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True Bitochon and Worthless Imitation
By Rav Efraim Walach
Menahel Ruchani of Yeshivas Beis Eliyahu, Yismach Moshe. This essay was originally published in our issue of parshas Lech Lecha of 1994 (5755).
Great confusion reigns within the community at large, particularly among the circles of bnei Torah, as to what is the correct way to act during times of danger: what is a person obliged to do and what is he forbidden to do. On the one hand we see some gedolei Torah veyirah who absolutely refrain from making any physical efforts whatsoever, while other equally eminent Torah leaders rule that we should do whatever the experts advise us to do.
The general public is bewildered.
Rav Shlomo Wolbe zt"l (shlita), in his monumental work Alei Shor (volume II, p. 573-574), writes the following: "There is no spiritual level (madreigoh) about which so many people are mistaken; no spiritual level which so many people mistakenly think they have attained, as bitochon!
"Every beginner seems to feel that he can easily jump to the sublime level of bitochon, i.e. he will not need to exert himself in material efforts. People never tire of asking sundry questions concerning the definition and prerequisites of bitochon, as if it were their own natural character trait.
"There is a simple way to determine who truly has bitochon in Hashem: a person who asks questions certainly lacks bitochon. One who has genuine bitochon does not ask any questions. Perhaps, indeed, such a one does not even realize that he is acting with bitochon. Since it is the normal way for him to act, he does not realize that he is scaling any spiritual heights!"
One can perhaps imitate another person doing a mitzvah, since the main part of a mitzvah is the raw act itself. However, there are matters that depend entirely on a man's heart. These are our avodas haleiv — our chovos halevovos. With these `obligations of the heart' there can be no mimicry. Bitochon in Hashem is embedded in the essence of man. His heart and his entire body must be truly subjugated to this elevated level, making hypocritical emulation an impossibility.
But what actually is bitochon? The Chovos Halevovos (Sha'ar HaBitochon I) writes: "The essence of bitochon is the peace of mind experienced by one who trusts in Hashem."
Mimicking superficial bitochon will not bring one serenity, which is an internal, incorporeal condition. Can an impersonator possibly imitate the godol who has reached a lofty level of bitochon and who can thus complacently learn Torah in all its depth despite the wailing of alarms and the din of bombs and shelling, at complete ease, as if nothing was going on?
One who only imitates bitochon can also remain in his room without making any effort to shelter himself, but there is a great difference. The would-be bote'ach is agitated, fearful, far from placid. He roams around his room unable even to say Tehillim calmly. About one who has real bitochon Yeshaya Hanovi writes (12:2): "Behold, Hashem is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid!"
"Let him who is fearful and fainthearted go and return to his home" (Devorim 20:8). A person lacking bitochon is dismissed from battling against the enemies of Klal Yisroel.
The Rambam rules (Hilchos Melachim 7:15): "`He who is fearful and fainthearted' in its simple meaning means that this person lacks courage to stand warfare. When a Jew engages in warfare he should rely on the Hope of Israel, He that brings their salvation in times of affliction. He should realize that he is fighting for the unity of His Name and should risk his life without being afraid. He should not think about his wife or children; their existence should be erased from his heart, and he must remove any other distractions from his fighting. One who starts thinking and pondering over [such] matters during war, and terrifies himself, transgresses the lo sa'aseh of `Let your heart not become faint' (v. 3)."
In our own days, the Chazon Ish gave us a living example of true bitochon. In his sefer (Keilim 7) we find this entry: "With Hashem's aid, Sunday, 15 Tammuz 5675 (1915) (the year of the [World] War which the German and Austrian governments made against Russia, England and France. Cities and countries where Jews lived were devastated, while a multitude of Jews were exiled without sustenance. The batei medrash for Torah study have diminished, lacking benefactors, and the bedlam among the Jews is great), Stoipce (which was almost entirely burned on Monday, 25 Sivan, and all those who live here are distressed and impoverished, without any place to live and sleep)."
Afterwards follows a profound analysis of one of the most intricate sections in Shas. Even under such insufferable conditions, the Chazon Ish was capable of writing chidushei Torah on such a complicated matter! This is an example of genuine bitochon. In spite of all the apparently overwhelming obstacles, the Chazon Ish was able to analyze such a sugya calmly, in depth.
This is a tangible illustration of the tranquility of someone with authentic bitochon. It can also serve as an instrument to measure whether one has any connection with the level of true bitochon. We should ask ourselves what our feelings would have been at such a time of danger. Through this self-test we will know if we are allowed to act as a true bote'ach may.
The highest level of bitochon is the fruit of toiling and exerting oneself to attain tangible faith in Hashem. Only one who has truly labored over the acquisition of bitochon can have any connection with the way a ba'al bitochon should act. Dovid Hamelech praised himself for having attained this exalted level: "Surely I have eased and silenced my soul, as a weaned child near his mother; my soul within me is as a weaned child" (Tehillim 131:2). Dovid was like a child who does not make any efforts to help himself and only relies and trusts in his mother who weaned him.
In times of danger the following well-known passage from the Nefesh HaChaim (3:12) is usually publicized: "It is truly beneficial, and a wonderful spiritual aid that will eliminate and cancel all harsh Heavenly judgments and ensure that the desires of others have no dominion over one so that they will not make any impression on him at all, for one to fix firmly in one's heart that Hashem is the true L-rd and there is no power in the world except Him, and one must subjugate and attach one's pure thoughts only to the sole Master of the world."
If we analyze what the Nefesh HaChaim wrote, "that one should fix firmly in one's heart" and also that he should "subjugate and attach his pure thoughts," we see that this does not refer to merely intellectual knowledge, but rather to a "fixing in his heart" — a firm conviction.
In a similar vein Mesillas Yeshorim writes (Introduction): "The foundation of piety and the root of comprehensive worship [of Hashem] is to clarify and realize what one's obligation is in the world." First there is an intellectual clarification of the matter; afterwards one must specially toil to feel its truths, affixing them in his heart. This is in fact an explicit posuk: "And you must know today and bring it home to your heart" (Devorim 4:39). This was written after we received the Torah at Mt. Sinai and were privileged to see clearly that only Hashem exists. The Torah, nevertheless, commands us not to rely only on our intellect, but that Hashem's uniqueness should penetrate deeply into our heart.
What effort a man must make and what he ought to waive is not a matter only for times of danger and war; we have a constant obligation to trust in HaKodosh Boruch Hu, which encompasses all circumstances in life, as the Chovos Halevovos (Sha'ar HaBitochon 4) writes: "I will begin first to clarify the part [of bitochon] that includes matters regarding man's physical needs alone, i.e. his life and death, nourishment, clothing, residence, health, sicknesses, and character traits. The correct form of bitochon in Hashem in each one of these matters is to hand himself over to the conduct that the Creator decreed for him. He should trust in Hashem and be aware that none of these matters will materialize unless the Creator decided from the very beginning that they are proper for him in this world and the next. Just as his life and death, or sickness and health, are not dependent upon people, so also his nourishment and livelihood, clothing and other material matters are not."
Maran HaRav Yechezkel Levenstein zt'l, the mashgiach of Ponovezh, commented on the above mentioned Chovos Halevovos that "in matters of life and death everyone feels dependent only on the will of Hashem, not on his own power and efforts. However, with regard to all matters of livelihood a person must similarly be aware that they too are not dependent on his own power and deeds. Each one of us should investigate and ascertain whether we trust in Hashem equally in both areas. If we discover that we do not, and in fact rely on ourselves more in matters of livelihood and providing for food than in matters of life and death, then we should realize that we are not included among those who believe with complete faith.
"True faith is to throw oneself into the path that Hashem has decreed for us, as Dovid Hamelech a'h writes: "Surely I have eased and silenced my soul, as a weaned child near his mother; my soul within me is as a weaned child" (Tehillim 131:2) — just as a child, who cannot do anything for himself, relies entirely on his mother's breasts, so all those who believe in Him are required to rely only on HaKodosh Boruch Hu's decrees."
The genuine believer in Hashem and true bote'ach always lives in a state of security and peacefulness. He is not in doubt as to how to act; he does not come asking questions about which efforts are permitted and which are prohibited. His soul is devoted at all times and circumstances to the Creator's supervision. This does not, however, mean, cholila, that the bote'ach does not feel the community's hardships, or those of his family, or his own personal suffering. On the contrary, he realizes his difficult condition, prays to Hashem for personal salvation, and repents — but this is all done while being completely at peace. (See Sha'arei Teshuva of Rabbeinu Yonah (2:2), and also Chochmah U-Mussar (2:222), which show us how to fuse together bitochon and an ardent will to live.)
Every person is obligated to reach some level of true bitochon in Hashem. This does not come instinctively, without preliminary groundwork; one is obliged to toil constantly towards its acquisition. Bitochon is an acquisition of the soul, not of intellectual knowledge. Through laboring in tefillah and mussar for many years one can reach some level of bitochon.
The Mashgiach zt'l, in Or Yechezkel (letter 333), writes: "We are able to accustom ourselves to toil constantly to withstand divine tests. Man was only created to labor and endure heavenly tests, and to be always prepared for any ill-fated happening, cholila, if not today then tomorrow. Rabbeinu Tam (Sefer HaYoshor chap. 6) advises that man must expect unfortunate incidents, cholila, and in that way he will be able to bear them. How true are his words! It is surely impossible to teach war tactics in the middle of war. This is the mistake of those Torah students who think they will be capable of reacting prudently when a trait such as arrogance or pride awakens, and who feel confident that no negative developments will occur. We are obligated to concern ourselves with removing these traits from our souls. Likewise we are required to imbue ourselves with faith and the realization of Hashem's surveillance."
To conclude, let us see something else that Maran the Mashgiach zt'l wrote (letter 334): "Concerning taking out an insurance policy, I think that according to the tenets of our faith and Hashgocho it is improper to do so. Instead it is preferable to learn Sha'ar HaBitochon constantly and with full comprehension. One should make sure to study the pleasant and delightful words found in the letter of the Gra zt'l."
May it be His will that we strengthen ourselves and become accustomed to learning how to pray properly and read krias Shema with devotion. Besides being obligated according to the Shulchan Oruch to do this, it will also elevate us to faith in Hashem and His Divine Providence. The aim of man is to come constantly closer to the truth. "Habbakuk came and fixed them [the Torah's mitzvos] upon one [foundation]: `A tzaddik lives by his faith'" (Makkos 24a).
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