Acquiring the Precious Trait of Bitachon (trust), reprinted with the kind permission of:
Rabbi Eliyahu ben Shlomo, known as the Vilna Gaon, considered to be the greatest of all Litvish Jews |
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“Bitachon (trust in G-d) and Histapkus (being content with what you have) are general principles for all good character traits. And they are the opposite of desire and greed. And the central factor of everything is Bitachon…
All sins come from desire/greed as it says: “Do not covet”. And the last of the 10 commandments includes in it all the 10 commandments, which themselves include the entire torah.
(i.e. the ten commandments include the entire torah and the last of the ten commandments, includes all the 10 therefore the 10th commandment – “Do not covet”, summarizes the whole torah).
Therefore histapkus which is the opposite (of “do not covet”) is a foundation for the entire torah and it means to believe with emuna shlema (whole faith) to not worry about tomorrow. And he whose heart is good with bitachon even though he has transgressed severe sins, he is better than one who is missing in bitachon because such a person (who lacks bitachon) will come to jealousies and hatred and even though he studies torah and is involved in good deeds, all of this is only to make a name for himself.” (Even Shlema Ch.3)
(the commentary there adds: This is why birds which violently rip apart their prey are not kosher – because it is a sign that they do not possess the trait of histapkus… similarly, an animal which chews its cud is a sign of being kosher because it displays histapkus with the food in its stomach and one with split hooves displays that it does not tear apart prey.) (so too the pig with its nature of insatiable sloth represents the total opposite of histapkus)
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From Rabbi Yonasan Eibshitz zt’l (a central leader of 18th century European Jewry)
“The general principle: The fruit of bitachon is hashgacha (Divine providence).
And the more one’s bitachon strengthens, the more the hashgacha and the shefa (blessing) of G-d will increase.
And whoever weakens his bitachon, HaKadosh Baruch Hu removes his hashgacha from him and he leaves him vulnerable to the natural laws.” (Rabbi Yonasan Eibshitz – sefer hamidos shaar habitachon Ch.4)
(i.e. the more bitachon you have, the more G-d will take care of you and the less bitachon you have, the He will leave you to the natural order.)
WHAT IS BITACHON
Bitachon means integrating the belief that everything that happens is from G-d and everything is for the best. One of my Rabbis (Rav Moshe Lazerus) who was a close student of Rav Avigor Miller zt’l once wrote:
“People generally have an incorrect and simplistic understanding of Bitachon. They believe, if you ask hard enough Hashem will do what you want. This is really the opposite of `bitachon’. The Chazon Ish explains bitachon as – trusting that whatever Hashem does is for the best and that He KNOWS what He is doing! I trust Hashem is always doing what is good – even if I can’t see the good in it because of my limited perspective and egocentric considerations. Even though you may not understand why what is happening to you is happening, know that He really does know what He is doing and it’s for a purpose. After 120 when you see the total picture you’ll really see how necessary it is that you are experiencing what you’re going through now.”
HOW DO YOU DEVELOP BITACHON
Rabbi Yehonasan Eibshitz zt”l wrote in Yearos Devash 1:1 that this is developed in the “Shema Koleinu” prayer in the daily silent prayer (the Amida or “Shmonei Esrei”). Here’s an excerpt:
In it (Shema Koleinu) one should put all his aspirations to G-d, to daven for all his needs even for a small thing or (all the more so) a large one, do not harvest (yibatzer) anything that you didn’t pray for to G-d first. If he needs to make a shiduch for himself or for his sons or daughters – pray to G-d. For business – pray to G-d that he will make him succeed and to guide him to the straight path. The general principle – there should not be anything that one desires to do on that day that he doesn’t pray to G-d to make him succeed and guide him to the straight and correct path. And all the more so, if he has chas v’shalom some tzara (trouble) in his house that he needs to pray, and likewise if he has some simcha that he should pray that he should not sin in the simcha, and there should not occur some sin that the simcha will result in tuga (sorrow). And on all matters that he toils, he should pray in his tongue even if it is crude (alag) and he is not capable to pray in hebrew properly, it is cherished (chaviv) before HKBH as if he prayed for very long in a well articulated, clear, and pleasant tongue.
And through a tefila like this, Yishma H’ es kolenu (G-d will hear our voice) and there will be for us a benefit. Because a prayer like this certainly has kavana (intent) and it will not be of the form “his mouth and tongue speak, but his heart is not with him”, of those who speak through habit and like “mitzvos anashim melumada” (rote repetition). Every person prays every day something new what he needs at that time and instance, and he also organizes his words in his mouth (i.e. does not just spit out words meaninglessly), therefore for this certainly one needs kavana, and it is impossible to pray without specific kavana and so he fulfills completely his obligation to pray because this is the ikar (primary purpose) of prayer which comes from the depths of the heart as it is written “MiMaamakim Kersicha” (“from the depths I call to you…” Tehilim 130), which means from the depths of the heart. And another benefit he gets is that he fixes in his heart that there is no man nor Jew which is given to chance and to the natural order of times until he doesn’t need to pray, and that (his success) depends only on his mazel (fate), the skills of the matter, his diligence in his actions, and watching over in his ways. Because the skills, diligence, and actions, everything is sheker (illusion). And from H’ they were planned ahead to a Jew all the occurences of his footsteps because “Eyn adam nokef etzbao lemata-ad she’machrizim aleya milemala” (“and one doesn’t lift a finger below unless it is announced (decided) beforehand above” – Talmud Chullin 7b).
And in this he should put to heart how the obligation is on him to guard the (commandments) of the mouth of the King of Kings, the King of the world, because everything is from Him with hashgacha pratis (Divine providence) and everything that occurs to him from damage to pain – everything is from H’ and likewise everything that occurs to him from profit to pleasure was from H’. And if so, why should he lie? That he should go waywardly in the whims of his heart after the bribes (rat-race pleasures of this world) and desires of time, which is destroyed like a cloud. And if he toils until tomorrow (all night) but G-d did not command it, it will not happen. And how could one ask G-d for wealth, to make Him angry with it, and likewise if all his demands are from H’, he will not consider sinning with them.
For example, if he prays to G-d for a wife, he will not think to sin with her and to go with her in pritzus (immorality) or the like. Likewise, for children, he will not consider sinning with them, like for raising them to “tarbus ra-ah”, to be among the gentile children, to raise them in the ways of the gentiles and to separate them from the torah of H’shem, and from the torah houses of the Jewish people which still holds on to the torah of G-d, whereby when he barely grows up and they quickly teach them the french language, writing, mathematics, and dance like those of young men with young girls. And the times of torah have diminished in our many sins, mamash not even one hour a day (of torah study in those schools). And if (he prays to have) daughters, to teach them the ways of pritzus (immodest behavior) in the clothing (style) of the gentiles and the other ways of the gentiles and to marry them off to men which are not bnei torah (torah observant). Is it this that he will ask G-d? Would a man ask his friend “Would you give me such a thing in order that I use it to cause you anguish?” Is this not far from normal. And how could a man like this ask from G-d. Therefore one who prays constantly for all his needs to G-d, he will not sin quickly. And likewise King David wrote “Put your ways to G-d, trust in Him, and He will do.” (Tehilim)
(note: the Steipler says it is best to say one’s personal prayers at the end of the Shmonei Esrei, after the 2nd “yehiyu l’ratzon”.)
Also Rabbi Avigdor Miller said this can be done even at times outside of the Amida:
(from tape:shaar habitachon – chovos halevavos – to purchase contact the Rebitzen).
2 Step Practical Advice:
1. Constantly ask H-shem for help.
Before you proceed on anything, ask Him’ for help.
Example: Salesman in waiting room. “Ribono Shel Olam, give me success with this customer.”
Or if you want to learn a gemora, say “H-shem, give me success in learning this subject in the gemora.”
Or if you’re going for a walk, ask Hashem to give you success in crossing all the streets safely.
2. Thank H-shem no matter the outcome.
If it happens that you are successful, thank H-shem profusely, at length afterwards and always consider what He did for you.
Even if you were not successful, you should still thank Hashem because whatever happens is certainly for your benefit.
Rav Miller says that this method will train you to learn to attribute everything that happens to you comes from G-d and is for the best.
Consistency is the key to success. “Tov tefchaim v’omed m’meah amah v’nofel” – Avos d’Rabbi Natan 1:7- (better two handbreaths that you stand up to then 100 cubits where you fall)
In G-d We TrustRabbi Yaakov Yosef Herman zt’l once said (in ‘All for the Boss’): “America exists in the merit of the penny” |
Footnotes:
(1) The Vilna Gaon (literally “genius”) was one of the most influential Rabbinic authorities since the Middle Ages. He was also a master in kabala. For a glimpse into his life see: The Vilna Gaon: No Secret Escaped Him part 1 and part 2
(2) Histapkus does not mean renouncing selfishness and greed for money and power like Buddhism preaches. Rather, G-d gave us these traits in order to motivate us, to accomplish great things in this world in the direction of holiness. The talmud (Sanhedrin 37a) teaches everyone should think “for me the world was created“. Not only are we important as individuals, but every single action we take or fail to take can and does have cosmic effects.
for further reading, see “Duties of the Heart” section: “the gate of bitachon”. (The Amshinover Rebbe once advised me to study this.)
Acquiring the Precious Trait of Bitachon (trust), reprinted with the kind permission of:
The Benoni 