Ahavah Rabah 4: Bitachon - Strength and Eternity
אבינו מלכנו, בעבור אבותינו שבטחו בך
Our Father, our King, for the sake of our forefathers who trusted in You…
When we said “Naaseh v’nishma” at Har Sinai, we were exhibiting our bitachon that whatever is contained in the Torah is for our benefit. That is why we accepted the Torah before even knowing exactly what we were committing ourselves to. It was in this merit of bitachon that we were zocheh to receive the Torah. [Sifsei Chaim of Rav Chaim Friedlander; Rav Yeruchom Levovitz, the Mashgiach of Mir]
Both Rabbeinu Yonah and the Vilna Gaon on Mishlei (22:19) state that the purpose of Hashem giving us the Torah was so that we could place our trust and reliance in Hashem (bitachon) and to pass that bitachon on to our children and later generations (see how the Gaon learns the p’sukim in T’hilim 78:5-7). In the words of the Vilna Gaon:
ועיקר נתינת התורה לישראל הוא כדי שישימו בטחון בה'...לפי שעיקר הכל הוא הבטחון השלם
…and the main reason for the giving of the Torah to Yisrael was that they should place trust in Hashem…because the essence of it all is the complete trust.
The Sifsei Chaim explains this statement to mean that the purpose of all avodas Hashem is to perfect our bitachon in Hashem. We were given the treasured gift of Torah in the z’chus of our bitachon, having accepted it without asking any questions. However, only through the Torah can we perfect our bitachon and pass it on to future generations.
Integrating Mitzvos into Our Daily Lives
To delve into the depths of the mitzvah of Bitachon is beyond our scope. What we can say is that bitachon is the practical application of emunah. When we recognize Hashem’s involvement in literally every aspect of our lives, sweet and bitter, we are fulfilling the mitzvah of Bitachon.
The mitzvos of Emunah and Yichud Hashem mandate that we believe all is coming from Hashem. He is the One and Only source for all the events in our lives on a minute-to-minute basis. When we apply that to specific events, large and small, that is bitachon. When we get that parking spot in an overcrowded parking lot that is right in front of the door, and we say “Thank you, Hashem” – that is a fulfillment of the mitzvos of Emunah, Yichud Hashem, Bitachon, and more. When we don’t get a spot and have to walk two blocks, and we say “Thank you, Hashem: I know that this is for my training and benefit” – that is a fulfillment of those same mitzvos on an even higher level because it is more challenging.
Throughout our day, every day, we have the opportunity to “connect” with Hashem through these foundational and fundamental mitzvos. The more frequently and deeply we open our eyes to Hashem’s presence in our lives, the more Hashem will open our minds and hearts to feel His presence, and the closer we will come to fulfilling our purpose in life.