. B'ezrat Hashem, let's continue on this most incredible journey about Bitachon, and transform our lives.