Bitachon 276 - When to Have Bitachon

You're listening to the 276th edition of the podcast. We're continuing ine when should we use [sighs] basic foundation for what is trusting in Hashem. We need to try to understand when is it when is it appropriate to use. Let's say a person is encountering some kind of challenge and it's just we're talking about a small damage that can be caused to him. Can I use if it's a little deal or is it only if it's a big deal? with that we find that there is as in all good Jewish concepts there's a there's an argument in this regard of usheren and also they write together they both write a person is obligated to trust trust in Hashem that even if we're talking about a small problem, I trust in Hashem there as well. I use everywhere. Here's their language. Here's what they say. It could be that you'll find a personal who trusts in Hashem generally, [clears throat] excuse me, and believes with absolute faith that everything is in Hashem's hands. But when it comes to the person's specific smaller matters that he does, wherever whatever path he takes, he doesn't pay attention. He doesn't turn his heart to hem, [clears throat] excuse me. And he remembers when it comes to big things. So he turns to Hashem. He recognizes that Hashem is in charge of his life, that he's [clears throat] dependent on Hashem. For example, let's say he's going on a dangerous journey. He's going on a ship and in those times obviously going on a ship and placing yourself in mortal danger or he's going on a caravan. When it comes to a small matter, he says, "Hashem, don't worry. I'm okay. I got this. Let's say a person is traveling to a close by place or in the city itself going from one side of the city to another. So here he he cuts corners when it comes to his service of Hashem because he really should think just as I'm driving across town doesn't mean that I can't shalom you know something could happen without Hashem's protection. Okay. So it's possible to think that I okay I'm okay but it's also important Raban says not to make that mistake but rather in every small thing Hashem is infinite he doesn't he doesn't uh you know distinguish between a great thing and a small thing for him everything is a big thing I can ask Hashem for help anytime however the son of the raam holds that I only need in large matters where the damage that could come is great. I don't need to bother God as it were with my little things. It's a little thing. I don't need to say in the morning, please help me not stub my toe. Here's what he says. Here's the quote from the Rambam, the son of the Rambam in regards to to trying to distance oneself from damage. Let's say you don't like mosquitoes. Can I ask Hashem, take care of these mosquitoes for me? Right? some kind of small time bothers but says it's not appropriate for a person to get involved with on small matters like this unless interestingly the person that we're talking about is a righteous individual or he is amongst the nim the prophets and those similar to them. And every righteous individual, certainly a very righteous individual or even a regular kosher person. Interesting. He says that invoking Hashem and in small matters is a certain that the mind can't can't uh accept. But it could be that a person has an experience which seems like a small thing at first but can turn into a big thing. Maybe because he's a sensitive individual or maybe because it's it it could turn into something that's more serious like let's say gets a mosquito bite. It could bring some kind of uh infectious disease. So then a person should indeed involve his faculty and also be involved in going to a doctor. So explains he says we're going to try to understand at depth what is the argument here the first which says we should depend on hashem in small matters as well. So he teaches us as follows. How to get to be talking also in smaller matters that are not likely to involve a greater damage. And here's the quote. is the the quote is that I I can see how some small damage might come to me if not for Hashem's help. In other words, there's an awareness that I need Hashem even in the small matters. A person should awaken in himself a certain fear. If not for Hashem's protection, it can bring about a great damage. So it sounds like you're supposed to activate your fear that this little thing could bring to a big thing and then activate be talking to which should be talking like the says in Hashem is the God of my salvation. I will trust in him and I will not fear. Interesting. [gasps] When a difficult situation appears, it's not even that you're afraid of the of the situation. You're afraid that your sins might cause that you could be damaged as a result of this situation. So the person's fear should not be stronger than his hope. That's also called he should make sure that he strengthens his hope in relationship to his fear. Okay? Other words, you're gonna feel fear. You're going to be afraid. You're going to feel like, "Hey, I don't deserve to be saved. I don't deserve to be protected because of my sins." But nevertheless, however, the opinion of of the of is that where it's common for there to be some kind of damage or some kind of uh negative situation. So then that's a different situation. that when let's say you're passing through a dangerous location. So then you need to be protect. You have to protect yourself. I don't generally have to walk along and be afraid that something bad is gonna happen, right? Driving my car, it's not common. It does happen that people get in car accidents, but I don't have to be constantly on the lookout and worried that that might happen. [snorts] In regards to this, it says a negative thing or a possible dangerous situation that you don't see, you don't have to be worried about. A wise individual only has what his eyes see. Only you only you can only judge based on what's in front of you. climber. But what it means to say here is that a regular person or even a righteous individual doesn't see in a particular action or particular situation that it's going to have any kind of damage to him to awaken my fear and then is not necessary. It's not necessary to go through that process. Why are you getting Hashem involved so to speak? Why you awakening your problem, creating a problem, and then trusting in Hashem? It's not going to be a problem. You don't even you don't even see any likely scenario of danger. It's like calling a king to help you. You have some kind of little pain and it's not a serious one. Okay, take a Tylenol. Don't need to call the king as opposed to however righteous individuals or prophets or those similar to them. some here. Yeah, I like his. Okay, now we start to understand a little bit. If a if a Na'vi sees if a prophet sees that he's afraid of something and he has a has a spiritual attenuation, right, his intuition is often correct. Um they are always living with Hashem in front of them. If they have an intuitive sense, a slight fear that something bad might happen. So then they can indeed employe. It's not called annoying the king because even if it doesn't seem to be something serious, if they have an intuitive sense that it might be serious, it's appropriate. It's appropriate for them to call on Hashem to protect them because without Hashem's protection, they do have a sense that some kind of serious damage may come. But ra the way he understands things is not he's not saying a blanket statement that that if there's some that you know any small thing you don't have to have or it shouldn't bother God. He's saying depends on you. It depends if you're creating the problem or not. The person himself doesn't see that any major thing is going to happen. So just because a person has high anxiety, that's not a reason to call on Hashem. Okay? So therefore, in that situation where a person is creating their own problems, calm yourself down. You don't have to have me talking in that area. But They are looking at things not from the person themselves but from Hashem's perspective from Hashem's perspective as it were. So it could be that something bad could happen to me. So therefore I want to have I just want to be in a state of talking all the time. I want to be protected by Hashem. I know that anything could happen at any time. I want to be in a state of constant connection to the thinking about him. thinking about a possibility that something might happen, but I'm being protected by Hashem. Nothing will happen. We find these two these two approaches in the Gmorraho [clears throat] that there was a there were two individuals who had an interaction that were on two different levels of one was Rava and one was a particular poor So he came in front of and he was he was there for a meal. Rabba asked this poor man, "What do you usually eat?" He says, "I eat fancy foods." He said, "I eat stuffed chicken and old wine." This is a famous story. If you've been following this podcast for a number of years, the the alter of quotes this one, you're used to eating fancy foods, but you're relying on money at on charity. So, you're like taking you're taking extra money out of the because you have a luxurious lifestyle. The poor man responded and said, "I'm not eating from I'm not eating from their money." He said almost in a pompous way or seemed to rub it to be, you know, a little bit over over the top. He said, "I'm not eating from the from the I'm not taking from sodaka. It's Hashem providing for me and Hashem understands my lifestyle and he gives me what I need." Okay. So now what happens? So Rava explains Rosen Rava was looking at it from the person's perspective. Depends on you, depends on how you see things. This is something that's an essential thing that you must have luxurious food. You're not worried about the fact that you're asking for something which is really beyond the pale. This is this is a kind of uh brazeness not appropriate but the poor individual. So he was saying what Hashem can do anything. He was saying it from Hashem's perspective. I'm not eating. I'm not taking charity. I'm taking the money that is is giving me the is not giving me anything. They're not missing out anything. Hashem sent the money through them, but it's Hashem's money. There finishes off the story. So in the midst of this back and forth between Ra and the poor man, Ra's sister comes. They hadn't seen each other for 13 years. And she brings in exactly what the the poor man was asking for, which was a fattened chicken, stuffed chicken, and a old wine. That's what she brought as a gift to Raa. It was too much of a coincidence. [gasps] So Raa responds, How could it be that it's been so long since my sister last came she comes exactly now and brings exactly what this guy asked for. [gasps] So Ra says I oppressed you. I said I was wrong. Get up and eat. It's yours. According to the end of the Gmorrah, the poor man was correct and Rabba admitted that indeed he's not eating from the charity of the of the general populace. It's coming directly from which means to say that a person has to have a higher view. Look at it from Hashem's perspective. seeing it from God's purview. Obviously, we could say really it's not an argument. It depends on the person. There's two different types of people. We're talking about a person on a very high level that Okay. Person on eye level has to look at it indeed from Hashem's perspective and to trust in Hashem even in the small things. There's no such thing as a small thing as we said that it doesn't seem like it's going to be a great damage. Even here I have I have that is going to protect me. But doesn't argue with this, right? He doesn't speak about people who are on a different level. The prophets, the righteous individuals. Obviously, those people, those individuals have a higher perspective. They're on a higher level. So, they can trust in Hashem even in the small matters. It doesn't seem like any great damage will come from. I don't even want a mosquito bite. Speaking to the the regular Joe, the regular individual person not not necessarily on such a high spiritual level. She says he is that their view of things is a more physical view, a more dashistic of view, not so spiritual, not godly. So if they get involved in talking to in the in the small don't really have a likelihood of causing great damage. So this is something which is raisinous. It's for the little things that you're thinking about worried about that's not appropriate according to have but the bottom line is that we are aiming for a high level. We are aiming for of theim. That's what we're trying to go for. And so it should be our aim to look at things indeed from Hashem's perspective that Hashem can take care of me even in the little things. Hashem will take care of me even in the little things. Even the things that may not require for a person on a lower level to be involved in but our shifa our goal our hopes our aspirations are indeed to show even in those areas. Thank you so much for listening. See you again next time.