We continue our journey of Bitachon and we're discussing now part two of the sections that we're going to be discussing. And the question here is what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon? In the previous session we discussed three Pesukim which highlight the importance of Bitachon, where the verse in Yeshayahu states, “trust in Hashem forever”, and the verse in Tehillim states, “trust in Hashem under all circumstances”, and the verse in Mishlei also states and commands, “trust in Hashem with all your heart.”   And as mentioned the pesukim are literally all over Tanach. And these are just three that we're pointing out to highlight the principle. And as we'll see, this is because Bitachon is ultimately the foundation of all Torah and mitzvos. Hashem wants us to build a personal relationship with Him. And not only that, Hashem wants us to realize that on our own we are limited by our human capacity and things are going to be too heavy for us to carry. And like we learned in the previous verse in Tehillim, Hashem desires that we are to throw our needs and wants onto His back so that He can carry our needs for us.   We now move to the next Torah source. We're going to be looking at Rabbeinu Yona in his Sefer Shaarei Teshuva (3:32). Rabbeinu Yona brings the verses (Devarim 7: 17-18) where the verses state, “Perhaps you will say in your heart, these nations are much more numerous than me, how will I overcome them? “These nations that I'm supposed to be going to war against are much greater than me. How in heavens am I going to be able to overcome them?” Says the Torah itself, “do not fear them.”   So again, we are learning here an explicit verse in the Torah. You're going to go to war and the people you are fighting against are going to be much more than you. The odds are against you. And you're going to say a logical, natural question, how am I going to succeed? The Torah says, you are not to fear. Why are you not to fear? Because again, I don't trust on nature or my own abilities, I trust in Hashem. And Hashem is stronger than anyone and everything in the world.   And if I am trusting in Him, I will certainly not fear those people I am going to war against even if the odds are completely against me. And the Torah continues (Devarim 20:1), “when you will go to war against your enemies and you will see an army way greater than you, do not fear them.” Again, illustrating the same principle in another verse in the Chumash itself.   Rabbi Yonah comments on these verses, we have been warned by Hashem in these verses in the Chumash, that if a person sees that difficult times seem to be coming about, we must assume that Hashem will send His salvation and we must rely on Him for that. Rabbi Yonah is teaching us that the source of bitachon is a mitzvah deoraysa - verses in the Torah itself which teach that when we go to war, even if all odds seem to be against us, we are not to fear because we are to remember that Hashem exclusively is running the show and there is absolutely nothing to fear. And Rabbi Yonah learns from these verses that this concept is applicable not only to war but to all areas of our lives that we are not to fear when any adversity might seem to arise in our lives because we are to remember that Hashem is way beyond all natural and human limitations. And Rabbi Yonah is learning from these verses that this is the source for bitachon.   Just as an aside, we've discussed previously how the antithesis of bitachon is removing fear from our hearts and it's worthwhile to highlight how the actual source of bitachon according to Rabbi Yonah is from verses in the Torah which command us not to fear. Just to highlight and realize how important it is to work on minimizing fear in our lives. Again, as we've discussed previously, natural emotional fear which comes automatically and there's nothing we can do about, we don't need to feel guilty about because we're human beings but doing our best to build our bitachon and slowly but surely removing that fear from our heart. B'ezrat Hashem, let's move forward together in our bitachon journey and transform our bitachon.

We are excited to move forward on our Bitachon journey now to part two of the sections we're going to be exploring. In part one we discussed Torah sources that give us an introduction to many of the fundamentals about Bitachon. We now move to part two, where the question that we're going to be discussing is, what is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon?   So we're going to quote three pesukim now that give us an idea of what exactly Hashem wants for us. Does Hashem desire that we rely on Him? Is it something that He really wants? Or is it just an opportunity that if we need something we can choose to tap into this most powerful weapon of Bitachon? So if we look in Tanach (Yeshayahu 26:4) the verse commands, “trust in Hashem forever”. If we then look at Tehillim (62:9) the verse states, “trust in Hashem under all circumstances.” And we then look at Mishlei (3:5) where the verse states, “trust in Hashem with all your heart.”   These are but three of many, many verses throughout the whole of Tanach where we are shown loud and clear that it is Hashem's desire that we are to rely on Him. It is not just an opportunity that we can tap into, but rather Hashem is teaching us, “I want you to rely on Me.” Now as mentioned many times, Bitachon is literally all over Torah literature, right from the beginning of the Chumash itself throughout Tanach, throughout all the Gemara and Midrashim, all the way down to contemporary Torah literature.   And if you make an effort to consciously pay attention, throughout your davening, benching, brachos, literally everywhere, you will see many, many verses that highlight Hashem's desire for us to place our trust in Him. Now before we move further in discussing these Torah sources about what exactly is the source, I'm trying to highlight that regardless of what type of mitzvah this is, it is very clear throughout all of Tanach that it is Hashem's desire for us to place our trust in Him. We've just quoted three of many verses which are very clearly portraying to us that Hashem is stating, as we read in Yeshayahu, “trust in Me forever”, and David HaMelech teaches us in Tehillim that Hashem is telling us, “trust in Me under all circumstances”, and in Mishlei we learn, “trust in Hashem with all your heart.” And again, these are just three of but many, many, many Torah sources which illustrate this idea.   As we continue to explore these sources, it helps just to motivate us to move forward in our Bitachon journey, as we'll see and explore how this mitzvah is so, so important and the fundamental cornerstone of all of Torah and mitzvos. But even before exploring those Torah passages, if you're interested in trying to find some more immediate inspiration, you're invited to research Psukei Bitachon, where you'll very easily online find a collection of pesukim about Bitachon, and again you will see just how many pesukim there are that exist about Bitachon, that are literally all over Tanach. What we're trying to highlight here is that many mitzvos in the Torah have a source to their obligation, but sometimes by reading the Torah and Tanach itself, even more than the obligation to a mitzvah, you get a feel for what is Hashem really interested in.   And for certain reasons, which B’ezrat Hashem will discuss at a later stage, Hashem does not always give an outright explicit command for certain mitzvos, even if they might be the most important of the mitzvos. However, when you're paying attention and noticing that in so many verses, throughout all of our daily prayers and Tanach and everything that we have and do, Hashem is telling us again and again, “please rely on Me under all circumstances, come to me”, we get an indication of how Hashem wants us to live our Yiddishkeit. B’ezrat Hashem, let's move forward now and explore some of the Torah sources about exactly what the source is for the mitzvah of Bitachon and gain more clarity in our journey about Bitachon.

Today we're wrapping up the Torah sources we've been exploring from part 1, and B’ezrat Hashem in the next session we move forward to part 2. Let's summarize what we've discussed from this section. We first explored the Chovos Halevavos, right at the beginning of the Shaar habitachon, in Perek Aleph, where he writes that the essence of Bitachon is menuchas ha-nefesh - tranquility of the soul. Bitachon ultimately leads to inner peace, tranquility and calm.   Ultimately, whatever is happening in our personal life or in the world at large, should not make us budge from that place of inner peace, because I know I'm 100% in Hashem's hands and He's always doing what's best for me. And although to get to the highest level of being calm under all circumstances might be the final destination of our Bitachon journey, but our job is not to get there, our job is to just take steps forward, and let's say a certain situation in my life that I might have previously experienced would have provoked a higher level of anxiety than it does now because I'm on my Bitachon journey, that's all that Hashem requires of me, just to make our maximum effort to take steps forward in our Bitachon.   We learned then a passage from Rabbeinu Yonah in Mishlei (3:6), where he taught us that Bitachon is the clear and confident belief that Hashem will send our salvation from challenging circumstances. And as Rabbeinu Yonah said, relying on Hashem to such a degree, that I have absolutely no doubt that Hashem will come through for me - Hashem will send my salvation, again highlighting the fact that Rabbeinu Yonah is expressing what is Bitachon, it's not just acceptance of what Hashem sends - it's all for the best, but rather Bitachon means that I have no doubt that Hashem will send my salvation in the way that I need.   We then explored a verse from Tehillim (55:23), which states that we are to throw our needs, wants and problems onto Hashem and let Him carry them for us, because for us to carry them ourselves it's going to be too heavy. And Hashem is inviting us to throw our problems onto Him. He is much stronger than us, He can carry anything and everything. And He's saying, “my child, it's going to be too heavy for you, let me help you out, please give me your problem and let me carry it for you.”   We then explored the Ramban who taught us the difference between Emunah and Bitachon, where Emunah is always the starting point, and it's impossible to have Bitachon without Emunah, because Emunah is like the tree and Bitachon is like the fruit of the tree. And the practical take-home of Emunah is internalizing that Hashem exclusively orchestrates every single detail in every single one of our lives, down to the finest degree.   And we then discussed a fundamental piece from Rabbeinu Bechayei in the Sefer Kad Hakemach in the section Bitachon, where Rabbeinu Bechaya discusses many of the fundamentals of Bitachon: That we are to know that Hashem is completely beyond all forms of nature, and when adversity strikes, we are to place our hope, trust, and reliance in Hashem that He will send our salvation and no natural statistic or prediction can get in the way. Hashem is way beyond all of that, and we are to have absolutely no doubt in our conviction that Hashem will come through for us in the way that we need.   We are to remember that it is Hashem exclusively who we rely on, and not to rely on any other individual or circumstance whatsoever. Because when we do rely on other individuals or circumstances, and more specifically as Rabbeinu Bechayei taught us, when we fear other individuals or circumstances, we are A) committing a grave sin because this is the antithesis of Bitachon, and B) we actually become under their auspices and attract that item that we are fearing to come about God forbid.   And even someone who is poor, to the extent that they lack the basic necessities such as food and clothing, is called on to rely on Hashem, that Hashem will provide for them exactly what they need. Not to just say, Gam Zu Letovah - this is all for the best and I accept it with love. That's also an approach, and we'll discuss that at a later stage, how to apply that to our situation. But we are learning here that what Bitachon means is to rely on Hashem that He will for sure come through for me in exactly the way that I need. B'ezrat Hashem in the next session we'll move forward to part 2 of our Bitachon journey. And B’ezrat Hashem with Hashem's help, take another step forward in our journey of Bitachon.

Let's continue our bitachon journey. We mentioned previously how Rabbeinu Bechayei states that bitachon is to know that Hashem is beyond all of nature, and there is nothing stopping Hashem from sending our salvation. And really what bitachon means is to know that when adversity strikes, Hashem's salvation is around the corner, to the point that we are supposed to have absolute conviction without any shadow of a doubt, that Hashem will send my salvation. And again, going right back to the beginning, to the chovos halevavos, which we learned, that bitachon ultimately leads to inner peace and tranquility. The more one internalizes that not only can Hashem send my salvation, but Hashem will send my salvation, the more that will lead me to feeling calm and inner peace.   B’ezrat Hashem, as we proceed in our bitachon journey, although we may learn that at the absolute highest levels of bitachon, I may not even need to have a desire of my own to reach that true tranquility and inner peace, because I know Hashem is so taking care of every single detail in my life that I actually don't in a sense care what the outcome will be. However, for most of us, we do have very real desires and needs. And when those desires and needs are not met, usually that leads to anxiety and worry. Again, for most of us, if we're short of money and have no idea where we're going to get food on the table from, that usually will lead to feelings of anxiety and worry. And as Rabbeinu Bechayei is teaching us, our bitachon needs to be with conviction that when adversity strikes and challenge presents itself, I know without a shadow of a doubt that Hashem will for sure send my salvation.   We now continue in this passage from Rabbeinu Bechayeh. “And bitachon means to rely on Hashem exclusively.” The concepts of emunah and bitachon are very, very subtle. They are literally a billion levels. I might rely on Hashem that He will take care of my situation, but I'm actually also relying on my own efforts and my own activities, or perhaps the security I might have from someone else. Do I feel confident that I'm going to have food on the table because I've got a stable job with a secure salary that comes in on a monthly basis? Or do I feel that I'm going to have food on the table because I'm relying on Hashem exclusively? Again, as we'll learn with regards to the topic of Hishtadlus, I still go to my job on a daily basis and fulfill the mitzvah of Hishtadlus, but what is my perspective? Do I know without a shadow of a doubt that it is not my job providing for me even 1% - it is Hashem 100% exclusively providing for me? Or do I think, of course Hashem is running the show, but you know, my job helps Hashem fulfill that plan?   Rabbeinu Bechayei is teaching us that bitachon is to rely on Hashem exclusively - to know that Hashem alone without the need of anyone else or anything else including even my own efforts, Hashem exclusively is running the show. And again, as mentioned, these concepts are actually very subtle. You could have two people going through the exact same actions and motions where one could be an absolute success story in Emunah and Bitachon and the other God forbid not. And they both seem to be pretty similar in the way they are acting. They both go to work, they both fulfill the mitzvos where the one truly believes that Hashem exclusively is providing for them and the other doesn't feel so comfortable with Hashem as his own security, but rather places more trust and reliance on the job.   We're not going to get there in a day. Bitachon is a journey; it's our life's journey; it's the point of our life. And even if at the moment we find ourselves placing quite a heavy reliance on our job or other people and the like, although that is certainly not the ideal and it's certainly not the perspective of Bitachon, but we're not expected to be experts in Bitachon in one day. As long as we're taking this information and doing our best to apply it just a little bit more into our lives on a daily basis, we are absolute success stories in our Emunah and Bitachon journeys. B’ezrat Hashem, let's move forward in our journey together and transform our Bitachon.

We continue exploring this beautiful passage in Rabbeinu Bechayei. As mentioned, Bitachon is all over the Torah, but this piece is a nice summary to many of the concepts of Bitachon. What we've looked at so far in this piece in Rabbeinu Bechayei is that Bitachon is to know that Hashem is absolutely in control of every single detail of our lives, to the point that He's completely beyond any and all forms of natural limitations. Nothing can stop Hashem from sending our salvation when He desires to. And Rabbeinu Bechayei teaches us that specifically when adversity strikes, that is the time to practice Bitachon and rely on Hashem and say, “Hashem, I know You're going to come through for me.” To the point that Rabbeinu Bechayei taught us, we are supposed to have no doubt whatsoever that Hashem will for sure send our salvation to the adversity we're experiencing.   We left off in the previous session that Bitachon is to rely on Hashem exclusively - to know that it is nothing else whatsoever that provides for us. No individual, no job, no doctor, nothing whatsoever except for Hashem is what we're supposed to place our reliance on. Yes, I may have a mitzvah of Hishtadlus - to go to the doctor when one might be sick, to make an effort for paranasa, and the many other things that encompass our lives, but I am not to rely on any of those ventures, even 1%. I am not to believe that Hashem is 99% in control, and those ventures help me just that 1%. No, as Rabbeinu Bechayei taught us - to rely on Hashem alone, exclusively, that He exclusively runs the show.   Rabbeinu Bechayei then writes that we are to remember Hashem in all the minute details of the activities we are involved in, and to contemplate and internalize that the activity we are involved in is not in our hands but rather exclusively in Hashem's hands. When we learn Torah commentaries such as this passage in Rabbeinu Bechayei, we are gaining the true perspective of how the world runs. Unfortunately, in the Western world, many of the ideas that are portrayed of how the world is run or supposed to run are completely against Torah values. You are your own boss. You can do it if you really want. You can be what you want to be. There are many good messages in those statements, but if the fundamental ingredient is missing, that ultimately you cannot rely on your own abilities nor anyone else's abilities. The only thing that is reliable is Hashem Himself. If one does not have that foundation, one is missing the point of life.   The whole point ultimately of the whole Torah and all the mitzvos is for the sake of Bitachon, and if I'm missing this most fundamental ingredient of Judaism, I'm ultimately missing the whole point of Torah, mitzvos and Judaism itself. And it's not easy to take this information truly to heart. It's one thing to learn the information that yes, Hashem runs things exclusively, but how do I respond now when I go to the doctor and he tells me, I'm sorry, but there is no cure for your situation. Ideally, we should be aiming that if such a thing would God forbid happen, we would feel calm to the exact same extent as before we walked into the doctor's office and heard that information, because again, we are not reliant, not on the doctor, not on any of the statistics of the world, but rather exclusively on Hashem Himself. B'ezrat Hashem, let's move forward together on this journey of trying to not only know the information, but truly digest and internalize the truth that I am reliant exclusively on Hashem. Let's move forward now on this journey together and transform our Bitachon.

Let's move forward together on our bitachon journey. So we've been exploring this beautiful Torah piece from Rabbeinu Bechayei, which many of the concepts of bitachon are brought to light. We discussed so far that Rabbeinu Bechayei taught us that bitachon means to rely on Hashem to such an extent, to make our maximum effort to internalize, that Hashem exclusively runs every single detail of our lives, and there is no statistic or natural limitation beyond Hashem's salvation.   We are called on to rely on Hashem that He will send our salvation from challenging circumstances. And we are to work to getting to a point of such reliance on Hashem that I have absolutely no doubt that He will save me from this situation. And as we discussed, we are to build our reliance on Hashem to such an extent that we rely on Hashem exclusively, realizing that we are not dependent whatsoever on anyone or anything else, but rather exclusively from Hashem, and although we have a mitzvah to explore which we'll get to, of Hishtadlus, where we are called on to make our own efforts, however it is very clear that we are not to rely on our own efforts whatsoever.   And how this will translate practically is if I don't have a practical effort to make, do I suddenly feel anxious that I cannot do anything about it, or do I rather feel relieved that I don't need to do anything about it, but rather can leave it completely up to Hashem? There are many situations that are clearly beyond any form of our control. For example, if there is a war going on and there is absolutely nothing that I can do about it and I have absolutely no idea how this is all going to turn out, do I feel serenity and calm because I know Hashem is in control? Or am I anxious and panicking because I don't know how this is all going to turn out? And there are many other situations that can apply in all of our personal lives.   We now move to the next segment of this beautiful introductory piece about bitachon from Rabbeinu Bechayei. He writes, Bitachon means to not trust and rely on any other individual whatsoever. Notice the emphasis of Rabbeinu Bechaye: that a person should not rely on another individual whatsoever. We ought to know that it is not the doctor who provides my healing. It is not the Shadchan who finds my soulmate. It is not the boss who provides my salary. And it is not my own brain who finds my solutions. It is exclusively Hashem that I rely on to take care of all my needs.   Rabbeinu Bechayei continues: And this is the meaning of the verse in Mishlei which states “The fear of an individual is specifically what leads to their downfall” - and as Rabbeinu Bechayei explains, this means to say, when I fear another individual, that itself is the cause of what will be my stumbling block. Rabbeinu Bechayei is teaching us a fundamental principle about bitachon. In a sense, the opposite of bitachon is fear. Because as we learned right at the beginning from the Chovos HaLevavos, Bitachon leads to serenity and the opposite of that is fear, worry, and anxiety.   Bitachon is to not rely on any individual whatsoever. And when I work towards relying on Hashem exclusively, without placing any reliance whatsoever on another individual, that will lead me to feel no feelings of fear. And as Rabbeinu Bechayei pointed out, when I do feel feelings of fear, not only is that classified as an outright sin, but in fact, spiritually speaking, it gives more of a power to that item or that individual that I am fearing. The less we fear other people and other circumstances, the less we'll be under their control. Let's continue to explore this together, B'ezrat Hashem, and transform our bitachon.

Let's continue to explore this beautiful passage in Rabbeinu Bechayei with regards to many of the fundamentals of bitachon. In the previous session we discussed how Rabbeinu Bechayei teaches that the verse in Mishlei which states that a person who fears another individual or another circumstance is actually committing a sin. We are learning here that to fear someone else or to fear something else is considered a sin. Again, it's not just a nice added benefit to our lives but rather to realize that when we fear something else we are committing a sin.   Now when learning this concept people ask, but how can that be? Fear and anxiety much of the time are an emotion which would seem to be against my control. How can Hashem hold me accountable for fearing something or for feeling feelings of anxiety and worry when that's just my natural response to the situation? And as the Steipler writes in his Sefer Birkas Peretz (Parshas Shoftim), Hashem will not hold us accountable for fear that automatically comes to us because of our emotional state; rather we are called on to make an effort to minimize fear in whatever way we can. If by exposing myself to a specific activity or situation that is going to bring on more anxiety, worry and fear, that would be something that we should do our best to stay away from. And if God forbid we intentionally bring that fear on ourselves, that is classified as an outright sin.   And again, if we are doing our best to take steps forward in our bitachon journey, that's all that Hashem requires of us and we are certainly a success story. And if fear still finds its way into our lives, that's okay, because we are human beings. But we are called on to do our best to get rid of those things that are anxiety triggering and can bring more fear into our lives.   The other point that Rabbeinu Bechayei taught us was that when a person fears another situation or another individual, God forbid it becomes like a magnet which actually attracts that fear to materializing into reality. Of course to understand the ins and outs of how this works spiritually and why Hashem made this setup is beyond our capacity of understanding, but we don't need to understand the ins and outs of how it works. For our purposes as human beings in this world, we just need to have the conclusion loud and clear: When we fear someone else, God forbid, that item that we're fearing from coming about becomes much more attracted to us and possible to materialize.   But this discussion is not just limited to fearing someone else. As the Chovos HaLevavos and many others point out, that when one trusts in another individual or another situation, one actually becomes under the control and auspices of that situation and that individual. And this can explain how much of the time it could apparently appear how I am in the hands of my boss or the doctor and the like. Because when I am placing my trust and reliance in this boss of mine that he ultimately provides my salary, actually what happens is I become under his control. And God forbid one can fall into a very bad cycle because the more bitachon I have, the more I realize I am not in the hands of that boss and the more it will become clear to me that I am exclusively dependent on Hashem. But God forbid if a person goes down the other road and relies on other individuals and situations such as the doctor or my boss, then the more I choose to rely on my boss, the more I actually become under his control. And then it actually does appear more and more in my life that I do need him to provide for me because the truth is, if I am relying on him, I now do need him, as the Chovos HaLevavos points out to us.   It's so vital and important to make our maximum effort to do everything we can to internalize what we're learning. Not just to know the information that we're supposed to rely on Hashem and not rely on anything else and no one else, but rather to internalize it. It's not the doctor, it's not the boss, it's no one else. It's Hashem exclusively who takes care of me and Hashem exclusively who I am called on to rely on. B’ezrat Hashem, let's move forward together in discussing and exploring these Torah sources and transforming our bitachon.

Guys, let's continue this amazing journey in Emunah and Bitachon. So we're up to part two of the series, Transform Your Bitachon, where we are yet to discuss the ins and outs and nitty-gritty about Bitachon and the many details, but first we need to discuss an introduction to where Bitachon comes from. And in the previous sessions we began discussing what exactly is the source for the mitzvah of Bitachon.   It's also important to highlight that as best as we're going to do, Bitachon is a journey in its own right, and maybe one day we can do it on this platform, otherwise I encourage each one of you to further this Bitachon journey of your own, and you can look either online or alternatively there are also English books available, which go through and explore Pesukei Bitachon - the many, many, many Pesukim that we have throughout Tanach, and really if we're paying attention, what we're saying throughout all of our davening, through the benching, through the brachos, we're really stating the Torah's perspective on how Hashem wants us to act - to really rely on Him. Bitachon is literally all over the place, but for our purposes right now, we discuss three Pesukim, which kind of summarize the many Pesukim which discuss Bitachon, and really in these Pesukim, Hashem tells us that we are called on to trust in Hashem forever, we are called on to trust in Hashem through any and all circumstances, and we are also called on to trust in Hashem with all our hearts, with absolute confidence that He will come through for us. Hashem is the only truly reliable thing in the world.   We thereafter discussed a piece from Rabbeinu Yonah in Shaarei Teshuva, where Rabbeinu Yonah spells out for us where exactly the source for Bitachon in the Torah itself comes from, and we learned that there are numerous verses in the Torah that outline to us that when we are to go to war, even if it seems like our enemies are much stronger than us, and according to the laws of nature, we are completely against all odds, we are supposed to reach such a level of Bitachon - of reliance in Hashem, that we are not even to fear. And we discussed again that in many ways, Bitachon is the opposite of fear, because as the Chovos Halevavos taught us right at the beginning of the Shaar Habitachon, when one has Bitachon, this leads to menuchas ha-nefesh - to the tranquility of the soul, and the reason for this is because if I'm relying on myself or someone else, I know many things could potentially go wrong, even with talented and very well-meaning people; whereas with Hashem, who is the Creator of the world, and runs and oversees every single detail, I am in the safest hands possible.   Now sometimes people ask, but there are many things in life that I actually automatically and naturally do fear, and although I am working on this Bitachon journey and I don't want to fear those things, however am I wrong or bad for fearing certain situations when they do arise? And the Holy Steipler in His Sefer, Birkas Peretz, in Parashat Shoftim, addresses this question. He explains that of course we are not accountable for fear that we automatically and naturally experience, however we are accountable to do our absolute utmost to work towards a place that we are completely reliant on Hashem, and that fear of ours slowly dissipates.   As we've discussed many times, Bitachon is not about the end result; it's about the journey. It's not about getting there to a place that suddenly we don't fear anything, but rather it's about doing our utmost to work towards moving closer and closer to a place that we are completely reliant on Hashem. Because the more we rely on Hashem, the more we'll feel completely comfortable and confident that He is looking after us. B'ezrat Hashem, let's move forward in this amazing Bitachon journey and transform our Bitachon.

Guys, let's continue this amazing Bitachon journey. We were discussing in the previous session how Rabbeinu Yonah teaches us that the source for Bitachon is actually explicit pesukim in the Torah itself, where the Torah commands us that we are not to fear. And Rabbeinu Yonah teaches us that these pesukim are actually commanding us not only not to fear in war, as the pesukim explicitly state, but also with regards to each and every one of us in our particular and specific details in our lives, that we are called on and commanded to have Bitachon in Hashem.   And we discussed that it comes out, according to Rabbeinu Yonah, that the opposite of fear is Bitachon, because again, the reason I fear is because I'm scared of something else or someone else, whereas when I'm choosing to rely on Hashem, in a sense there is nothing to fear anymore. But again, very important to mention, the Steipler that we also discussed in the previous session, where the Steipler states that automatic and natural fear is not something that we should feel bad about. We are human beings, we feel pain and we do feel fear. However we are called on to do whatever we can to move towards a place of living with absolute Bitachon and reliance on Hashem, rather than living in a place where we fear people and circumstances around us.   And how exactly do we get to that place? Well, this is exactly what we're trying to do here, building our Bitachon, working on our Bitachon, learning about Bitachon, and thereafter taking the concepts that we learn throughout our day and doing our best to apply them and meditate on them and live by the values of Bitachon. Again, as we've mentioned many times, Bitachon is our life's journey. It's one step, and a very important step, to learn the information and to do our best to have clarity about what Bitachon is all about. But then the real work starts, after that, to try to take the things that we learn and not only just know the information, but truly try to digest it in our hearts and live by the values of Bitachon through all our encounters in life. And the more we sincerely digest Bitachon, the more B’ezrat Hashem will be able to move to a place of less fear. And as Rabbeinu Yonah is pointing out to us, in this way we'll also be fulfilling the command of the Torah to not fear other people, to not fear other nations, but rather to trust in Hashem exclusively.   Just something practical that every single one of us can do right now, today, is talk to Hashem in our own words and ask Him, “Hashem, my Father, please, I don't want to fear other people, I don't want to fear other circumstances. Please, Hashem, I'm going through something now in my life that can potentially lead me to feelings of anxiety and fear. I don't want to feel those feelings. I know that I'm just feeling them because I'm a human being, but I'm trying my best, Hashem, to move towards a place of real reliance on You. And I know that when I rely on You, I'm in the safest hands in the world, and it's actually ridiculous to fear anything and anyone else, because You are looking after me, and You are only always going to do what's best for me, and You are certainly more powerful than anyone and anything else. So, Hashem, please help me to move forward in my journey of Bitachon and to really rely on You. I'm asking You, Hashem, I don't want to fear other things. I don't want to fear other circumstances.”   So although today most of us will not be able to be in a place of absolute, sincere reliance on Hashem to the point that we don't fear anyone or anything, however, each one of us certainly does have the opportunity and choice to ask Hashem and tell Hashem, “Hashem, this is my desire”. What's actually going to happen - it's a big world; life is complicated. To get to a place where I really don't fear, with my whole makeup, with all my background and everything else that makes up my life, this is not a simple feat. But “Hashem, I'm telling You, this is my desire” - this I do have bechira about. I certainly have free choice to tell Hashem, “Hashem, I desire to choose not to fear anyone and anything else, but rather to have Bitachon in You. Please Hashem, continue to help me in this amazing journey of Bitachon and that not only do I learn the information, but b’ezrat Hashem, I'm able to take the information that I'm trying to learn and truly inculcate it and truly apply it in my life in a sincere and deep way, that I can truly trust You, Abba, and reach a place like the Chovos Halevavos teaches us, that true Bitachon ultimately leads to menuchas Hanefesh, to tranquility, peace and calm. B’ezrat Hashem, in the next session, we're going to move forward exploring the next Torah sources in this section about Bitachon and b’ezrat Hashem, transform our Bitachon.

We've been discussing how fearing another individual or another situation is actually the antithesis of Bitachon. When we choose to rely on Hashem, that ultimately leads us to inner peace and serenity, which would mean that we don't fear anyone else nor any other situation because I know that I'm exclusively in Hashem's hands. Whereas as the Chovos Halevavos points out, our human nature is always to rely on someone or something.   So if we're not relying on Hashem, we're relying on someone else. If I wake up in the morning not feeling well, my natural human instinct is to rely on something. Either I'm going to rely on the doctor which I'm going to visit, or on the medication I'm going to take, or I'm going to rely on Hashem. I'm always relying on something. And as we learned previously, the Chovos Halevavos writes that whatever we choose to rely on, we become under their control and their auspices. Which means when I visit a doctor and I choose to rely on the doctor, that he's actually helping me out, Hashem made it as part of how things work in the spiritual realms that I actually become under the control of that doctor.   And the same would apply with any other situation of my life. And therefore it is vital to take this information that we're learning, not only to have it as a theoretical concept, but rather as we go about our days to try our best to contemplate on this information, to live by the values of Bitachon, sincerely to know and internalize that I'm not bound by anyone or any situation; I am exclusively reliant on Hashem. And by doing so, we are saved from the very grave sin of fear, which again is the opposite of what Bitachon truly is.   Bitachon is as the Chovos Halevavos taught us, the serenity of the soul, inner peace and tranquility, exactly the antithesis of fear. And as we learned, even more than the actual sin than not having Bitachon, but rather having fear leads to, when one does rely on another individual, I become under their control. Which was one of the highest forms of tragedy that can happen to an individual in this world. God forbid if I choose to rely on someone else, I actually become under their control, as opposed to having Bitachon in Hashem and being exclusively in Hashem's boat where things are going to turn out much better for me because Hashem only wants the best for me and is completely beyond any limitation. And not only that, when I choose to rely on Hashem, I am fulfilling the greatest mitzvah, which is ultimately the foundation of all Torah and mitzvos, whereas when I choose to rely on someone else or another situation, I am committing a grave sin, just to digest a little bit how important it is to work on our Bitachon on a day to day basis.   Rabbeinu Bechayei then goes to say that Bitachon is that a person is to rely on Hashem under all circumstances, whether one is a wealthy individual or one is a poor individual. Because if a person is suffering poverty and does not have food or clothing, this poor individual should trust that Hashem will take care of him, and Hashem will give him his food, and Hashem will give him his clothes, and he will not lack anything. Again, Rabbeinu Bechayei is teaching us here loud and clear, the approach for someone who is lacking food, who is lacking clothing, is not to say, okay, I guess it's all for the best; Hashem has a plan, and I accept it with love.   There may be another aspect to get into that mode of thought, which we'll address as we come to those sections. But we are learning clearly here in Rabbeinu Bechayei that a poor individual, he is lacking finances for sufficient clothing and food - he should nevertheless trust in Hashem, and as Rabbeinu Bechaya said previously, without a shadow of a doubt, that He will for sure provide for me. He will take care of me. He will give me the food that I need. He will give me the clothing that I need. He will take care of my needs. He will come through for me in the way that I need. He will send my salvation.   Bitachon is about relying on Hashem to the point that I truly internalize and understand that Hashem will take care of me in the beautiful, sweet way that I imagined for it to be. Not just in acceptance of everything is for the best and whatever happens is good, but rather I am short of food and clothing, I am trusting Hashem will take care of me and give me the food and clothing that I need. B'ezrat Hashem, let's explore this further together as we move forward in our journey about Bitachon.