Hashem’s Program for Bitachon

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

In Parshas Vayeitzei, Yaakov Avinu is sent by his parents to go to Haran to find a wife. The Medrash lets us in on Yaakov’s thoughts at this time. Yaakov compared his own journey to that of Eliezer, the servant of Avraham, when he was sent to Haran to find a wife for his father, Yitzchak. Yaakov was struck by the vast difference between them.

“Eliezer took ten camels laden with gifts and jewelry, and I don’t even have one bracelet or ring.” How will I be able to get a wife with no money at all? Yaakov asked himself. “Have I lost my hope in my Creator?”

Then he said: “Heaven forbid! I have not lost my hope in my Creator. My help is from Hashem, maker of heavens and earth!” (Bereishis Rabba 68:2).

This is a most troubling Medrash! Could Yaakov Avinu have said such words: “Have I lost my hope in my Creator?” Even though he answered right away, still, how could he ask such a question? Did he think even for a moment that his situation was hopeless and he did not have Hashem to rely on?

Rather, explains Harav Yechezkel Levinstein, Yaakov never doubted that he could rely on Hashem. What Yaakov was doing was speaking out to himself what his situation was and how much he had to rely on Hashem and only Hashem. Yaakov was strengthening his bitachon (his sense of trust in Hashem). He did this by clarifying to himself verbally the reality that his only hope was from Hashem.

Rav Chaim Friedlander asks: Why did Hashem make things so much harder for Yaakov, in this episode and throughout his life? Eliezer spent one night in Haran and returned the following morning with Rivka, whereas Yaakov had to work seven years to get married. Even then, he was denied the bride of his choice and ultimately remained in the house of Lavan for 20 years. Afterwards, how many more hardships did he have to face, such as what befell his children, Dinah and Yosef?

Hashem consistently placed Yaakov in difficult situations that he was unable to change. This showed him again and again that he was in Hashem’s hands and had no one else upon whom to rely. Hashem did this in order for Yaakov to build himself constantly in bitachon, says Rav Friedlander.

Hashem wants every Jew to work on building his bitachon in Him. For example, why did the mann fall daily during the 40 years of wandering in the desert? The verse states openly that this was to test us. Even though we had ample sustenance for each day, we nevertheless went to sleep uncertain of what would be the following day. This was to inculcate bitachon in Hashem (Yoma 76a).

Also, the mitzvah of Shemita is clearly designed to elicit a sense of bitachon. When we were an agricultural nation living on the fields of our inheritance, every seventh year was spent abstaining from our normal form of hishtadlus. We had to let our fields lie fallow and rely on miraculous sustenance instead of the labors of our own hands. What an awesome exercise in bitachon, and for an entire year! (See Sefer Hachinuch 84).

When people would seek Rav Shach’s advice about problems they were facing, he always stressed the need to develop one’s bitachon in Hashem. After ensuring that the enquirer was doing the hishtadlus required of him, Rav Shach would point out that one’s main effort is not the hishtadlus, but the bitachon. Just like with Yaakov Avinu, Hashem puts us into difficult situations in order to bring out from us more and more bitachon in Him.

A man who needed a complicated surgery was advised to travel abroad to a certain expert. “But I have no way of raising the money to make such a trip,” the man told Rav Shach.

“If that’s the case, then you don’t have to go,” said Rav Shach. “Hashem can find you a good surgeon here no less than there.”

Similarly, when people debated accepting a job where the work atmosphere would pose a danger to mitzvah observance, Rav Shach would often point out that “that’s not what Hashem wants for you. He wants you to strengthen your bitachon! Learn Chovos Halevavos’ Shaar Habitachon, deepen your belief that Hashem is in control of everything, and rely on Him that He knows what is truly for our benefit. Daven to Him, and believe in the power of your prayer. And also, make a small resolution to improve your avodas Hashem. These should be your main efforts, aside from hishtadlus!” said Rav Shach.

If the situation was such that a person had no normal way of making hishtadlus, Rav Shach would tell him: “The only thing you can do is try very hard to deepen your bitachon and feel that Hashem is guiding you. This is what Hashem wants you to do, and this can help bring about your yeshua.”

I spoke recently to a man whose wife is suffering from a brain tumor. They were advised to travel to a specific surgeon in the United States, and had made the necessary arrangements, but before the date arrived, the surgeon took ill and had to stop performing operations.

“I told my wife, ‘what we have to do now is work on bitachon.’ A gadol advised us to wait until the next chag before getting tested again. For the next two months we tried to work on bitachon, but the next test showed that the situation was still very bad.

“I suggested to my wife that ‘perhaps in the back of our minds, we’re still thinking that we’ll find another expert or other form of hishtadlus. We have to focus only on bitachon.’ ”

An article that appeared about this woman’s plight came to the attention of people in America who referred this couple to another expert, and this time they did travel to America, where he performed a six-hour operation.

After surgery, the expert informed the couple: “The tumor is located just between the eye and the brain. Any attempt to remove it risks repercussions that are even more life-threatening than the tumor itself. I’m sorry, but I could not remove it.”

The couple remained in America for two months of radiation treatment, but the results remain unclear. What is clear, they both say, is that their only recourse now is to turn to Hashem with complete bitachon.

The public is asked to daven for the speedy and complete recovery of Rus Tzipora bas Rivka.

May we be zoche to strengthen our bitachon in Hashem!