The life of a “Baal Bitachon,” one who has total trust and confidence in his Creator, is a life that is coveted by all. It is a life without any fear or worry about the present or future, for the “Baal Bitachon” lives with total peace of mind, knowing that the Almighty is looking after him. What is the “formula” of Bitachon which affords one this rare luxury? In what ways does Bitachon alter one’s lifestyle and outlook on life? Is true Bitachon in Hashem beyond the average person’s reach? Are there any tech¬niques which could aid one in developing his Bitachon?
Rabenu Bachaya explains that Bitachon in Hashem is the realization that He is in total control of everything and that nothing happens by chance. The more the Jew focuses upon this truth, the more profound is its effect. Eventually, his confidence in the Almighty’s powers, coupled with his recognition of His love and kindness for him and the fact that special favors are bestowed upon those who trust Him develops to the ex¬tent that he has total trust and faith that Hashem definitely will save him and guide him through all of his problems.
A story is told about Reb Aryeh Levin, zt”l., the famous Tzaddik of Jerusalem.
During World War I, there was a period in which he was in dire need of money. He went to a friend whose practice it was to lend money in those trying times, but to Reb Aryeh’s dismay, the friend refused to grant him the loan. When he came home and told his wife the shattering news, she said that it is obvious that since the man normally lends money to people and there was no logical reason as to why he did not do so this time, that Hashem saw fit that the money should come from elsewhere. Reb Aryeh realized that his wife was right and regained his strength. A short while later, the postman came to their home with a letter from America.
Reb Aryeh had met an individual several years before who knew and admired Reb Aryeh’s grandfather, and therefore, left in his will a sum of money to be sent to Reb Aryeh. The realization that the lender’s refusal to lend them money could not have happened by chance, for Hashem totally regulates every act and happening that transpires in the world, gave Reb Aryeh and his wife the strength and confidence that Hashem, with his love for each and every Jew, and even more so for those who trust in Him, will definitely help them and bring their sustenance through some other means.
We find in Tehillim a chapter in which Dovid Hamelech is running for his life and is beseeching Hashem to spare him from the impending doom. “Lighten up my eyes lest I will die.” He was hiding in a cave and his enemies had him surrounded. He begged the Creator of the Universe to save him. He then concluded his prayer by saying, “I have trust in Your kind¬ness, my heart rejoices in Your saving.”
In the midst of the pursuit, in the same breath in which he was praying for his very existence, he was rejoicing in the Simcha of his being saved as if it had already taken place. Dovid Hamelech, through his Bitachon, was not only confident that the Almighty definitely would save him, but he was further able to reach a state of total Simcha and ecstasy in his be¬ing saved even while his life was still seemingly in grave danger.
Other parts to this series: Inspiration in Bitachon
