Actualizing Our Faith - 003 What Hashem Wants

We mentioned that there are two kinds of Bitachon. The first kind of Bitachon is to accept whatever Hashem bring will upon me (which is the explanation of the Chovos Halevovos), and the other kind of Bitachon is to be sure that Hashem will bring me what I want (which is the explanation of the Alshich).

In the first kind of Bitachon, it should be mentioned that Hashem placed a “penalty” on mankind (after Adam’s sin) in order to allow His good decrees to happen. This penalty is that we have to make human effort if we are to see any results. Another important fact we must know about this is that what Hashem gives us is not a result of our efforts, even though it is true that we only see results when we put in effort.

If we are to understand simply that there are two different “opinions” what Bitachon is, then we are not putting Hashem into the equation. We will only be focused on what we want, that it should come… but we aren’t that connected to Hashem.

But if we understand that really there are no “differences” what Bitachon is (and that these two explanations do not contradict each other, because one is a lower kind of Bitachon and the other is the higher kind of Bitachon), then we are connected to Hashem through our Bitachon. In this way, we can get ourselves to want what Hashem wants.

 A person needs to ask himself: “What am I connected to? Am I connected to my “Bitachon” – meaning, to what I want – or am I connected to Hashem…?”

If we understand simply that there are different opinions of what Bitachon is, then we are either connected to what we want (which is improper), or we do this right and connect to Hashem. In the higher kind of Bitachon, we are connected only to Hashem, and in the lower kind of Bitachon, we are connected only to what we want.

But if we understand that there are no differing opinions what Bitachon is – rather, there are different levels of Bitachon – then when we have Bitachon, we are connected to Hashem, not to what we want.

This is the root of Bitachon. It is not to simply trust that Hashem will carry out what a person wants. If a person has Bitachon only by being connected to what he wants and not to Hashem (meaning, he believes that Hashem will give him whatever he wants, bit he’s focused on what he wants, and not on the “Hashem” aspect here), then he is like a container without anything to receive what will go into it (the Bitachon one has is a “container” that receives the sustenance (shefa) of Hashem). When we daven, that is also part of our efforts.

(The Nefesh Hachaim writes that there are two parts to Torah: Halacha and Agadta. Of these two parts, closeness to Hashem is mainly found through the learning of Halacha, because Halacha is the will of Hashem; Agatda reveals the wisdom of Hashem, but the will of Hashem is known to us through Halacha, so Halacha brings us more closeness to Hashem. This is contrary to popular thinking; really, closeness to Hashem is found more in Halacha than in Agadta. This shows us that closeness to Hashem is mainly achieved through wanting to do the will of Hashem, because we need to want what Hashem wants.)

How can a person know what Hashem wants from him? The Mishnah in Avos states, “Nullify your will before His will.” In other words, if you give up what you want for what Hashem wants, you will then find out what Hashem wants from you.

 Bitachon is essentially to connect oneself to the very power of Bitachon, which tells us that we should want what Hashem wants. Our efforts we make must be done with the awareness that it is not our efforts that produce results, but that they are only a tool to bring about what Hashem wants and to reveal His will.