Bitachon 7 - The Alter's Candle

You're listening to the seventh B'tachon podcast. We are going to continue studying together the safer Madreigas Adam by the Alter of Novardok. The Alter is speaking about the power of B'tachon trusting in Hashem to bring about miracles. And he tells us a story. The well-known story about somebody who was involved in studying and working on the idea of faith in God. And it's not in this edition, but in the original edition there's a star and it says it's speaking about himself. It's a well-known story about the Alter. So, he was working on B'tachon. And he intentionally did not prepare for himself a candle in the night. It was the middle of the night. He was sitting in the darkness. There was no possible human way of getting a candle. And in a short order of time, but somebody came and brought him a candle. He did not recognize him neither in his coming nor his going. Okay, that's the story and it's interesting that there are different versions of this story. And according to the version of the Steipler, the Steipler created a poem around this story. And in the Steipler's version, so he was sitting there and the the candle went out and then he had B'tachon. Someone brought in the candle. And there's different versions where he went out in order to get it, but he writes the story himself about himself. And he makes it clear a few things here. It's very very interesting. Number one is that he was B'tachon. He was working on B'tachon. And so in working on B'tachon working on faith in God, so he he extended himself. Meaning he did something which was out of the normal boundaries of what one would normally do when it comes to B'tachon. Usually we ask Hashem for something that we need. We have trust we trust Hashem that he's going to give us the parking spot. We trust Hashem that he's going to provide us with the money we need to pay our mortgage. Whatever it is. But usually B'tachon is something that I need. Here we see that the Alter worked on B'tachon and pushed himself past his normal level. And asked Hashem for something that he didn't need. He didn't have to go into the forest without a candle. He chose to do that because he was working on B'tachon. So, it's very interesting. It's also interesting is that when my Rosh Yeshiva taught this story, so he mentioned and it's brought down here as well on the bottom of the uh in the fancy Madreigas Adam. So, he mentioned that that candle, so it burned down. He saved the stump of the candle, the Alter of Novardok. He saved it for many years. 25 years it was held in the family as a symbol of the Alter's B'tachon. And after the 25 years, there was a great fire in Novardok. Many of the houses burned down including the Alter of Novardok's house. And the family was crying that the house burned down, but they weren't crying because of their lost possessions. They were crying because they lost the candle. But the Alter said, "It's clear that Hashem feels that we don't need the crutch anymore of the candle in order to have B'tachon. We can have B'tachon no matter what. We can trust Hashem no matter what." But what we see from the story, amazing story is that it's possible to push oneself past the normal level of B'tachon. It's possible to ask Hashem for a miracle, a literal miracle not only for what one needs, but even for something that a person doesn't need. And it's possible to to have that as a symbol of a person's B'tachon. Lots of lessons in in this in this idea. That that you know, there is an ordinary level of B'tachon that's that's possible to stand on, to to continue with, to to remain at. There's an awareness that we have to have. What is our level? We have to be honest with ourselves because it might be possible for certain individuals to serve Hashem, to have that relationship with Hashem such that they can literally get miraculous things coming whenever they want. That's a very high level. Is it Is it attainable? Yes, I know people who are on that level. Is it attainable for me and for you? I don't know. It depends on the person. It depends on their level of trust in Hashem. Is it possible? I believe it's possible for everyone. According to B'tachon and according to the Alter of Novardok, it seems that this level is a possible is possible for everyone. But what we also see is that it's a very high level which may or may not be able to be maintained. And so therefore a person can push past his normal level and then use the the use whatever he has received perhaps as a symbol of his B'tachon. What is the idea? For 25 years they had that candle. The idea is that they recognized that they had pushed past. The Alter had pushed past his normal level, but he saw that it worked. He saw that it worked that if he had a certain level of B'tachon it it worked for him and it was him. It strengthened him in his B'tachon. So, a person can look to the past to the times when they've had B'tachon. I I could tell you stories about myself uh where where I've had certain experiences in B'tachon that the B'tachon worked very clearly. Uh I mentioned it. I don't remember if I mentioned it in this series, but I mentioned it in the previous series 8 years ago where I had B'tachon that I would get a ride to a certain location. And it wasn't very likely. There weren't that many people around driving. It was the first day of Chol Hamoed Pesach 8 years ago. And I got a ride to the exact location that I needed to get to. So, did that happen afterwards? Did I have a B'tachon story like that afterwards? No, I I can't really tell you one. Have I had other cases of B'tachon where I've trusted Hashem and had certainly. But something as open as that and as clear as that, no. But I can turn back to that story which is so clear I had B'tachon. I trusted Hashem and it worked. Hashem gave me exactly what I what I asked for, exactly what I trusted him about. Right? I can turn back to the story and say it worked then and it can work again if I have that level of B'tachon, if I have that level of trust. So, it's a very powerful story he's telling here. And he explains that the idea is very simple. The verse tells us, it's a verse in Tehillim in Psalm chapter 121. God is your shade. He brings a which my Rosh Yeshiva mentions is mentioned here and it's mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch, but it's not it's hard to find the original the original source for it. But it's he brings it's come as warm. It's come as to as a statement of our sages. They say like this. God is your shadow. So, the simple understanding is that that we're under we are we are under the sale of Hashem. We're under the shade of God. We are under the It's like coming under the shade of a tree that protects us from the sun. Hashem protects us. But there's another aspect. Hashem is your shade. What does it mean? What is that? Just like when a person wants to when a person moves his hand and there's a shadow from his hand. If you want to show the the if you're interacting with your shadow so to speak, you show it a hand, so it shows you back a hand. And if you show just a finger, so the shadow also shows a finger. Says the Alter, "When it comes to a person's trust in Hashem, God is our shade. God responds to us the way that we interact with him." If a person makes a powerful decision in his mind that he's going to he's going to be above all his I'm not going to make any efforts. I'm not going to put in any efforts. I'm going to completely depend on God. So, when a person makes that decision he's going to completely place his trust in God. He's not going to put in any efforts at all. So, that decision results that Hashem will now bring about miracles, will now bring him his needs in a miraculous way, in a way that doesn't seem possible based on the laws of nature. Like that person who came in front of Rava. That he had trust in God that he would get whatever he wanted which was a fattened chicken and old wine without any efforts. That would come He had He had trust in Hashem that would come however he wanted. He believed however however it would, right? Even if it came in an in a supernatural way. He believed that he would get his needs from God. It's possible for every single individual, says the Alter. Anybody can be on this level. It's just a question of decision. A person can stand strong in his knowledge, in his mind and his trusting in his heart and in his soul in this trust in Hashem. He can satisfy his soul with absolute peace. Everything that he's missing he will it will come to him on its own. So, he lays down this amazing foundation that it all depends on us. Hashem is our shade. God responds to us the way that we interact with him. If we have a complete trust, so Hashem will give us our needs. And he mentions, I don't remember if it's Madreigas Adam or if it's Marasha Shuvu says it, but I believe it's both. That as a muscle, you know, a person comes to somebody in the middle of the night. Let's say you have your your Someone knocks on your door in the middle of the night and it's not a person that you are afraid that they're going to do anything wrong. Just a Jew, maybe somebody that you know. He knocks on the door, he says, "I've nowhere to go. It's raining outside, it's cold. I've nowhere to go. Please, can I sleep in your house?" So, if a person really feels like this person is desperate, so naturally they'll let let the person in. There is no one else to depend on. You can only depend on me. So, I'm going to take care of them. Right? And in the same way, Kava Kima Hashem, when he sees that we depend on Hashem, when he sees that we depend on him, and we have nowhere else to turn, we have no other options, we're not depending on ourselves, so we don't say, "Oh, if you don't let me into your house, so then I'm going to go to my aunt who lives around the corner." Go to your aunt around the corner, right? So, that's how it is with bitachon. When we show Hashem that that we have no other options, show Hashem that we really are only depending on him, so certainly Hashem will provide for us what we need. Amazing thing. So, it's interesting also this contrast between what we need and what we want, right? We saw with Rava, we saw the story of this this poor person that he wanted to have fat and chicken, and and we saw that a person can have bitachon when it comes to his wants, not just his needs. We saw that also with regards to the candle. And yet he finishes off and says, "Kasha Yexer Lo Yigale Me'el" of anything that he's missing. And I would venture to say that it's true in regards to the things that we want as well. If we truly feel that this thing that we want is is truly important to us and it's a need for us, right? When the when the Alter of Novardok walked into his Beis Hamussar, he walked into his little shack where he studied in the forest, and he decided that he needed that candle. He needed that candle. Right? It was something that he was missing. So, that's part of what goes on with bitachon is that we have to truly feel like we're missing that thing, we really need that thing. And then Hashem provides it. If we have that full bitachon, Hashem is like the shade. Okay, so that's the end of chapter two. Let's begin chapter three. Is this Shamma and the Midrash? This is what it says in the Midrash. "Vayomer Elai Malach Ha'Elokim El Yaakov." Amazing thing. So, is it something that every single Jew can do? Is it something Is it possible for anyone to attain a level of bitachon where God performs miracles for them? Whether it's uh bitachon with hishtadlus, whether it's without hishtadlus, but is it possible that a person any person can attain that level? So, he brings a Midrash which indicates that yes, it's possible for anybody in any generation to be able to have bitachon. The verse says that the the angel said to Yaakov in his dream. He said, "Yaakov." My Rashi says, "Lo Yuladaris to him and to all the generations." "She'ein Lecha Dor She'ein Bo Ke'Yaakov." There's no such thing as a generation that doesn't have somebody like Yaakov. "Afo Bish'mei Madregas Yaakov U'Bitachon Hayisa Kol Kach Gavoha." Even though the level of Jacob was so high in regards to his trust in God, "Asher Kol Teva Hayisa Meshubedis Lo, Kimash Yosif Yaakov." to the point that the entire nature was subservient to Jacob. "Ki Lo Hayah Bi'Chol Tish'tadus Lavan Im Armimu Yoser, Lo Asah Yaakov Klum." Right? In in the context of the story, Jacob was involved with Laban. He was working for him for many years, and came time for him to receive his payment, and there was all kinds of interactions with Laban changing his changing the conditions and terms of payment. So, "Ki Kol Hishtadlus Lavan Asu Be'Teva Lo Ya'aleh Klum." Yet Laban was trying all of his wiliest tricks in order to cheat Yaakov out of his payment. "Af Al Pi She'Im Tzad Ha'Teva Hayah Se'udah Lavan." Even on a natural way, Laban should have succeeded. "U'Mi'Keivan She'Gam Ha'Teva Hayah Nichna Li'S'Chak Ki'Fi Tevas Yaakov." But since all of nature was subservient to Jacob, and everything needed to change for on his behalf, for his benefit, "Lo Hayah Nig'as Lo Hayah Yulad Klum." "Af Al Pi She'Im Tzad Ha'Teva Hayah Se'uah Lavan." Even though Laban was trying with all of his wiles to get what he wanted, to get to to cheat Yaakov out of his payment, and nature was on his side, but since Yaakov was a Baal Bitachon, Jacob was the one who had amazing trust in Hashem, so all the efforts that Laban put in to try to stop him, to try to prevent him from getting what was rightfully his, Yaakov, the all of nature was subservient to him and his bitachon, and so miracles occurred for him. "Lema'alah Min Ha'Teva." Supernatural events would take place in order for Yaakov to receive that which was rightfully his. We will see more about this in our next bitachon podcast. Thanks so much for listening. I'd like to remind you once again that there's a group going on on the phone, separate group for men on Sundays, group for women on Wednesdays, and I invite you to join us. You can send an email to me, [email protected], or to [email protected]. Thanks so much for listening.