Bitachon 253 - Finding the Pause

You're listening to the 253rd edition of the B'tachon podcast. We continue in Pasuk Mish- in in Mishlei in Proverbs chapter 16 verse 20. Maskil al davar yimsa tov. Someone who's wise about a matter will find good. U'vateach b'Hashem ashrei. The one who trusts in Hashem, he is praiseworthy. He is truly happy, deeply happy. Says the Mesillas Yesharim, hamisbonen b'seichel l'seif hadavar. Someone who contemplates and sees till the end of a matter, yimsa tov ki yatzliach. A person goes through life without thinking, so they get the results of that, which is never very good. But a person who does contemplate, who does think about the results of his actions, that person will find good and they will succeed. Im acher kol hisbonenus she yiftach b'Hashem, and if after all of this contemplation, he trusts in Hashem, ashrei lo. Praiseworthy is he. And perhaps we could say that it's easy to be misbonen in life, to contemplate and say, "Hey, this is what works." And then think, "Okay, I'm just going to keep doing that." And it might even work. But if a person thinks deeper and and really understands what's going on in reality, the realization comes that I'm only able to be matzliach, even if things are working, the rules are set by the one who creates the rules, and that's Hashem. So, that's a real joy. That's a real happiness. Says the Malbim, "Omnam yesh derech acher, she'eino maskil al davar b'klal." Malbim says that one path is that a person thinks about matters. Person is wise, a person uses his intellect, uses his intuition to suc- to try to succeed in life. But there's a deeper level, and that's somebody who doesn't think doesn't think at all intellectually, doesn't try to figure things out. Rock Basham He just trusts in Hashem. And he believes that Hashem will do everything according to Ashkaga, according to his divine providence. That person is praiseworthy. He's joyous. He lives a happy life. Because this is the joy and the success which is a spiritual success and which is divinely guided. Being successful is a nice thing. But being deeply joyful is what we're really after. Why does a person want success? It's so that I can enjoy and I can sit back and relax and feel good about life and feel confident, feel happy. But there's a deeper happiness that comes where nothing knocks me over. It's not dependent on my circumstances. That's called Bitachon. This is the joy of the soul, says the Malbim. The Gra explains as follows. One who is wise about a matter, he will find good. The Yoke of the Torah He says if a person exerts effort when it comes to learning Torah So it's appropriate and correct. As Alter Rebbe speaks about this as well. It's appropriate in matters of spirituality. In learning Torah, in trying to understand what is Hashem's will. So there I need to exert effort. And there, according to my effort, I'll find success. He brings here from the Maram, the Ramchal in a note. The Hebrew is from Ramkhal Sifrei Adver Moreh. So the Shani V'Omer L'Cha Mao Inyan Lo Ashkachein V'Lo Yadein. The Ramkhal explains what is the concept of that which it says in the Zohar about those who don't pay attention and they don't know. Which sounds like uh you got to be paying attention. You got to be using your intellect. You got to be involved in reality if you want to succeed. Next you have Maskil D'Orayan Yimtzah Tov. The pasuk says that also the Ramkhal basically says the same thing as the Gra. That a person who is wise finds good. What is good? Tov is the Torah. V'Zeh Klal Gadol Ba'Torah Gadol L'Mitzvah V'Katan L'Talmud. This is a general principle in learning. If a person does not put in effort and they're able to succeed, don't believe them because when it comes to spiritual matters, a person needs to put in every effort. The Gra continues Inyanei Olam Ha'Zeh Ein Kein. When it comes to matters of the physical realm, it's not so. Ela U'Vetech Ba'Shem Ashrei. Rather, the one who trusts in Hashem is praiseworthy. Ein Adam M'Zeh U'M'Olam Ha'Ba. And what does it mean he is happy and joyous and praiseworthy? It means in this world and the next. U'Chein B'Torah U'V'Tefillah. Also when it comes to Torah, to studying the Torah, and also prayer, the Torah will maskil the guyver. In Torah, the person is wise. U'V'Tefillah Yiftach Ba'Shem. Lo Chochma V'Lo Tziyah V'Lo Yadim. When it comes to prayer, when it comes to Torah, so a person should put in every effort and try to accomplish and succeed in his Torah learning. But when it comes to person's prayers, it's not about me and my success, says the Gra. You should trust in Hashem and not be involved in directing his prayers for his own personal needs. I am bored. Because a person who is trying to get what he wants out of prayer and I would add out of the talking. If my concern here is to get what I want so that's not the direction of prayer. That's not the direction of spirituality. It's not about getting what I want. It's about doing what Hashem wants. It's about recognizing that Hashem is behind everything that he's in charge of everything. And that even the words coming out as I'm speaking right now it's Hashem guiding my words. Right, so when it comes to prayer I'm not praying for myself. I'm not diving for my own success. I'm diving that Hashem's will should be done or I'm diving to recognize that it's in Hashem's power for my success to occur. It brings the Alshich. A person who's looking into and trying to succeed in physical matters in in his livelihood so if that's his focus, so what does he get? He makes a buck. And a person who's focused on trying to fix things in this world that's what he'll get. So my skull is the type. That's a good thing. If to the Alshich while he's doing it he's not believing in his own efforts. Right, but rather he is trusting in Hashem and not in his efforts and not in the thing he's trying to fix Ashworth. That person is joyous. That person is praiseworthy. K'gam sh'tay l's agavna khasaf. Cuz even though it is good for a person to be concerned about his financial matters, lo yaseh ikkar haknasas hakel v'yisa l'sabraha. So, I need to make sure that my actions are not the main thing. My shtadlus, my efforts are not the main thing. Rather, that which Hashem commands his blessing. If I succeed, it's because Hashem commanded his blessing. That's why I succeeded. K'mi menu pina mi menu y'tay l'ima na khasaf. Because it's from Hashem whether or not I have that that comfort, that stability. Right? If Hashem decides, then nothing can touch me. Nothing can touch my stuff. It's the Ashraf. The Shlah writes the Rebbe Shlita b'kharitzus um says um m'khuvan um m'gushtav. The Shlah says that it's not a bad thing to put in effort, to be focused, and to try to accomplish, and to do things. V'gam k'may tach b'Hashem v'lo b'khoach sikhli v'gurasai. But if he also trusts in Hashem as he's doing that, and not in his own strength and mind and his power, Ashraf, that person is praiseworthy. He's joyous. He's happy. K'zei yaseh r'tzon Hashem v'yisra'el Cuz this person will attain his that which he wishes with Hashem's help. And and I want to insert here an idea, a thought that I'm contemplating right now. And that is that, you know, I'm I at this time of year, right before Pesach, I'm working on a cappella. Working on that stuff that's going to come out right after Pesach, b'ezras Hashem. And there's a lot, you know, baruch Hashem, I've been doing this for a long time. Put out, I think, uh 18 maybe more albums of of a cappella music, vocal music. So, I've got it, right? In certain in a certain way, I I get it, but there's a there's a feeling of let's get this done that runs through. I know I'm pretty sure that it happens to most of us, where we're involved in a project or we're in work or whatever it is. We want to complete it. We want to do it. We want to complete it. We want to finish it. And it's easy to be caught up in action. And the feeling is, when we leave Hashem out, this is my experience, at least, the feeling is when it and it's hard to bring Hashem in. And you know, what does he What exactly does that mean? So, for me, it could mean I'm trying right now, as I'm working, to say, "Hashem, please help me." Literally stopping, pausing, saying, "Hashem, please help me." Another thing I've been thinking about recently is taking, making spaces pauses. Just like right now, as I speak, I'm intentionally making a space between my words. In between, if I create space, I make a space instead of rushing. Um I'm in the middle, even on you know, I'm editing something on the computer. I'm going to pause. For a for a moment, a momentary pause, just to make space. And when I make space, Hashem fills that space. Because when I'm rushing and moving and trying to complete something, it's all me. Just a natural thing. That's how it goes. But if I can create some space, a pause, a place that that Hashem can fill in and I can notice just a moment momentary thing and it's possible to get into the habit of doing that. So, I think it's connected to you to what the Shulchan Aruch is saying. Now, when a person is constantly involved, so that's that's okay. But you also have to find that space. You have to be Hashem means find the space within my work, within my hishtadlus to be able to draw Hashem in, to remind myself this is Hashem doing it. It's not me. Bring us here from the Shevet MiY'hudah. The Torah says human against the ratio. Look at this part. Look at the the second part of the seems to be at odds with the first part of the verse. And then the verse says, "Trust in Hashem in all of your ways." Beginning of the verse seems to be saying that I need to think about matters. I need to use my intellect. I need to put in efforts and then it will be good. The answer to my mind correct the tiny. So, we need to say that this is how it's to be understood. We say yes. What it means to say is that you could have a person who thinks about a matter. He thinks that this is the right thing to do and this is how it's going to be successful. This is how I'm going to succeed. How it's going to be good. Return the shame and the similar say, "Don't depend on your mind. Trust in Hashem. Keep asking as you're as you're contemplating and thinking, "Oh, what's the right way to go?" Hashem, is this what you want? Is this what Hashem wishes for me? If you do that, Ashraf, that person is trustworthy is praiseworthy. The person who is wise and has figured out the good plan, but nevertheless trusts in Hashem, Ashraf. And certainly if the matter that he's contemplating or that he's Guys, a professional. He knows how it works. He knows the business, right? Even his his hakmos I used to say it in Hebrew in Adam. Sometimes it could be something that you you are very wise about. You're very experienced about. You are smarter than most people in this area. You have figured this one out. What is it that Hashem? Let it all go. Live in the pause. Pause. Learn and come to Hashem in your life. Believe to try out. His hakmos is Sarah. Person thinks, this thing can happen to me easily. Yeah, I know what to do. Yeah, I know how to get it, but actually if I just let Hashem do it instead of me doing it, it could just come in a very natural I don't need to run after it. Was Ashraf. Then that person is praiseworthy and I it reminds me of something that Dr. Vadic says that there's a general principle. We know that if you run after honor, Hazal say if you run after honor, so honor runs away from you. Dr. Vadic says it's not just true in regards to honor, but it's true in regards to all things, all matters. If I run after something, it runs away from me. If I run away from something, if I run away from honor, then the honor pursues me. Right? And you know, play hard to get. Like it's it's a principle. It's reverse psychology with kids, maybe or with ourselves. It's also true in a spiritual sense. If I'm running after something or someone it runs away from me. Right? Like a little kid, you want to hug the little kid. If the if the child doesn't feel like they're able to choose it, so then it's not a real hug. And uh they run away from the hug. And that's true about anything in spiritual matters in the physical realm. I am too grabby the thing slips out of my hand. To foster Maru to foster and try to grab too much I end up with nothing. Now you may say to the Pelioites, Misha I said Malachta Keva and some say it is a dever. If a person makes their Malacha, their work to be the main thing in their in their life, so then that person is given over to nature. Alisha Yaris Hashem but a person who fears God Shabbos Torah Hashem Khevtsai that his desire is the Torah and Mitzvois of Khavits Maroid and he really wants to fulfill Hashem's commandments. As it says in the Keva Malachta Arai and instead of making the main thing his physical sustenance, instead of being involved completely with livelihood, he makes the main thing in his life his spiritual sustenance. And he makes his his livelihood secondary. It says Hashem Brocha Malon Marocha so then Hashem send blessings which are supernatural. Outside of the regular order of things. Vigufa Yea Bari V'khazak Khavir Koiyakh that person will have supernatural strength health Al Kiyarbei Nuiim V'am Avatoyakh even if he's under he he lives in circumstances or under conditions that ordinarily would cause someone to be in pain and to not be healthy. He's busy. He's he's involved and it but his work is spiritual. Those who hope to Hashem, those who their focus is on Hashem, so they get renewed strength. They have all they need. They have wealth. Of course, who's a really wealthy person? Someone who's happy with his lot. The person who has a spiritual focus, so they get everything that they need. Whether with their knowledge, not with their knowledge. Is that parish? This is what the this is what the means. Our This That which uh I'm sorry, a person who is wise will find good, but someone who trusts in Hashem is joyous, deeply joyous. So, it's Hashem This is what the Hashem means to say that he doesn't get involved in thinking so deeply into his physical matters. It's secondary to him. That person Hashem person who trusts in Hashem and does not go with the regular way with the of the world being busy with with physical matters, that person is praiseworthy. Thank you so much for listening. See you again next time.