We've discussed that the Torah commentaries outline to us what Hashem's perspective is. The only absolutely unmistakable perspective with regards to what we are doing in this world. Step number one. Although Hashem doesn't need anything outside of Himself, He nevertheless decided to go ahead and create this world. And the only reason He decided to do so was because He desired to share His goodness with us and give us the ultimate pleasure. Step number two. The ultimate place where we are destined to experience that goodness and pleasure is in the next world, in Olam Haba, and not in this world. And step number three, that being the case, what are we doing here exactly? Why didn't Hashem just place us directly in the next world? And as the commentaries explain, Hashem wanted to give us the opportunity to be able to reap the greatest form of pleasure, and in His great wisdom, He understood that when we are given the opportunity to earn that eternal reward for ourselves, that then will be the highest form of pleasure which b'ezrat Hashem we will reap in the next world.  And step number four. As we've discussed many times, the Torah commentaries mention that although there are many branches to the tree of Judaism, such as the great mitzvah of learning Torah; or the many mitzvos that we have; the efforts we are supposed to make on character development and the like, nevertheless, the trunk of the tree and core of the entire Torah and all the mitzvos can be summarized in one word - Emunah. We've spoken a lot about Emunah in this daily inspiration and b'ezrat Hashem we will continue to do so. Because as discussed many times, although the concepts and theory of Emunah can be learned in a relatively short amount of time, but our ultimate purpose in this world is not just to know the information, but rather to take that information and make just a little bit more effort each day to internalize the concepts and try to live by their values with more and more sincerity.  We've been discussing how seeing as the ultimate destination that b'ezrat Hashem we are all due to make our way to is Olam Haba, the next world, it is certainly worth our while to try gain an appreciation and understanding of where we are going, seeing as this is our final destination for eternity. Some people don't like to talk about death, but the truth of the matter is that death is something that is inevitable to every single one of us. And although we should certainly make an effort to remove negative thoughts and connotations of some ideas we might have heard about death, and as always, it is much more beneficial to move in a positive direction, however, just to ignore the topic because one is afraid of what's coming might be comparable to any area of our lives which there is potential to cause us stress. Let's say I have an important exam in three weeks time from now and I am extremely stressed and perhaps nervous about what the outcome is going to be. Of course the wrong and perhaps the silly approach would be just to forget about the whole thing and focus on other areas of my life and just ignore the fact that I have this exam in three weeks. Because at the end of the day, although during this three-week period, if I forget about the fact that I have an exam, I might be able to relieve the stress from myself, but when that day comes and I now have to face the fact that there is an exam taking place and there will be consequences for the fact that I am unprepared, I will then have to deal with a lot more stress at the sudden shock of being unprepared for the exam than I would have been throughout the three weeks of preparation.  And although we might compare what's coming to all of us - death which ultimately leads to the next world - Olama Haba, to an upcoming exam, however the truth of the matter is that our preparation for what's coming in Olam Haba for all of us, needs to be treated with much higher priority than an exam or anything else in our lives, because ultimately everything in our lives is temporary and it will always come to an end, whereas our destination, where we are due to go after this world, is our final destination forever.  There is a parable offered by Turk commentaries where there are twins inside the stomach of their mother. And as the mother gives birth to the firstborn of the twins, the one who is still in the stomach yet to be born begins to cry and starts to mourn over the fact that his sibling has just died. Because again, in his vision of what he sees of the world, his entire world exists just of his mother's stomach. And the fact that his sibling is now gone, to him means that his sibling has died. But in reality, his sibling has just been born to a vast world, much bigger than the small space of one's mother's stomach. And similarly, when people die in this world, of course we are supposed to follow the halacha as the Torah prescribes, to mourn over the individual. However, without learning about the topic, we might feel like this individual is now gone, but the truth of the matter is that death is just the beginning of life.

We've discussed many times, with regards to the most fundamental question of why Hashem decided to create the world in the first place. As mentioned, seeing as Hashem is a completely perfect being and could have certainly existed without creating the world and everything contained within it, why then did Hashem decide to go ahead and create the world? And as we've discussed, when we answer any question, and especially such an important question, because ultimately this will lead us to being able to find what our purpose is in this world, there can be many perspectives. And how can one be absolutely certain that one's perspective is without fault, even though one might be well-meaning and even well-educated, but because of our human limitations, we are always at risk of making a mistake.  And as we've discussed many times, we are so privileged to have the only absolutely truthful and unmistakable perspective, Hashem's opinion Himself, which He voices to us throughout the words of all of Torah literature. We have learned many times that countless Torah sources teach that there is only one reason Hashem ultimately decided to create this world, and that is in order to give to the recipients that He would create. The only reason Hashem created this world is in order to give to all of us.  This answer as to why Hashem created the world that countless Torah authorities bring, at first glance, seems difficult to digest, because although we might be privy of some amazing and pleasant experiences throughout our lives, that perhaps we might consider those times to be experiences of pleasure that Hashem is sending to us. However, much of the time, we all experience hardships and difficult times throughout our lives, and that being the case, the question that begs to be asked is, if Hashem created the world only to give to me, why do I have to go through suffering and difficult times? And although there are many different angles to address this question from that the Torah authorities discuss, and one can certainly gain insight by studying the different perspectives, however, the most simple and direct answer was that when Hashem intended to create recipients to be able to receive His goodness and be able to bask in His pleasure, He intended that to take place in the next world, in Olam Haba, and not in this world, where we are currently existing. And again, the question that then begs to be asked is, if Hashem desired to give to me, and that will ultimately take place in the next world, in Olam Haba, why did Hashem then decide to put me in this world, if this is not the place that He intended to share His goodness with me, ultimately? And again, the answer that many Torah commentaries offer that we've discussed many times is that Hashem in His great wisdom understood that in order to give us the opportunity for the ultimate pleasure, we need to have an opportunity to be able to earn that reward for ourselves, and that is the ultimate reason for our existence in this world. Not for the pleasures that we might happen to experience in this world, but rather to be able to have the opportunity to earn our place for eternity in the next world.  Seeing as Olam Haba is our eternal address, it is certainly worthwhile to try and learn a little bit about where we are going, and to gain an appreciation of what we are working for. Because although there is a vast amount of information in Torah literature about the next world, it is certainly not an easy pursuit to truly internalize that this world is far from our final destination, and all of us are actually going to make our way to another place. And again, just like we've learned countless times with regards to the pursuit of Emunah, that although there is much information, that we're able to learn about it, and that is certainly a great starting point, however our main focus and endeavor is to truly internalize that information. And in a similar vein, b'ezrat Hashem, let's begin to explore from the Torah's perspective what exactly it means to go to the next world, bearing the same principle in mind that not only is our objective to learn the information, but much more than that perhaps, to truly internalize our belief in Olam Haba.

As discussed many times, our purpose in this world is to grow in our emunah and bitachon. And because this is the main purpose for our existence, Hashem has created a world where much of what transpires around us seems to contradict the perspective of emunah and bitachon, making it difficult for us to succeed and excel in our emunah and bitachon journey. Sometimes we find an exceedingly righteous individual who is praying to Hashem to help them succeed financially in order to serve Hashem better, and nevertheless, this individual remains very poor and completely financially unsuccessful. And at the same time, we sometimes experience individuals who seem to be doing everything wrong, whilst at the same time have been blessed with tremendous financial success. And one can be led to believe sometimes that only because that individual is working so hard have they been blessed with financial success.   Rav Dessler points out a frightening but most fundamental principle that helps us to digest this concept and grow in our emunah in the right direction. Rav Dessler points out that we find in Torah sources that when Hashem loves an individual and because I have done something wrong in my service to Hashem, He decides to make something difficult in my life in order to remind me to do teshuvah, to gain atonement for my sin, as well as to cleanse my slate so that I shouldn't have to suffer the full extent of consequence to this sin in the next world, but rather experience some or all of the consequence in this world. And therefore, much of the time when people suffer in this world, it's only because Hashem specifically does love them and wants to give them an opportunity to come back to Him and also wants to cleanse them in this world. So specifically because of His love, He sends the challenges much of the time.   However, Rav Dessler points out that all this applies to an individual who has some sort of relationship with Hashem. Maybe I'm struggling in my emunah, in my belief in Hashem, but Hashem still loves me and wants a personal relationship with me and therefore gives me constant opportunity to grow in my emunah. However, there is the lowest category, which Rav Dessler points out, where a person has reached such a low level, the antithesis of an emunah lifestyle and an emunah perspective, where they believe that they are the engine that drives their own destiny. And Rav Dessler writes that when this happens to an individual, Hashem, so to speak, removes his own personal involvement in this individual's life and gives him over to become part of the team of the Satan, called the Cheloysav Shel Satan. And what the Satan does at that moment is he makes this individual extremely successful in whatever endeavor he may be dealing with. The purpose of this is because this individual has sunk to such a low place, completely excluding Hashem from their life, believing that they are in complete control, that they in a sense don't have their own purpose anymore, and the only reason for their existence is in order to test other people that exist.   When other people view this individual as such an incredibly successful individual financially or in whatever other endeavor he is being successful in, other people now might be deterred to think that the righteous individual in a similar situation is not being successful, whereas this individual, who is denying Hashem in a sense and believing that he is the master of his own destiny, he is being so tremendously successful. Therefore, one might be enticed to believe that their own efforts are the cause of their success, and I now should invest more into my Hishtadlus believing that I am the master of my own destiny. The only reason that this individual now exists is to test those around him. Are they going to be successful in the life of Emunah and Bittachin? And as Rav Dessler points out, frighteningly, this individual does not have a future, even spiritually, because they have sunk into such a low place. They are now on the side of the satan, and their only reason for existence is to test all of us.   Let us remember that what we see in this world is not the true perspective of what is actually happening. Let us remember the Gemara which teaches us that this world is called an upside-down world, a world of untruth. What we see and experience in this world is very often exactly opposite to how it is manifest in the true world. When we see an individual being successful in a particular field, of course, they might be a very righteous individual, and Hashem is just blessing them, but they might also be an individual who is completely disconnected from Hashem and believing that they are the master of their own success, and now the reason for their existence is only to test other people. We should never be deterred just by what we see around us. “Thank You, Hashem, for teaching me the wisdom of your Torah, your true perspective.”

As discussed many times, we were created to have emunah and bitachon in Hashem. Emunah and bitachon are a muscle that we have to work throughout our lives, climbing up the ladder of emunah and bitachon. One of the complications and challenges in order to excel in emunah and bitachon is the mitzvah of hishtadlus, where we are commanded to make our own efforts through our endeavors. And many a time when we perform an act and as a result of our action achieve a certain result, it is a difficult challenge and test for us to sincerely acknowledge and internalize that we did not bring about that result, because according to our perspective and through the lens that we are seeing through, it actually does appear as if we are the ones bringing about our desired result.   Rav Dessler speaks about the different levels of emunah and bitachon correlating to the different requirements of hishtadlus. And he brings the midrash of the four righteous kings. David HaMelech, who was considered the holiest and the highest level of emunah and bitachon, took the approach that when he would go to battle, he would prepare his army completely and make every physical and practical effort in order to win the war. And although all four kings that we are discussing were on a level of complete righteousness way beyond anything we can even begin to imagine. The next king, which is listed in the midrash, decided that he would not go to war with his army because he was worried that if he would go to war and succeed in winning the battle, he might be led mistakenly to attribute the success of his winning the battle to his own effort. And therefore, he decided that it would be appropriate to minimize the hishtadlus and not go to war, but just prepare the army without actually going out and fighting the battle.   The next king, again completely righteous, decided that even preparing the army might scare off the enemy, and if they would do so, that would be a danger to him considering his own efforts as the catalyst to bringing about his success. And therefore, he decided we're just going to sing praise to Hashem. We're not even going to prepare an army. And finally, King Chizkiyahu, on a level of righteousness that we can only dream of, but lower than the other kings, said that he would not go to battle, nor would he prepare the army, and nor would he even sing and pray to Hashem. He would just go to sleep. Because if he would pray and sing to Hashem, and they would then win the battle, because Hashem would hear their prayers and come through for them, he would attribute his successes to the fact that he prayed to Hashem, as if he was the catalyst to bringing about their success.   So, we see here a fascinating idea that in a sense, the more bitachon and emunah a person has, if one can reach a level of David ha-Melech, then it is actually sometimes more appropriate to do hishtadlus, because one is not at risk anymore of mistakenly concluding that they have brought about their own results. Whereas the other kings, who were not on the level of David ha-Melech, but again on a level much higher than any of us can even begin to imagine, they felt that doing too much hishtadlus, too much personal contribution to the situation, was a danger, and they were at risk of coming to conclude that they were the drivers behind their engine. And because of that, they opted to rather do less hishtadlus and rely more on Hashem.   There are many levels as to what would be appropriate with regards to hishtadlus. As a general rule, Rav Dessler does write that our aim should be working towards minimizing our hishtadlus, because as we can see, even from people which were on a much higher level than we are, they were at tremendous risk of concluding that their efforts contributed to their successes. When a person tries to build a muscle through a process which would normally take a year, and one tries to do so in a day, one will probably tear the muscle in an unhealthy way. And in the same vein with Emunah and Bitachon, one has to always walk carefully through the guidance of the Torah commentaries, of Daas Torah, and through personal conversation with Hashem, and go slowly. But at the same time, to remember and to aim to the right direction, we need to internalize with absolute certainty that our own efforts are not contributing to the final result, and only Hashem exclusively runs the show.

Hashem has commanded us to perform the mitzvah of hishtadlus, making an effort, whilst at the same time it is of paramount importance to internalize that the effort that we make has zero impact on our desired results, to the point that if we do believe that we are contributing and helping Hashem in any way, that could borderline on the grave sin of idol worship. Emunah and bitachon are like a muscle. Just like with a muscle, the more we work it, the stronger it gets, but we can't go too fast because we can damage the muscle if we don't build it up slowly. In the same way with emunah and bitachon, the more we internalize the concepts and practice our bitachon in Hashem, the more our emunah and bitachon muscle will grow stronger.   Because hishtadlus can be such a dangerous deterrent to internalizing the truth of emunah that Hashem runs the world exclusively, as we grow our emunah and bitachon muscle, there might be certain times that it would be appropriate for us to exercise our bitachon muscle in a particular situation. If after having learned about the topic and having seeked Torah guidance, Da'as Torah, and also having davened to Hashem to guide me to find the right level of hishtadlus that would be appropriate for me in my particular situation, let's say I am looking for a spouse and the way I would like to do so is by calling a shadchan, a matchmaker. If I have decided that it would be appropriate for me to call five different shadchanim because each one is exposed to a different community and could have different options as a potential spouse for me. At times, it might be appropriate to say, “I've been learning about emunah and bitachon and I feel that in order to exercise my bitachon muscle, it might be appropriate to only call four shadchanim today as opposed to five. I'm going to minimize the hishtadlus slightly.” Of course, this needs to be done very carefully and according to Torah guidance and through prayer to Hashem, but it is important to remember that bitachon is a muscle and the more we work it slowly and carefully, the muscle grows and we will excel in our reliance on Hashem.   It is also worthwhile to point out the famous idea that Rav Dessler brings down in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, that everything Hashem created has a place to use both for the good and also for the bad. So, for example, one's eyes one can use to learn Torah, to make a facial expression to make somebody else happy and the like, that would be a mitzvah. And in the same way, if one views inappropriate material, that would be using the gift of one's eyes in an inappropriate manner. And they point out that every character trait can be used in both the service of Hashem for the good as well as for the negative. Usually, it is not a good thing to raise one's voice and shout at another individual, and that often would qualify as a sin. However, if somebody is about to get hit by a car and you shout at them to get out of the road, thereby saving their life, that would be a time where exercising the character trait of shout and panic would be appropriate and a mitzvah.   When it comes to the character trait of kefirah, which means denial of Hashem, how does one use denial of Hashem in service of Hashem? And they point out that when it comes to our own selves, our own lives, that is when we should do our best to grow in our emunah, our bitachon, and make our maximum effort to build our bitachon muscle. However, when it comes to the lives of other people, that is not our place anymore, to accept the situation with emunah and bitachon. From our viewpoint towards another individual's life, when they have a need, we are not to have bitachon and exercise our bitachon muscle, but rather that is the time to exercise our character trait of kefirah, of denial of Hashem, and in a sense say, “you need something? Let me see what I can actually do for you.” It is not a time to say, I'm sure Hashem will come through for you. It is important to distinguish between my own needs, where it is appropriate and commendable to exercise our emunah and bitachon, as opposed to other people, where it is appropriate to see what we can actually do for them. And if we can be of help in any practical way, we should certainly do so.

Rav Yisrael Salanter cites two views when it comes to the mitzvah of hishtadlus. The conventional understanding is usually like the view of the chovos halavavos, that I have a mitzvah to make my own effort, and at the same time to understand, internalize that my efforts have nothing to do with bringing about my desired result, realizing and internalizing that everything that happens in my life is exclusively from Hashem. And following this line of thinking, like the chovos halavavos, one will make an effort to try find clarity about how much hishtadlus they are supposed to be making in their lives.   Remember, too little hishtadlus is using emunah as an excuse to opt out of my obligation, which Hashem has commanded me to perform, the mitzvah of hishtadlus. And too much hishtadlus can borderline on the grave transgression of idol worship, avodah zarah. Rav Yisrael Salanter also brings the opinion of the Ramban, that if a person climbs the ladder of emunah sincerely, eventually they can reach a level where they are not required to even do hishtadlus anymore, and they become absolved of the obligation of hishtadlus completely.   Like any area of our lives, how do we find clarity for our particular situation? We have to learn what the Torah commentaries teach us. We are obligated to seek counsel from Torah leaders, da'as torah, and thereafter we talk to Hashem and ask Him to guide us with clarity for our particular situation. How much hishtadlus am I supposed to be making in my particular life with my particular circumstances? What is right for me is not right for another individual, and vice versa. However, what is important is to highlight that according to all opinions, our efforts do not produce the results that we endeavor to achieve whatsoever, because believing that we have a hand on orchestrating our results can borderline on the very grave sin of idol worship.   It is known about the rabbi of Rav Yisrael Salanter that he would constantly change his occupation. At first, he was a vinegar manufacturer. The next year, he decided to change to a completely different field, and his reason was that he never wanted to feel like he was in complete control. Of course, this is a very elated level of emunah, and for many people would be wrong to take such a drastic leap of faith, and we have to remember that when it comes to emunah, we have to be absolutely sincere with our belief in Hashem and with how much hishtadlus effort we are putting in. But the principle can apply to all of us, that the dangers of hishtadlus are very real and present. The dangers that can result of us fulfilling this mitzvah, of making our own effort, can sometimes lead us to believe that we are the master over our own destiny, even to some degree, and that would borderline on the grave sin of idol worship.   “Hashem, my Father, I would have loved to live in a world where I don't even need to do any of my own effort. It is so difficult to succeed in my emunah and bitachon endeavor, trying to internalize that you are the sole exclusive power in the world, because you have also commanded me to make efforts in my endeavors. And when I make an effort and see a result coming about as a result of my effort, it is so difficult to remain strong in my belief that you exclusively are running my life and my involvement is just to cover up the miracle so that I have the opportunity to choose, am I going to believe that you are sending my desired results, or is it as a result of my actions? Hashem, I ask you with all my heart, please guide me to be able to know how much hishtadlus I am supposed to do in my particular situation, whilst at the same time, Hashem, please guide me to internalize that however much hishtadlus I am doing, it is not my hishtadlus that even slightly affects the desired results that I am seeking.   When I invested that money into this particular business venture, and thereafter I was successful and the deal went through, Hashem, please help me to internalize that you have just made this world operate in a way that it looks like my action, my investment brought in the money to me, but really in true essence, you don't even need me to make that investment. Granted, at this point in my life, I am obligated to fulfill this mitzvah of hishtadlus, whilst at the same time, it is so vital, Hashem, for me to internalize that this deal that I have made has nothing to do with bringing in my money, because you could bring in my money even without the hishtadlus. Please Hashem, help me to realize that everything in the world operates exclusively under your control.”

We've been discussing the mitzvah of Hishtadlus, the mitzvah to make our own effort in our endeavors. As mentioned, there is no Shulchan Aruch, Code of Jewish Law, outlining the exact amount that we are obligated to invest into our Hishtadlus. And as the Torah commentaries teach, the true answer is it depends from individual to individual. One is not allowed to use emunah as an excuse to not have to fulfill the mitzvah of Hishtadlus, and at the same time, one's requirement to do Hishtadlus becomes minimized the higher one goes on the ladder. And of course, to work out the exact line of not doing too much Hishtadlus but not doing too little Hishtadlus is a difficult feat, and as discussed, we have to learn the Torah sources, seek da'as Torah, Torah guidance from our Torah leaders, and at the same time, to talk to Hashem and ask Him for clarity in my particular situation, what is required of me. I don't want to do too much nor do too little. Please Hashem guide me to have clarity of how much Hishtadlus I am obligated to make.   One thing which is outlined very clearly is when it comes to other mitzvos, if the only way to perform that mitzvah is by committing the grave sin of idol worship, one is absolutely prohibited to perform that mitzvah. So, for example, imagine for a moment that I have no lulav available in order to fulfill the mitzvah of lulav and etrog, and an individual offers to obtain a lulav for me on one condition. If I go ahead now and bow down to a certain item which has the status of Avodah Zarah, idol worship, I am absolutely prohibited from going ahead and bowing down to the idol, committing the grave sin of idol worship, even though it is in order to facilitate the ability for me to perform this mitzvah of lulav, or whatever else it may be.   There are many details outlined in the Shulchan Aruch of what qualifies under the umbrella of idol worship. Not always does it need to be bowing down to a stone, but many other acts could also fall under this umbrella, and any of those acts would be absolutely prohibited under all circumstances, even if it means forgoing the performance of a different mitzvah. When we take the words of the Sefer HaChinuch to heart, that any time we are led to believe that there is some slight power outside of Hashem, be it me, be it another individual, or be it another circumstance, can even slightly contribute to the results of my endeavors, is classified as idol worship, if we take these words to heart, we will quickly realize that although there is a mitzvah to perform Hishtadlus, we are certainly prohibited from performing this mitzvah just like any other mitzvah, if in the course of performing this mitzvah we will be doing idol worship.   And therefore it is so vital when approaching the subject of Hishtadlus to preface it, that ein od milvado, the basic teaching of Emunah, that only Hashem exclusively runs every single detail to our lives, is an absolute, and thereafter, yes, we might have an obligation to perform the mitzvah of Hishtadlus, but under no circumstances may we even slightly be led to believe that that Hishtadlus that we are making is contributing even one iota to the desired result, and if we are led to believe those thoughts, we are no longer permitted to perform this mitzvah. We ought to be so careful with this mitzvah of Hishtadlus. Doing too little Hishtadlus is using Emunah as an excuse to opt out of our obligation to perform the mitzvah, which is certainly wrong, and doing too much Hishtadlus can fall under the very severe transgression of avoidazara, idol worship. Whatever amount we believe is correct for us to be investing into Hishtadlus, it is so vital for us to first internalize that ein od milvado, there is no power in the world whatsoever outside of Hashem.

We've discussed that an approach of emunah leads us to believe ein od milvado. There is only Hashem exclusively running the show and all the details that transpire throughout our lives in this world. The opposite of that perspective is to believe that there is some other power, another individual, another circumstance, or oneself, as if I have the power to dictate my destiny. One of the complications of our endeavor to succeed in our emunah and bitachon is that there is a commandment to make our own effort in our endeavors, hishtadlus. And although the Torah commentaries teach that we are to view hishtadlus just like any other mitzvah that Hashem commanded us to perform, but of course we are to internalize that our efforts make no impact on the final result and what actually transpires in our life is exclusively ordained by Hashem, nevertheless retaining that perspective is a difficult ordeal because when I perform an act and see a result from my act, it looks very much like I am the engine driving my destiny.   So, step number one, when performing the mitzvah of hishtadlus, it is so vital to remember the teaching of the Torah commentaries that it is just a mitzvah I am performing and ultimately is not leading to any results. My results that I achieve in my life are completely and exclusively ordained and orchestrated by Hashem. One of the main differences about the mitzvah of hishtadlus in contrast to other mitzvos is that for most mitzvos we have clear guidelines outlined in the shulchan aruch, the code of Jewish law, as to the exact details pertaining to those mitzvos. When it comes to the mitzvah of giving tzedakah for example, there are many details outlined in the code of Jewish law, how to shake a lulav, eating matzah, lighting Shabbos candles and the many other mitzvos that we have, there are many details available to be able to fulfill the mitzvah in the appropriate manner, whereas with regards to the mitzvah of hishtadlus, there is no code of Jewish law that clearly outlines exactly how much effort each individual is required to make in any particular area.   The basic rule of thumb that many Torah commentaries point out is based on the verse of “Hashem tzilcha” - Hashem is your shadow. Just like a shadow reflects the image that one is portraying, in the same way the amount of emunah that a person is living with sincerely, to that degree one experiences Hashem coming through for them in their life. And therefore, Torah commentaries point out that the higher we are able to climb on the ladder of emunah, the less hishtadlus we might be required to make. Just like any other area of Torah, we are always obligated to learn whatever is available to us in Torah literature to gain Hashem's perspective. The only true and correct perspective.   And at the same time to seek daas torah, advice from real talmidei chachamim and tzadikim that can guide us according to Hashem's perspective. But after all is said and done, we have to realize that our obligation to fulfill the mitzvah of hishtadlus is very subjective and can depend on many factors. So ultimately how am I supposed to find the exact line of what I am required to do in order to fulfill my mitzvah of hishtadlus? And as mentioned many times, ultimately after one has researched the topic and taken daas torah, the advice of Torah leaders, we are left with the opportunity to speak to Hashem in our own words and ask Him for our personal guidance in our particular situation.   “Hashem, my Father, I know that You exclusively run the world. I believe and want to believe more and more the truth of the words ein oed milvadoi. There is nothing else except for You in the world. At the same time, Hashem, You commanded me to perform the mitzvah of hishtadlus, to make my own effort in my endeavors. I am currently dealing with a health issue, as You know, Hashem. And ultimately You do not need my efforts whatsoever to make me better. In fact, any efforts that I am going to perform have zero effect on my health. It's just that just like any other mitzvah You commanded me to perform, I also have an obligation to make an effort in this area. But I don't know how much effort to make. Should I go to the doctor at all? Should I visit one doctor, maybe three? Where is the line, Hashem? You have taught me in Your Torah sources that ultimately the amount of hishtadlus that a I don't know exactly where my level is. And You have also taught us that a person has to be absolutely sincere in their emunah of where they are holding. I am not allowed to use emunah as an excuse not to make an effort. And therefore, Hashem, I ask You, please guide me to know exactly how much effort should I put in to my relevant situation. Thank You, Hashem, for teaching me that You exclusively orchestrate every detail in my life, and the fact that I have to make an effort is a mitzvah like any other mitzvah You have commanded us to fulfill.”

We've discussed many times what the Torah commentaries highlight, that our purpose in this world is exclusively to have emunah and bitachon in Hashem. At the same time, we've discussed how Hashem has commanded us to fulfill the mitzvah of hishtadlus, to make our own effort in this world, in our endeavors. The mitzvah of hishtadlus, of making our own effort, if understood in the wrong way, can be one of the biggest deterrents of living a life of sincere emunah and belief in Hashem.   Because again, if I make an effort and am led to believe to some degree that I am the one who is in control of my destiny, that is exactly the opposite of the perspective of emunah, which believes ein od milvado, there is only Hashem in the world, and He is in absolute exclusive control of all of our happenings. It is important to remember the words of Messilas Yesharim, one of the classic commentators, who writes that although we do have an obligation to make an effort, we are nevertheless to view our efforts, our hishtadlus, in the same image of one who is paying a tax. When I pay tax for something, that action does not help me in a direct way to bring in more income. It is just a payment that I am obligated to pay, and once I have done so, I can carry on with my other activities to try be successful in bringing in income.   And in the same way, when we do hishtadlus, we are to view that act just as a payment of our tax to Hashem. If I am sick and I visit the doctor, I need to remember that visiting the doctor will not make me better. It is just the payment of the tax that I am required to do in Hashem's books to fulfill that mitzvah, and only Hashem exclusively can heal me, independent of any doctors or medication. And the same would apply to any other area, be it trying to make money, be it trying to succeed in finding a marriage partner, and whatever endeavor we might be dealing with. If Hashem runs the world completely, as we are taught by the perspective of Emunah and Bittachon, why is it that He commanded us to fulfill the mitzvah of hishtadlus? He doesn't need our help.   Hashem can do everything and does everything exclusively, so why does He command us to make an effort? There are different reasons outlined by Torah commentaries. Some say that the reason we are obligated to make a hishtadlus is in order to cover up the miracle that Hashem does everything, and it almost looks like we are doing something now, and now we have the opportunity to exercise our emunah, our belief that it is actually not our action making it happen. And there are many other similar types of reasons, but ultimately the correct answer to the question of why Hashem commanded us to do hishtadlus is because we do not need to understand the answer.   Just like we don't understand Hashem's ways and His greatness in so many areas, in the same vein, we cannot expect to understand Hashem's calculations in why He commanded us to perform this mitzvah of hishtadlus, even though, as the Mesillas Yesharim points out, it does not in any way affect our final result, it is just paying a tax and fulfilling our obligation. We are also to remember the words of the Sefer HaChinuch that the Chofetz Chaim brings in his classic commentary, the Biur Halacha, right at the beginning, where the Sefer HaChinuch writes that if we believe that anything else has any form of power in addition to Hashem, even if we're believing 99% is in Hashem's hands, but 1% is in my hands to achieve the desired result, or 1% is in my boss's hands, or the circumstances' hands. If we believe that 99% of the situation is in Hashem's hands, but just 1% is in some ulterior power, that is classified as idol worship, Avoid Azara.   That is why it is so important to highlight that although there is a commandment to perform the mitzvah of hishtadlus, making our own effort, it is also so important to highlight the dangers of doing hishtadlus if we have the wrong perspective. Thank you Hashem for teaching me that my ultimate purpose in this world is to live a life of emunah and bitachon. Thank you Hashem for commanding me to fulfill the mitzvah of hishtadlus, making my own effort, but nevertheless giving me guidance from your Torah in how to remain with the right perspective, the perspective of emunah.

We've learned many times that the Torah commentaries point out that our main purpose in this world is in order to express our emunah and bitachon in Hashem. The Ramban in his commentary on the Torah writes that the purpose of all the mitzvahs is in order that we come to have emunah in Hashem. The Vilna Gaon in his commentary to Mishle says that the main reason Hashem gave us the Torah is in order that we come to have bitachon in Hashem. And again he says there that this is ultimately the purpose of all the mitzvahs. And elsewhere the Vilna Gaon states a frighteningly powerful statement where he says that somebody who is excelling in the character trait of bitachon, even if this individual is committing severe transgressions, they are better off than somebody who is not committing any transgressions but is not excelling in bitachon. There are many Torah sources that highlight that our main purpose and endeavor in this world is to succeed and excel in emunah and bitachon and this is ultimately the reason that we were created. Of course seeing as emunah and bitachon are the main reason that we were created for, it is certainly going to be our life's work and the more we learn about it and make efforts to grow in it, the more we will succeed in our purpose of being created. Simply speaking, basic emunah means to believe the words of the Torah which teach us that Hashem is ein od mil vado. There is nothing else except for Hashem in the world. Hashem is the only one who calls all of the shots to all the happenings in the world, in my private life, in our experiences as a nation and to the whole universe. This statement of ein od mil vado is really the ABC of emunah. However, there are many levels to what it means to believe that Hashem is the only power. Right at the top there could be an individual who is 100% conscious 100% of the time that nothing in the world can happen without Hashem's exclusive involvement and therefore an individual who has reached such a level will fear absolutely nothing, will devote their lives to the service of Hashem and the many other offshoots of emunah and bitachon and at the opposite extreme there could be an individual who feels that they are the boss of their own lives. Between these two levels there are millions and millions of levels of to what degree have we internalized and are we internalizing that Hashem is exclusively running the show. For many people one of the biggest challenges to a life of exclusive reliance on Hashem is the fact that the way the world works is we are obligated to make an effort, otherwise known as hishtadlus. Hishtadlus is an obligation that Hashem has commanded us to fulfill. But again seeing as emunah is our life's work and hishtadlus is one of the biggest components to living a life of emunah and bitachon, sometimes one of the biggest deterrents if done in the wrong way and understood incorrectly. We can obviously understand that to understand hishtadlus on one foot without investigating and learning about the topic sufficiently will not do justice to the topic. There is much information in Torah literature outlining the perspective of one with emunah and bitachon, how we are to approach hishtadlus and the like. What's most important to remember is that as discussed by many many Torah commentaries the only reason we exist in this world is to express our emunah and bitachon to Hashem, our belief and reliance on Hashem. And therefore there must be a way where we are able to perform our hishtadlus which sometimes seems to go against the values of emunah because hishtadlus means I am making an effort which sometimes contradicts the notion and mode of thinking that Hashem exclusively guides every single detail of my life. And therefore there must be a way that we can approach hishtadlus within the light of emunah and bitachon because remember hishtadlus is a mitzvah that Hashem himself gave us. Regardless of how we understand hishtadlus, the most important fundamental to remember in achieving our purpose in this world in excelling in our emunah and bitachon is ein od mil vador. The bottom line is that there is only Hashem who runs every detail in this world.

We've discussed some of the details and the different approaches that the Torah commentaries take when it comes to bitachon. The bottom line is that Hashem has given us the most incredible, tremendous opportunity to rely on Hashem for all of our needs. We ought to constantly remind ourselves that Hashem is continuously orchestrating every single detail to every single one of our lives, and it is absolutely absurd to place our trust in any other individual or circumstance. Not only that, as the Beis HaLevi taught us, when one does place their trust in another individual or circumstance, or give some form of credibility to fear and anxiety that one might be experiencing, one actually attracts that fear to come about, God forbid.  Besides the tremendous benefits that we reap in this world from having bitachon in Hashem, having the protection and security and anti-anxiety stronger than any other, as well as the outright obligation we have from numerous verses in the Torah that command us to have bitachon in Hashem, as well as the tremendous sin it is to live a life without bitachon as discussed previously, when we do choose to make our maximum effort to place our bitachon in Hashem, we are fulfilling our ultimate purpose in this world, because remember, the only reason Hashem created us is to be good to us, and as Torah sources teach, that takes place in the next world, and the only reason we're in this world is to earn our place in the next world. And as we've discussed many times, the Torah sources teach that the main way we achieve earning our place in the next world, and therefore our main focus in this world, is to have emunah and bitachon, and develop our emunah and bitachon as much as possible.  The Beis Halevi writes further that when an individual encounters some distress, God forbid, or a shortage of sustenance, his approach should not be to increase in hishtadlus, but rather, he should examine his improper deeds that have brought about the situation for him, and repent from his evil deeds. He should pour forth his supplications before Hashem, that Hashem should save him, and pray to the One who wealth and property belong to. He should fortify his heart with bitachon and place his hope in Hashem. He should confirm in his heart that there is no other one than Hashem from whom to seek help from.  There are many resources that we have available today, giving us the opportunity to make more and more of an effort to grow in our emunah and bitachon. The Beis Halevi on Bitachon by Artscroll is one fantastic example, and as mentioned previously, I highly recommend whoever is able to get a copy to do so, and reap the tremendous benefits from going through the many different examples and angles and wealth of Torah information that one will gain by doing so. The verse in Yirmiyahu states, "Cursed is a man who trusts in another individual." Whereas the other verse states, "Blessed is the individual that trusts in Hashem." "Hashem, Master of the Universe, thank you so much for the privilege to be learning about emunah and bitachon. Thank you, Hashem, for teaching me that it is such a tremendous sin to live a life without bitachon, that you have an explicit verse cursing one who does so. Whereas the opposite is also true. Thank you, Hashem, for teaching me in your verse that when I place my trust in you, the verse calls me a blessed individual."  May we all merit to grow to our highest potential, both in emunah and bitachon. And b'ezrat Hashem, may we all merit to be in the category of the verse, "Blessed is the individual who trusts in Hashem."

We have been discussing the approach in bitachon that many Torah commentaries outline, where one can be so confident in relying on Hashem about something, to the point that according to this approach, one who is sick can have bitachon that they will get better; one who is short of money can have bitachon that they will find the sustenance they need; one who is searching for a marriage partner would be able to be confident that they will for sure find the one that they are seeking.  The question is, if bitachon is so powerful, and as we are taught - independent of our actions and available to every single one of us, then certainly when it comes to the very righteous people, the tzaddikim, why is it that so many of them do undergo suffering? If they would just practice their bitachon, then they would be able to be saved from their suffering.  There are many approaches offered by the Torah commentaries to resolve this question. The bottom line is, there is no question in the world that when one relies on Hashem, Hashem comes through for them. We will mention four approaches that are cited in the appendix of the Artscroll Beis Halevi on B'tachon.  One approach to answer this question is that of the Vilna Gaon. He writes that although one might have strong bitachon, it might not be strong enough to protect him from the suffering that he is undergoing. According to the level of danger or suffering that is present, one might need a stronger bitachon to remain calm through even this dangerous situation.  A second approach is that of the Brisker Rav, who says that many people think they have bitachon, but in truth their relaxed mood is as a result of not being aware of the seriousness of the danger they are in. Had they known how dire their situation really was, they would indeed have been very afraid.  The Leshem outlines two more approaches. In the one he explains that there are times when Hashem makes the drastic decision to suspend a person's free will in order to carry out his decree, and sometimes for reasons concealed from us, he will issue a harsh decree that needs to be executed, but if the individual would have bitachon in this situation, the decree would not be able to be executed, and therefore what Hashem does, He interferes with the individual's ability to have bitachon in order to allow this to happen.  And the Leshem offers another approach, where he says that the great sages were on such a high level of bitachon that they accepted everything Hashem did, and did not even have a desire to be relieved of any pain or suffering.  Although this approach of bitachon that we've been discussing is less conventional and perhaps less well known, it is certainly worth learning about it, as many Torah commentaries do bring it down as a valid approach, and it can certainly be relevant at different times to our lives. However, what is super vital to remember and internalize is that having bitachon in Hashem should never turn into a test to see if Hashem will come through for me, then I will decide to continue in the path of serving Hashem. If that is the level that one is holding on, then this path of bitachon would certainly not be relevant to my current spiritual level. One's approach needs to be that before the fact, one davens to Hashem, one hopes to Hashem, and one might at times even be able to practice bitachon - reliance on Hashem, to the point that they are confident Hashem will come through for them in the way they desire. However, after the fact, whether I received what I was requesting, or also if I didn't receive it, it is so vital to always live with the understanding that everything Hashem does is for the best, and if He did not come through for us in the way that we desired, it is nevertheless for sure for the best for us, because Hashem always does only what is best for us. In fact, one of the great early commentators, the Smag, followed by the Aruch HaShulchan, writes that just like there is a mitzvah to judge another Jew favorably, and if you see somebody else doing something that might appear suspicious, we have a mitzvah in the Torah to judge them favorably, in the same vein, we are obligated to judge Hashem favorably. When things transpire throughout our lives, we have a mitzvah to try to find reason why Hashem would do that for us, and even though we of course can't understand Hashem's reason for doing things, nevertheless we certainly can give ourselves reason to justify that everything Hashem would do for us will always only be for our best.

As mentioned many times, Torah sources teach, "HaShem Tzilcha" - HaShem is your shadow. Just like if one puts out one finger into the sun, the shadow that you'll see is that of one finger, whereas if you put five fingers out, then you'll see a shadow of five fingers, in the same way, when it comes to reliance on HaShem, the more one relies on HaShem, the more one will see HaShem come through for them. We've mentioned the approach of bitachon that many Torah commentaries bring, that one relies on HaShem about something that they might be lacking, to the point that they are absolutely certain that HaShem will give them exactly what they have requested. And again, there are many levels. There might be times where it is more appropriate to say, "HaShem, I know You can do anything, but I don't expect anything in particular. Whatever You decide, that's what I want to go with."  And at other times, one might feel it more appropriate to say, "HaShem, I really need this job opportunity to come through. Until now we've really struggled and I'm not even able to perform mitzvos in the ideal way because of our lack of funds. HaShem, I really would like to be able to rely on You, that You will come through for me because I really believe that there is no other force in the world except for You. You exclusively orchestrate every single detail in my life. HaShem, I know You will come through for me." Whichever approach of bitachon one is taking, it is absolutely vital to do our best to work towards being sincere in our reliance on HaShem and in what we are requesting from Him. There is a story told about Rav Yisrael Salanter. He was once sitting with another great Torah leader and they were having the following argument. Rav Yisrael Selanter insisted that with bitachon one can obtain anything he wants, while the other great Torah leader argued that this is not the case. To prove his point, Rav Yisrael said that he will have bitachon to receive a gold watch. And at that moment, there was a knock at the door; a man walked in and handed his watch to Rav Yisrael.  There is no question in the world that bitachon works, and there is no question in the world that we believe what the Torah sources say - that bitachon is not related to our deeds. It is available to every single one of us. Yes, we might not all be on the level of Rav Yisrael Salanter to need a watch and be able to rely on Hashem to the point that we receive it a few minutes later, but there are many levels in between where we might currently be and where our maximum potential might be at.  "Thank you Hashem for teaching me that relying on You is so powerful that it works to the point that many Torah authorities write, that if I rely on You for something, I will for sure receive that item. Now Hashem, I know that there are many levels and there may be many reasons why I might not receive something that I choose to rely on You for. If I am fully sincere in my reliance, maybe at times I might be able to be in this category, but maybe sometimes I am insincere. Please Hashem help me to move towards a bitachon where I am able to rely on You with absolute sincerity, with absolute reliance, that You exclusively provide for me, can send me everything and always have my best interest in mind.  And Hashem, even though You've taught me that bitachon is completely independent of my actions, and if I rely on You, You will come through for me even if I have a messy scorecard, however, at the same time, please help me to remember my priorities. It's not about what I want and then using the power of bitachon to live life in the way that I would like, but rather first setting my priorities right. What is important in life? Is it just about making efforts to rely on You to get the new car that I want? Sometimes there is a place for that, but much more important than that, my priorities should always be to receive things that I need in order to enhance my service to You. Hashem, You know the reason that I would like more money. I would like to fulfill the tremendous mitzvah to be able to give more charity. And I'm going to have bitachon in you, that this particular venture that I'm exploring, that You are going to make it successful so that I should be able to get more money in order to fulfill Your mitzvah of giving charity in the best way possible. Thank You Hashem for the incredible gift of bitachon and the incredible gift to talk to You on a constant basis."

We've been discussing the two approaches the commentaries outline with regards to bitachon. Although the conventional understanding is to rely on Hashem that He will always take care of us and do what is best for us, the other approach to bitachon that many Torah authorities outline is to rely on Hashem so heavily and confidently that He will give me exactly what I have asked for.  As we mentioned in the words of the Beis HaLevi, "Bevadai yasig ma shechaser mehitztarchuto" - that one who places their reliance on Hashem will for sure receive what they have requested. And as mentioned, many Torah sources teach that this applies regardless to one's spiritual level and scorecard; even if one has performed many sins, the power of bitachon is so great that when one relies on Hashem, Hashem will come through for them.  We mentioned the Gemara which states that there was a poor man who came over to Rava and requested a more extravagant meal than would usually be suitable for a poor man. And although initially Rava had suggested that when asking other people for funds it would not be appropriate to ask for anything more than the bare minimum, after the episode, the Gemara concluded that it was not out of place for the pauper to ask for the type of meal that he was used to, because ultimately all of our sustenance comes exclusively from Hashem.  This idea can be illustrated further by another passage in the Talmud. The Gemara in Brachos 60a states that once as Hillel was on his way home, he heard cries of anguish from his neighborhood and he stated with confidence that these cries were not coming from his house. And the Gemara questions how was Hillel able to be so confident that the tragedy that had befallen was not coming from his own family? And the Vilna Gaon explains that the reason was because exceedingly righteous people live with full confidence that they will never suffer any harm.  And one more passage in the Talmud to highlight this idea. The Gemara in Taanis 19a tells the story of Nakdimon ben Gurion, a wealthy Jew who lived in the time of the second Beis Hamikdash and who during a time of severe drought wanted to provide water for the Jews traveling to Yerushalayim for Yom Tov. He borrowed wells of water from a Roman individual promising that they would be refilled by a certain time and if not then he would fill them with gold. Nakdimon took a very big risk yet he remained fully confident that Hashem would enable him to fulfill his promise. Sure enough, at the last moment heavy rain began to fall and the wells were all filled. Although some might argue that being so confident that Hashem will come through for an individual might be saved for the righteous, we see from many Torah commentaries that that is not the case and that this mode of thought may at times be applicable to many of us even during our times. And as always in any area of doubt, after trying our best to learn Torah passages and seek guidance from Torah leaders, the most advisable thing to do is to talk to Hashem and ask for clarity.  "Hashem you have taught me this most precious information about bitachon. Thank you so much for teaching me that the opportunity to have bitachon is available to every single one of us regardless of our actions and how we are doing in terms of our spiritual scorecard. Hashem thank you also for teaching me the different types of bitachon that the Torah authorities offer us. Of course always praying to you and hoping to you for the best the way we see it in our eyes, but sometimes thereafter letting go and accepting that whatever you do will for sure be the best, whilst at the same time appreciating the other mode of bitachon, that the power of relying on you is so strong that at times it might be appropriate for us to rely on you to such an extent that we are sure that what we need and what we are asking you for will come about. Please Hashem will you guide me to be able to apply the bitachon that I am learning and truly rely on you under every and all circumstances throughout my life."

We mentioned that the Torah commentaries cite two different approaches to bitachon. The first, more well-known and conventional approach to bitachon is that we are all called on to rely on Hashem exclusively, expressing to Hashem that we know that He is the exclusive orchestrator to every happening in our lives, and we are called on to hope and pray that Hashem will provide us with the things that we need, whilst at the same time we accept that not necessarily will Hashem come through for us in the way that we desire, but rather that whatever He does decide to do, we trust that that is for sure the best for us.  The second approach to bitachon is where one is so confident in what they are hoping and asking Hashem for, to the point that they are now asking Hashem in the form that they will for sure receive what they are asking for. We are taught by many Torah commentaries, such as Rav Chaim Vital, the Beis HaLevi, Rav Dessler, the Steipler and many others, that the power of bitachon is so strong that relying on Hashem causes Hashem to give us what we are relying on Him for.  Not only that, the Midrash teaches that even a wicked individual who relies on Hashem reaps all the benefits of bitachon and following suit to this Midrash is the Ramban and others who again teach that even a thief or some other wicked individual who chooses to rely on Hashem, Hashem will come through for that individual. The bottom line is that bitachon is completely independent of our scorecard. Although we are of course called on to make every effort to stay away from sin and do as many mitzvos as we can, nevertheless, the power of bitachon is something completely independent to our scorecard. Even if a person is tainted with tremendous impurity from many transgressions and sin, of course as the Torah sources teach us, there will always be consequences for those actions unless a person repents for them; nevertheless, when one chooses to practice bitachon and rely on Hashem, it does not matter anymore what one's scorecard is, in terms of the bitachon being able to work and Hashem coming through for the individual. The many Torah commentaries that mention this type of bitachon where one is able to rely on Hashem to the point that they are certain Hashem will give them what they are asking for can be illustrated further by some passages we find in the Talmud. The Gemara in Kesubos 67b cites a story about Rava who was once approached by a needy person asking for food from the communal charity fund. "What do you like to eat?" Rava asked. "Fattened chicken and aged wine", the man said. "But you're taking from the public charity fund", Rava replied. "Do you really expect to receive such extravagant food and wine when you're relying on charity?" "What do you mean?" The man said. "I get what I need from Hashem." And the needy man quoted a verse to support his statement that it is not Rava who is providing for him, but rather Hashem exclusively is his sole provider.  The needy man said, "Hashem does not provide sustenance in a general manner, but rather provides each individual with his needs. If so, if one relies on Hashem, he will receive everything exactly how he wants it." And the Gemara goes on to say that just then Rava's sister, who he had not seen in many years came to visit him and she brought him as a gift - fattened chicken and aged wine. Rava then gave over the chicken and wine to the pauper and acknowledged that the pauper was right and it was now absolutely clear that the sustenance that was due for the pauper was not even slightly coming from Rava, but rather exclusively from Hashem, and therefore Rava acknowledged that the pauper was correct in that although he was seeking funds from others, it was proper to still consider his own self-worth and dignity.  When one is not living a life of bitachon and one has to take a favor from another individual, the Torah approach is to always be appreciative. But if one feels like this individual is my provider, that sometimes leads to flattery and other sins which the Torah prohibits us from committing because again, that is not my provider, that is just the messenger; the only provider for every single thing in my life is Hashem Himself.

Rav Dessler, in his Michtav Me'eliyahu, part 5, page 74, writes that there are two approaches to bitachon. Approach number one is where I realize that there is absolutely no other power in the world and Hashem is exclusively the only one orchestrating every minute detail in the world, the only one that can help me and the only one that I should turn to. But at the same time, although I might be hopeful and am called on to pray to Hashem for what I desire, I nevertheless don't necessarily expect that to happen. Hashem has many considerations and although we are called on to pray for what we think is best for us, as we are taught from many Torah sources, nevertheless, what Hashem does is His business and we can trust that that is for the best.  Rav Dessler mentions that there also is a second approach to bitachon and this approach outlines that one relies on Hashem to such a heavy extent that one is certain Hashem will give me exactly what I am requesting. To one who has not heard this concept before in Torah sources, at first this can be a difficult idea to digest. Who says I deserve what I am asking for? Hashem has many considerations. Maybe He'll decide that it's best for me not to receive what I am requesting, and many other similar considerations. As always, whether we understand or we don't, we always follow the only true perspective, Hashem's perspective, the perspective of the Torah and the Torah commentaries. As mentioned previously, the fantastic work by Artscroll, the Beis HaLevi on bitachon, authored by Rabbi David Sutton, outlines this and many similar concepts in a fantastic manner.  The Beis HaLevi himself, in his classic essay on bitachon, writes that a person who truly chooses to rely on Hashem for a particular need or something that they might be lacking, in his words, "bevadai yasig ma sheyechsar lo mehitztarchuto" - he will for sure obtain what he is currently lacking. Although this approach might seem like a novelty, there are many, many Torah sources that teach that this is the ideal approach to what it means to have bitachon, to be able to rely on Hashem to the extent that I am so certain He will give me exactly what I am asking for. To name a few others that bring this approach to bitachon, Rav Yosef Albo in his Sefer Haikkarim, as well as Rabbeinu Bachya in the Kad Hakemach, as well as Rav Chaim Vital in Shaarei Kedusha, and many others. Both approaches are valid, and depending on circumstances and perhaps other factors, each approach can be used at the relevant times.  "Hashem my Father, I have been struggling to find my marriage partner, as you know, for a long time. For whatever reason you have challenged me in this area, I know Hashem that You exclusively orchestrate every single detail in my life and in everybody's life, and when You decide that my husband should come along, You and You exclusively will make that happen. So there is nothing for me to worry about. And Hashem I beg You, please let it happen soon. I have been waiting for so long, and I beg You, in the very near future, please will You send me my marriage partner. And at the same time Hashem, I acknowledge that I don't know the ins and outs of Your calculations, and whatever You do, I thank You for that, because I know that You will always do only what is best for me." This is certainly a very valid approach to bitachon, where I am trusting in Hashem completely, acknowledging that He is the sole orchestrator of every detail, but not necessarily expecting what I have requested. The second approach to bitachon would say, "Hashem my Father, I have been waiting for so long to find my marriage partner. I am going to trust in You exclusively because I know that You are the sole orchestrator to every detail in my life and everybody's life. I know that in one second, You can send me my marriage partner. Hashem, I am going to rely on You to the extent that I am certain that You will send me exactly what I need. Hashem, I am begging You that in the near future, You will send me my marriage partner. And I am going to feel now Hashem, as if You have already found my marriage partner, because I know that that is what You are going to do." Thank you Hashem for teaching us all the approaches about bitachon and giving us the keys to be able to live a truly meaningful life.

In an ideal world where one is able to reap all the benefits of a life of true bitachon, true reliance on Hashem, we would not be required to make Hishtadlus - to make our own efforts. And as the Torah commentaries teach, the only reason that we are required to fulfill our mitzvah of Hishtadlus is because it is a curse that was placed on us when the initial man, Adam, ate from the tree.  However, the Torah commentaries delve into what seems to be an apparent paradox, because on the one hand, we have a mitzvah to absolutely rely on Hashem exclusively, and on the other hand, we have a mitzvah to make a real effort on our own accord. One who is interested in researching this topic further is invited to view our 8-part series that was posted at Recording 97.  Briefly for our purposes right now, we are called on and obligated from the Torah to make every effort to live a life of absolute bitachon, which means to believe that Hashem exclusively runs every single detail in my life and to make a practical effort to turn that belief into the way I practically live my life, not feeling feelings of fear from other individuals, not flattering my boss, the doctor, or whoever else I might sometimes be led to feel that I am relying on.  And in truth, if not for the fact of the curse that was initially placed on mankind, the curse to perform Hishtadlus, I would not have needed to make an effort, because, as the Mesillas Yesharim teaches, the effort that I make has no correlation to the result that I achieve; the money that I receive, the recovery from illness, finding my marriage partner, or success in whatever other area I might be dealing with, has nothing to do with the efforts that I make. Hishtadlus is just an obligation, a curse, but the fact that we are obligated to live out that curse should not mislead us into thinking that our own efforts could even slightly contribute to our endeavors.  Let us remember the words of the Sefer Hachinuch that are quoted in the Biur Halacha right at the beginning of the book, where he writes that as we know there is a mitzvah not to serve idols, and as he explains, included in that mitzvah is to believe without a shadow of a doubt that the only power in the world is Hashem and no other individual, nor circumstance or effort can contribute even slightly towards the happenings in my life, and believing that Hashem runs 99% of my life, but just 1% is left up to another individual circumstance is included in the category of idol worship. So whilst we have a mitzvah to fulfill the curse of making an effort, of making a Hishtadlus, it is of paramount importance to remind ourselves of the dangers of having the wrong approach to Hishtadlus, to making an effort, which could borderline on idol worship.  "Hashem, I am currently feeling quite fearful about the current war that is taking place. Please help me to internalize that You alone are the one protecting us. Although we have an obligation to set up an army and fight the enemy, because we have an obligation to perform the mitzvah of Hishtadlus, to make an effort, nevertheless please Hashem help me not to be misled to the wrong perspective that would make me think that the only reason we are safe is because there is an army protecting us.  Help me to appreciate and pray for every single soldier fighting for us, whilst at the same time to realize that what the army is doing for us is just fulfilling the mitzvah of Hishtadlus, which ultimately comes from the curse which obligates us to make an effort, but the only source of our protection is exclusively from You, and by me realizing that You are my sole protector, I will be led to a life free of anxiety, I will not fear what the enemy is threatening to do. By fearing the enemy, as I have learned in Your Torah sources, that can God forbid attract some of those things that I am fearing, whereas when I adopt an approach of absolute bitachon, reliance on You, I have nothing to worry about, no reason to feel anxious, because I know that You Hashem are protecting me."

It's important to emphasize that no one can truly tell another individual's level of emunah and bitachon. One might see another individual who appears to be quite fearful and anxious, and one might therefore conclude that individual is not excelling in their emunah and bitachon, because again, as we've learned many times, when one lives a life of bitachon, one relies on Hashem and doesn't feel fear and anxiety from the troubles and challenges that present themselves in our lives. However, the truth is that that is not the case, because every individual is influenced by the nature of the way Hashem has made them, as well as the nurture they have received throughout their lives, shaping their personality. It's possible to have an individual who doesn't feel anxious or fearful about anything, even without the values of emunah and bitachon, and this could just be due to their personality and their nature. Of course, it is never our place to judge another individual, and we should always try to see the good in one another. Our true scorecard, only Hashem knows. How successful we might appear to be in our endeavor to excel in bitachon depends on our personality and other factors, and therefore if we are naturally a very tense individual, but by working on bitachon, we are able to minimize our fears and anxiety even slightly, such an individual with such an achievement might be on a much higher level than many others who appear to be of less anxiety, worry and fear. But it is important to emphasize that whatever we can do in order to minimize bringing in any more anxiety and fear into our lives, we should make our maximum effort to do so, because remember, not living by the values of bitachon is a great sin as the Torah commentaries have taught us, and the greatest gift is to be able to rely on Hashem and have the security of the Master of the Universe Himself.  The Gemara in Shabbos 151b instructs that one is not to sleep in an empty house alone, and whilst there are many details to the exact parameters of this halacha which we will not delve into right now, for our purposes we'll mention the commentary of the Meiri who explains that the reason for the statement of the Gemara that one is not to sleep in an empty house alone is because it brings oneself into the test of fear. For many people, being alone can bring one to feelings of fear and therefore says the Meiri, if you are able to avoid such a situation, one should do so, because again, the opposite of the mode of thought of bitachon is being in a situation of fear, and anything we can do to minimize that should be done.  And in a similar vein, the Gemara in Bava Kamma 60b emphasizes the importance of staying indoors during times of plague. And although again there are many details to this statement, the Ben Ish Chai explains that this is not only a health precaution, but also a method of reducing fear, because when people remain indoors, they will not see nor hear about illness or death being caused by the plague, so people will be less frightened.  We are all made up with different natures and different personalities, and different people are triggered to fear and anxiety by different things. Whilst we can never know the level of another individual with regards to their emunah or bitachon, and even many times our own level, because one doesn't know - is the fact that I feel anxious due to the fact that I don't have enough bitachon in my life, or is the fact that I feel anxious due to my inherent nature? Regardless, that is not our job. Our job is to make our maximum effort to minimize the fear and anxiety as much as possible, and any situation that might provoke bringing more fear and anxiety into our lives should be minimized as much as possible.  For many people, constantly following the news updates can trigger tremendous anxiety, and if that is the case, that would certainly be a modern application of these Torah sources that we have learnt. "Thank you Hashem for giving me your incredible Torah sources to teach me the real keys to the treasures of life, how to live a life of true bitachon, of true reliance on you, which ultimately leads to a life free of anxiety and free of fear."

We've been learning about the tremendous importance of the mitzvah to rely on Hashem - to practice our bitachon. As we've learned, the Torah commentaries write that it is a great sin to not live a life of bitachon. And when one chooses not to rely on Hashem, but rather fear other individuals and circumstances, not only does one now not have the special protection that bitachon provides, but one actually brings about those troubles that they are fearing from coming about. Life is full of challenges and situations that trigger us to feel feelings of fear and anxiety potentially. When we live lives of bitachon, we are able to feel calm, even when the greatest challenge might be presenting itself. I remind myself, who is looking after me. As the Vilna Gaon writes, Just like a baby nursing from its mother does not have a worry in the world, because it has everything it needs and it knows it will never go hungry, in the same way, Hashem is taking care of all of our needs, those that have already arisen and those that might arise in the future.  It is not difficult to see the tremendous emphasis that the Torah commentaries place on the importance of living a life of bitachon. But one might say, "I would love to live a life of bitachon and already be there, but the truth is that I don't feel that reliance on Hashem, so how do I get there?" And as always, the solution to all problems is to talk to Hashem about what I need. Every single one of us has the constant opportunity to talk to Hashem about anything and everything, whenever we want. And if we truly are seeing it as our life's mission to grow in our emunah and bitachon, it is vital that we dedicate time to make an effort and give us a space to talk to Hashem and ask Him to help us to grow in our bitachon.  "Hashem my Father, You are well aware of what just transpired, that just yesterday I lost my job, and the truth of the matter is that I currently don't have a backup plan. I don't know where to from here. I have people that are dependent on me, and without the salary that I was receiving, I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do in the coming months. My natural tendency, Hashem, is that I am petrified. I know that the consequences of this could be devastating, and Hashem, if I don't remind myself to internalize the values of bitachon, I know that I'm going to get tremendously fearful, anxious, depressed, and many other negative feelings.  But You have taught us that You ultimately run every single detail in our lives, and I've been making an effort to try to grow in my emunah, as well as taking those principles and applying them practically. Hashem, I don't want to rely on any other individual, nor any other circumstance. Help me to internalize the true perspective. My ex-boss was never paying my salary. You Hashem exclusively were always paying my salary, giving me the money that I need. And although until this moment You decided that the way You would like to give me my sustenance is via my ex-boss, the only thing that has changed now is that the method of You delivering my sustenance to me is going to change. If I am God forbid to think that I am in the hands of my ex-boss, there is so much to fear, because there is no way I am getting this job again. And the truth of the matter is that I don't have an alternative right now, and I don't know where to from here. Please help me not to be fearful, but rather to rely on You. Of course I am going to make an effort to try to find alternatives, to fulfill the mitzvah and my obligation of hishtadlus - to make an effort. But to feel feelings of fear and anxiety is in essence coming from a place of me not having true bitachon, because Hashem, if I know that You are my exclusive provider, You have many ways to provide for me. Thank You so much, Hashem, for giving me the opportunity to talk to You, the King of Kings, the Master of the Universe, in personal conversation, intimately, whenever I choose to."

We've been discussing the potency of bitachon and the tremendous emphasis that the Torah commentaries place on making our maximum effort to excel in bitachon. Let us not forget the words of the Vilna Gaon, who says that a life free of sin but devoid of bitachon, although it might be an achievement that one has not performed sin, but nevertheless, because they are not living a life of bitachon, that is considered worse than living a life of severe transgressions, but excelling in bitachon. And as emphasized previously, of course we are called on to stay far away from every form of sin. But there is even more emphasis placed on striving to excel in bitachon, in our reliance on Hashem.  We also mentioned the Beis HaLevi who said that it is a great sin to not live life by the values of bitachon. And again we see here the importance the Torah commentaries are placing on and emphasizing in the efforts we need to make to live a life of true reliance on Hashem. The Beis HaLevi also mentioned that whilst bitachon can save a person from the current challenges and fears they might be experiencing, the opposite is also true. When a person is not living by the values of bitachon, but rather giving in to the fears and other powers that seem to be outside of Hashem, that fear in itself is the catalyst that brings about those new troubles that we were fearing.  Now the question we might ask is, how am I supposed to control my emotions? If I am currently experiencing something that is scary to me and I am fearful, how can I be commanded not to be fearful? And the fantastic Sefer that we have been discussing, the Artscroll version of the Beis HaLevi on bitachon, cite in the notes that the great Steipler Gaon shed some light on this issue. And he writes that one is certainly not held accountable for natural fear or anxiety that one experiences, which is practically uncontrollable. And as the Gemara states, the Torah was not given to angels and does not expect us to be superhuman. However, the Steipler goes on to explain that we are called on to make an active effort to not think about worrisome thoughts on an ongoing basis, as such thoughts may cause additional fear to one's nature or personality. Rather, one must strengthen oneself with thoughts of emunah and bitachon.  The Torah was not given to angels and as the Staipler writes, we are not expected to live superhuman lives, making our endeavor impossible. But there are many areas where we do have the choice to move our lives towards reliance on Hashem - Bitachon, as opposed to the other side, a life without bitachon, where we bring more and more fears into our lives.  "Hashem, my Father, what a tremendous gift I have to be able to talk to you about anything and everything, because the truth is that whenever I get stuck in life about anything, I always have somewhere to go. And it's not just an effort that might work, might not work; I am coming to you, Hashem, who is the source of everything, and I know that you're listening to every single word that I am uttering. Hashem, I am trying to internalize the incredible importance of living a life of true emunah, of true bitachon, and the truth of the matter is that I really want to rely on you in all areas of my life, to the point that when I experience something in my life that is causing me to feel anxiety or fear, I want to be able to turn to you, Hashem, and rely on you, and be able to feel calm.  Please Hashem, help me to advance in my journey to living a life of true bitachon, where I will more and more turn to you, and exclusively to you, regardless of what I am experiencing. Thank you so much, Hashem, for giving me the incredible opportunity to talk to you whenever I want, and especially now, when I might not know exactly how to inculcate the values of bitachon into my life, but more than any other effort, I know that just by talking to you, you are listening to me. Please Hashem, help me to talk to you with sincerity, and truly mean what I say, and I beg you, Hashem, help me to move successfully towards living a life of true bitachon."

We've been talking about the paramount importance that the Torah places on the Mitzvah of bitachon. Remember, the Vilna Gaon says that it's better to live a life with severe transgressions, if that means a life of Bittachin, rather than a life free of transgression but devoid of Bittachin.  We are of course given no license to perform transgressions by any Torah authorities and have to make our maximum effort to always do the will of Hashem, but we see here the incredible importance and emphasis that the Torah commentaries place on our endeavor to grow in our Bittachin. We also discussed the words of the Beis HaLevi in his classic essay on bitachon, where he writes that the obligation to have bitachon is such a fundamental prerequisite and foundation to the whole Torah itself, and if one lacks bitachon, it is regarded as a great sin.  As discussed previously, simply speaking, bitachon means to rely on Hashem and feel calm that He is going to take care of me, regardless of what circumstances might be presented to me. When I am not living a life of bitachon, there are many things to fear, people, circumstances, and whatnot, whereas when I am living by the values of bitachon and relying on Hashem that He will always take care of me, regardless of anything else that might be transpiring in my life, that leads to a life of calm, serenity, and lack of fear. The Beis HaLevi writes further that not having bitachon in Hashem, but rather being fearful instead, is itself the cause for one's downfall. And as he writes, "because when a person trembles in fear of something, rather than relying on Hashem, this itself causes a snare, one that did not even exist previously, to be placed in front of him regarding that very matter that he feared, whereas when one relies on Hashem, he will be saved even from a problem that already existed."  The Beis HaLevi is teaching us that when one chooses to rely on Hashem, the power of that bitachon can save him from the challenges he might be confronting, whereas when a person is not living by the values of bitachon, but rather by the mistaken illusion that there are other forces in the world, such as some terrorist group that might have the power to do something without Hashem first decreeing it, or if one feels that the only reason for their safety is because of soldiers or an army, or perhaps one might feel that the future might depend on the power and authority of a certain president and the like, then the Beis HaLevi writes that that lack of bitachon is actually what brings on that thing that we might be fearing to transpire. There are many things that are potential for fear and anxiety. Choosing to work towards living a life of true reliance on Hashem, of true bitachon, is the best anti-anxiety that we can shoot for. And the more we grow in our bitachon, the less fearful we will be from any situation that might present itself. And on the flip side, the more credibility we give to other forces outside of Hashem, and the more we give in to those fears, as if Hashem was not the one to protect us from them transpiring, the more we bring those things upon ourselves. Bitachon is the foundation of the entire Torah, and as outlined by the Torah commentaries, bitachon is available to every single one of us, regardless of our spiritual level, regardless of our background. Let us make use of this most powerful and important foundation to who and what we are.

We've been discussing how when it comes to Emunah and Bitachon, we want to try, understand what Hashem's perspective is, which is ultimately the only truth that we can rely on. Hashem teaches us His perspective via the many Torah sources that we have available to us.  We discussed the frighteningly powerful words of the Vilna Gaon, who teaches us that although there are countless Torah sources highlighting the importance to stay away from even the slightest sin, nevertheless the Vilna Gaon writes that bitachon is so important that if one had to choose between one of two options, either a life free of sin, but also a life without bitachon, or alternatively a life of severe transgressions, but however coupled by a life lived according to the values of Bittachon, one would be obligated to choose the latter, because although staying away from sin is of paramount importance, nevertheless a life of bitachon is even more important than that. Another incredible resource that we're going to be exploring in our journey of bitachon is the fantastic essay of the Beis Halevi on bitachon. I highly recommend anyone who's able to get a copy of the artscroll Beis HaLevi on bitachon, authored by Rabbi David Sutton, which has been written incredibly clearly and easy to understand for all levels.  The Beis HaLevi opens the first chapter with the following words: "The obligation of bitachon appears in many verses in the Torah, too many to count, and if one lacks bitachon, it is regarded as a great sin." Now firstly what we see from the statement of the Beis HaLevi is that he didn't even deem it necessary to quote the source of what the obligation to have Bitachon is in the Torah, because it is such an obvious preface and foundation to a life of Torah and mitzvos itself. If one is interested in the exact sources, again this incredible book has many fantastic appendixes at the back, and in the first appendix Rabbi Sutton discusses the many different sources offered by the commentaries as to what exactly the source for the obligation of Bittachon is. It is also important to highlight these very potent words of the Beis HaLevi. Let us remind ourselves that Torah commentaries were very careful with the words that they used, because the slightest misrepresentation could lead readers to making vital mistakes. The Beis HaLevi specifically chose the words that if one lacks bitachon, it is regarded as a great sin. Remember, the only true perspective that we have is what the Torah teaches us. There are many pluses and benefits that we receive from living a life of bitachon that Bezrat Hashem will explore together as we move further into Bittachon. However, here the Torah commentaries are highlighting to us that it is a great sin to not live by the values of bitachon. "Hashem my Father, please will you help me to find the right resources for me to learn exactly what it means to live a life of bitachon, and please Hashem help me to be able to take the things that I learn and apply them in a practical way, and B'ezrat Hashem, be successful in my endeavor to live a life of true bitachon.  Thank you so much Hashem for teaching me exactly what my purpose is in this world, and that ultimately the way to achieve my reward in eternity in Olam HaBa is by making every effort to excel in my emunah and bitachon. Obviously Hashem, if this is the main reason that You created me for, it makes sense to me that this needs to be the highest priority in my life, because it's obviously not something that can just come without making a real effort to excel in this area. Hashem, I know that it's one thing to know the concepts of emunah and bitachon, but as the Torah sources teach us, it's something completely different to be able to take those concepts and sincerely internalize them and live by their values throughout all of the happenings in my life. Please Hashem, will You help me to be successful in all of the areas of my journey to excel in emunah and Bitachon."

As we continue to dive deeper into the most important and vital topic of bitachon, let's remind ourselves that when it comes to any topic, many of us might have many opinions, but as we've discussed many times, everything depends on which perspective one is looking from. And just like many people decided to side with the outrageous values of Hitler, Yemach Shema, as well as currently we can see with the war between Israel and Hamas, that most of the world has sided with Hamas, and of course it is a basic value to all of us that Hitler and his opinions and perspectives, as well as Hamas and their opinions and perspectives, are mistaken and far from the truth. And although these might be extreme examples, ultimately every question we might discuss depends on the perspective that we use on how we answer that question. Just like many clever people can make mistakes even after it is well thought out, in the same way, we without human limitations are always limited and at risk of making a mistake.  Now especially when it comes to these important questions, such as what exactly does it mean to fulfil my purpose in this world and how exactly do I practice bitachon, it would be very unwise to try follow our own perspective to find the answer for these questions. The only perspective that can be the absolute truth is Hashem's perspective. And as discussed previously, Hashem does not reveal Himself in the form of a voice speaking to us in today's day and age, but rather has given us the Torah with all its commentaries that express Hashem's perspective to give us the absolute truth. Let's begin discussing what some of the Torah commentaries teach us about the importance of bitachon. The Vilna Gaon in Even Shleima, chapter 3, writes, "One who commits severe transgressions but nevertheless excells in bitachon, is better than one who does not transgress but does not have bitachon." Now for anyone even slightly familiar with Torah literature, this is a frighteningly powerful statement, because throughout Torah literature there is much emphasis placed on even the slightest Torah transgression, and certainly on severe transgressions. And nevertheless here the Vilna Gaon is teaching us that so important is it to live a life by the values of bitachon, that if one had to choose between a life of bitachon coupled by a life of severe transgressions in comparison to a life clean of transgressions but devoid of bitachon, it is more important to go with the first option, that of bitachon, even though there would be severe transgressions on one's record.  Now of course nobody is advocating to do any transgressions, because ultimately there will be consequences for anything and everything, as we've learned about many times. However, what we do see here is how much emphasis there is being placed on making efforts to live a life according to the values of bitachon.  "Hashem, my Father, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to talk to you whenever I want about whatever I want. Hashem, I've been trying to learn about Emunah and ultimately I know that you run the world exclusively and there's no question in the world that the best effort that I can make is to talk to you and to ask you to help me in the areas that I need. Now of course you know that there are many things that I need in my life and I'm going to try and make an effort to talk to you about all of them, to bring you into my life in all areas.  But certainly when it comes to the most important area, Hashem, to my progress in Emunah and Bittachon, please help me, Hashem, to remember to talk to you on a daily basis to help me to excel in these areas, although many things in this world that we live in might try to distract us, but ultimately I know, Hashem, that the only reason that I exist, as your Torah commentaries have taught us, is to excel in my Emunah and my Bittachon."

Our ultimate purpose in this world is to focus on building our emunah. And as we've been discussing, although emunah is the first level that we are required to dive into, we then take the principles of emunah and apply them in a practical way, moving towards bitachon. What exactly does it mean to have bitachon, trust or reliance on Hashem?  Emunah teaches us that there is nothing else in the world except for Hashem. Just like if somebody would come and hit you with a stick, it would be the most absurd response to begin fighting against the stick itself, because we all know that a stick is not a power of its own, but rather is an object that has been handled by an individual who is deciding how to use the stick. And in the same way, when we internalize what emunah teaches us, that ein od milvado, there is nothing else in the world except for Hashem, every individual, every circumstance, every happening is ultimately one of Hashem's many puppets, and the values of emunah teach us to internalize that the only power that exists is Hashem Himself. And as we move from emunah to bitachon, we are now called on to exclusively rely on Hashem for all of our needs. Of course at this point, before we've delved into the subject further, many questions will already arise, such as, if Hashem runs everything and does everything, why do I need to even make the slightest of an effort? And B'ezrat Hashem we'll discuss this more as we continue to talk about bitachon. But for now, before anything, just to define bitachon a little bit, bitachon refers to relying on Hashem rather than on other individuals.  So of course, everybody needs money to be able to live. If I am not living by the values of bitachon, one might go to work, work hard, and be well-meaning in all areas. However, this individual might think that the only reason they are receiving their sustenance is because they go to work and their boss pays their salary. Now again, we are not now discussing the obligation to make hishtadlus, to make an effort, which we know the Torah commands us to do. But regardless of the obligation of hishtadlus and whatever hishtadlus we might be obligated to make, when one is not living according to the values of bitachon, but rather according to the illusion that their boss is the one who is providing for their needs, that would be a life devoid of Hashem, devoid of emunah, and devoid of bitachon.  Whereas, when an individual understands that the only source of their parnassa comes directly and exclusively from Hashem, yes in this case, Hashem is giving the money to the boss to give to me, but I am absolutely clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that this boss is just a puppet to the point that I am not afraid of him, that I will not flatter him like sometimes one might be led to do if they have the mistaken illusion of this boss being their provider. As opposed to when one internalizes that Hashem is the only provider, it could be through this boss, it could be through some other means, but I rely exclusively on Hashem.  It is easy to understand that seeing as emunah and bitachon should be our ultimate focus whilst alive in this world, it is not going to take one day to become proficient in these topics, but of course all Hashem expects from us is to make an effort to grow in these areas, in our purpose of being alive in this world. Let's explore and learn about together the true perspective, Hashem's perspective, which is portrayed in the Torah, about what it truly means to have bitachon.

We've discussed many times the important question of why Hashem decided to create the world. And as the Torah commentaries teach, step number one, the only reason Hashem decided to create the world in the first place was just because of His desire to give to all of us. And of course, if there's no recipient, there is nobody to give to. And therefore, He created us.  And step number two, as the Torah commentaries teach, the ultimate destination where we'll receive our reward in the future, b'ezrat Hashem, is not in this world, but rather in Olam Haba, in the next world.  And step number three, that being the case, if so, why did Hashem place us in this world at all? If the only reason You created me is to give me pleasure in Your goodness, and ultimately that takes place in Olam Haba only, in the next world, and not in this world, what am I doing here? Why am I alive in this world?  And as the Torah commentaries explain, the only reason that we exist in this world is because Hashem, in His great knowledge and wisdom, understood that the ultimate opportunity for pleasure in the next world will be if we are given the opportunity to earn that pleasure for ourselves, rather than having that pleasure being given to us as a free gift. And the way we earn that pleasure is by having our excursion in this world.  And step number four, exactly what is the process of how we earn our place in the next world? We know there are many components to Judaism, including the learning of Torah and performance of many mitzvos and many other practices that we have. However, as we've discussed many times, the Ramban writes in his commentary on the Torah in the final passage of Parashat Bo - the purpose of all the mitzvos, and in fact, the only reason for Hashem creating us is that we come to have emunah in Hashem. We've also mentioned previously many others who follow suit, teaching us that ultimately the purpose of all of the mitzvahs and of the Torah and all of Judaism is to come to have faith in Hashem. And therefore our main focus whilst alive in this world should be to make efforts to grow in our emunah and our bitachon.  What exactly is the difference between emunah and bitachon? Usually emunah is translated as faith and bitachon is translated as trust or reliance. Many Torah commentaries explain that emunah can be viewed as the theoretical principle - that Hashem initially created the world and that Hashem is currently actively involved in all the intricate details of every single one of our lives; that there is no other force or power in the world except for Hashem, and the many other things that emunah teaches. Whereas bitachon refers to taking the theoretical principles of emunah and applying them in a practical way by living our lives according to their values.  Of course it can be self-understood that both emunah and bitachon are of paramount importance because without knowing the principles of emunah it is impossible to apply them practically and practice bitachon, whereas just learning and internalizing the principles of emunah, although of paramount importance, but of course the ultimate is to apply those principles in a practical way, living our lives according to the values of bitachon. "Hashem, my Father, please will you help us to learn the correct information as well as internalize everything we need to know about both emunah as well as bitachon and please Hashem guide every single one of us in our own way to be able to apply these principles in a practical way and live the most meaningful lives to our maximum potential."

The Shulchan Aruch in Ohr Hachaim chapter 287 states that although on a weekday, when one encounters an individual who is unwell, it is a mitzvah to wish them a refuah shleima - a complete recovery, however on Shabbos, under normal circumstances, one is not supposed to wish another individual a refuah shlema. And the reason for that, as explained by the commentaries, is because when somebody is ill and I wish them better, I am also supposed to pray that they have a complete recovery, and sometimes whilst doing so, that might cause me to have sad feelings when I contemplate on the pain and suffering that this individual might be experiencing. And therefore on Shabbos, when we are not supposed to give ourself reason to feel feelings of sadness, instead of wishing somebody a refuah shleima, the halacha outlines that we are to say, "shabbos hi milizok urefuah kerovah lavo" - that I have no need to daven for you, nor wish you a refuah shlema, because Shabbos is so powerful that it will heal you itself. Although in general, we are highly encouraged to talk to Hashem about anything and everything, as we have discussed many times, both with regards to perhaps more spiritual things, as well as with regards to more mundane subjects, although usually there are no limitations as to what we should talk to Hashem about, and Hashem has given us the incredible opportunity to have a green card to be able to reach out to Him about anything and everything at any time, however, the halacha tells us that davening on Shabbos has different halachic parameters than regular weekday prayer. To briefly summarize what emerges from the halacha, which the Shulchan Aruch and other halachic commentaries in Ohr Hachaim chapter 288 state: prayers in the form of praise and gratitude to Hashem are always permitted even on Shabbos, whereas when it comes to the type of prayer that we make in the form of requests, then the halacha outlines to us that there are three categories that are permitted on Shabbos. The first is when we are dealing with spiritual matters. Although asking Hashem for more money, or for recovery from illness, or success in a mundane endeavor that I might be involved in, is problematic on Shabbos under normal circumstances, however, to ask Hashem that He help me in overcoming my anger challenges, or perhaps to ask Hashem to help me to be more diligent in my mitzvah observance, or being more committed to talking to Him on a regular basis, that would be permitted on Shabbos under all circumstances.  The halachic commentaries bring that a second category that would be permitted on Shabbos: when a person prays in his mind rather than actually mouthing the words, then say many commentaries that one is actually permitted to pray for anything, both with regards to spiritual endeavors as well as with regards to even mundane things. Although the midrash does teach that in general when praying, one should make an effort to mouth the words of one's prayer rather than just thinking it, however on Shabbos, seeing as one is not supposed to pray for mundane things, the halacha outlines that if one wishes to do so, one is permitted to, as long as they do so only by thinking so, and not praying the words with one's mouth. And the third category is any case where a Jew's life might be at stake; just like we know the halacha permits us to even violate Shabbos under such circumstances, certainly then we are permitted to pray, say tehillim or whatever else for people whose lives might be in danger. We are so privileged to be able to constantly have a personal relationship with Hashem. Although on Shabbos the laws of praying do differ to how we may pray during a regular weekday, nevertheless we are so privileged that at every single moment of our lives we always have a way to have a personal relationship with Hashem and talk to Him.

As we've discussed many times, the cornerstone and foundation of the whole Torah and of what it means to be a Jew, is emunah. And as many Torah commentaries discuss, that a kind of synonym with emunah and certainly one of the main focuses that a life of emunah should lead to is prayer - tefillah. When it comes to isolated mitzvos, which are all of paramount importance, usually there is a set of laws that outline to us exactly how to perform this particular mitzvah. When it comes to emunah, because it is such a foundation and ultimately everything we are doing boils down to it, there are so many details in what it means to have emunah that in a sense one can continue to learn more and more about it throughout one's life.  And in a similar vein, when it comes to tefillah, there's so much Torah literature available about it that again, it is a lifetime's work. The Midrash Rabbah to Parshas Beshalach section 21 states that the angel appointed over the prayers of the Jewish people collects the prayers, makes crowns out of them, and then places them on Hashem's head. Let us appreciate that whenever we talk to Hashem, even about the most mundane matters, we are actually sending Him a gift that makes up the crown that He wears. Each word of prayer that we utter is really the holy of holies and therefore Hashem chooses to wear these prayers on His head constantly. This is one of many tremendously motivating Torah sources that help us to treat prayer with highest priority. The Talmud Yerushalmi in Brochas chapter 9 states that Hashem is close to us and attentive to our prayers. The Gemara goes on to compare the manner in which Hashem hears us to one who speaks into the ear of another individual. Just like the individual hears us loud and clear, so too does Hashem hear every word loud and clear. There are many levels to what it means to have emunah. For many of us who believe that Hashem is there, we believe that He listens when we talk to Him. However, there are many levels to what it means to believe that Hashem is truly listening to me. This passage is teaching us that Hashem listens to every single word we are saying just like you would be whispering into the ear of another individual, to that extent and more because He is not limited by human capacity.  Taking Torah passages like this to heart will motivate us to treat our personal prayer with Hashem with maximum importance. The Zohar HaKadosh to Parashat Vayishlach page 169a states that we should make effort to express our prayers to Hashem clearly to the best of our abilities. We should not assume that Hashem understands what we mean without the need for us to express our requests adequately; but rather, we should imagine that we are talking to another individual who needs us to explain all the details of what we are saying. Of course Hashem understands what we are going to say even before we say it, and were we to be in a situation such as having an inability to talk, we certainly could be rest assured that Hashem knows exactly what we mean even without us having expressed ourselves adequately. However, this Torah passage is teaching us that Hashem's desire is that we do make our maximum effort in expressing ourselves in our prayers with all the precise details.  "Thank you Hashem for teaching me that when I pray to you it is so important to you that you take those prayers and actually put them on the crown that is on your head. Thank you also Hashem for teaching me that you are listening so closely to everything I have to say as if I am talking directly into your ear. And thank you Hashem also for outlining to me that the right way to pray is to make my maximum effort to adequately express myself even though in truth you don't need me to because you know everything, this is your desire and this is the mitzvah of what it means to pray to you. Thank you Hashem for the gift of tefillah."

We discussed the law which is stated in the shulchan aruch, Yoreh Deah section 335, where we learned that in order to fulfil the mitzvah of visiting a sick person - bikur cholim - according to halacha, one is required to visit the individual, help them out with whatever they need and also pray for their welfare. And the halacha taught us that if one neglects their obligation to pray on behalf of the sick individual, one forfeits the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim. We can learn many things from this law. One important point is to internalize that we are always to follow halacha exactly as Hashem dictates, regardless of our own understanding. Because although sometimes logic may dictate to us differently, nevertheless, we ought to humble ourselves that we cannot understand Hashem's calculations and therefore, the wisest thing to do would be just to follow exactly what He told us, whether we understand or we don't. And another important point we learn from this law is the tremendous potency the Torah places on prayer. Although our logic would seem to dictate that fulfilling a mitzvah where you help another individual is of utmost importance, which again, according to the Torah, it is; however, our logic would also dictate that prayer is not as important because we don't see the immediate effect that prayer has. Whereas when you help another individual, such as you visit a sick person and you help them out, you do see the immediate effect. But again, the Torah sources, which is the only true real perspective that we have, teach us otherwise - that even when we don't experience what we think to be meaningful, we are called on to do exactly what Hashem tells us to do. We've also mentioned previously the Gemara in Brachos 12b which states that if one knows of another individual who is experiencing some form of hardship or trouble and one does not daven for that individual, the Gemara says one is called a sinner. And Rav Moshe Feinstein explains further that even if an individual sees themselves as a not particularly righteous individual or perhaps even as a non-observant individual, we are obligated to pray on their behalf because one never knows the heavenly calculations of whose prayers will be accepted and therefore, even if one sees themselves as an unimportant individual, every single one of us is obligated to pray for one another.  The Gemara in Bava Kamma 92a states that when we pray on behalf of another individual, and in actual fact we are also in need of the item we are requesting for the other individual, we will actually be answered first. Now, of course, when we pray for another individual, the right motivation should be to pray because we really care about them and as a fringe benefit, the Gemara tells us that we will be answered for what we need. However, it is motivating to know this fact, that ultimately when we care about others, in return, Hashem will care about us and give us what we need.  "Thank You, Hashem, for giving us the tremendous opportunity to be able to speak to You, even though we might not have any background in Torah education, and even if we do have a tremendous background in Torah education, thank You for teaching me that this is one of the greatest mitzvos that can exist, and it's available to all of us in an easy form, where we can just open up our heart and talk to You. Hashem, thank You also for giving me the tremendous opportunity to pray on behalf of others, and teaching me the tremendous potency that my prayers can make, that I might just be the only person who can make a real difference in this situation. Sometimes it might be that I'm supposed to make the difference in a practical way, but much of the time, the main difference I will make is by praying to You. Thank You, Hashem, for the gift of tefillah."

One of the great mitzvos that Hashem has given us the opportunity to take part in is the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim. When someone is sick we have a mitzvah to go and visit them. However, what is sometimes not as well known is that the halacha in Yoreh Deah chapter 335 states that just like by all mitzvos we find that there are certain technicalities one needs to follow in order to fulfill the mitzvah in the correct way, in the same way when it comes to the mitzvah of visiting the sick, besides actually going and visiting the sick person and of course asking them if there is anything we could help with which is part of the mitzvah, the halacha also stipulates that one is obligated to pray on behalf of the sick person for their recovery, to the point that the Ramah in the name of the Ramban states the halacha that if one visited a sick person and neglected their obligation to pray on their behalf, one has not fulfilled the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim.  One might argue, although it might have been the ideal course to follow the halacha perfectly and pray for this individual, but come on I spent many hours visiting the individual trying to help them out, surely I kind of did the mitzvah almost perfectly even if I didn't pray for their recovery? The reason this is a very wrong approach is because firstly as mentioned many times, Hashem is the only one who knows the details of why every mitzvah needs to be done in the precise way that He has designed. And if He has said that these are the specifications of how this mitzvah works, we need to make sure to listen to exactly how He has outlined the law.  As we've discussed previously, Torah authorities teach us that although sometimes we might be given some of the reasons as to why we perform the mitzvos, however for the most part the real reasons behind the mitzvahs we have no idea as to their true essence. And therefore, just because to us it might seem like the main component of visiting a sick person is in order to make them feel better and to help them out with anything they might need, however if we might be missing the component of praying on their behalf, we might be missing one of the main, most important parts of the mitzvah; again to the point that the halacha stipulates that if we visit a sick person and one neglects to pray for their welfare, one does not fulfill the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim.  And another reason this would be a very mistaken approach is because again, everything always boils down to emunah. It is much easier to appreciate when somebody goes ahead to visit a sick individual and takes the time to go and help them out practically, and of course this mitzvah should not be undermined whatsoever because it is a tremendous mitzvah to take of one's time and energy to help another Jew and especially to visit a sick individual and help them out in whatever way one can. However it is much more difficult to relate to the potency of the prayer that I might make for them because again, when I might be visiting them or helping them out in a practical way, I don't need to believe anything. I can see that I'm helping them out and I can see that they feel better by me being there. But thereafter when I go and make a prayer for this individual, I don't see any effect of my prayer and the only thing I have is to believe, to have emunah that my prayer is making a difference.  The bottom line is that it is difficult to relate to the effectiveness and the potency that prayer has because in this world we are not allowed to see the effect that prayers have on a situation. However we are taught from the only true perspective that can exist regardless of what our own logic might dictate, which again could of course be mistaken at times, that the power of prayer is so important. Our prayers make a big difference if we would be able to see what the Torah sources teach us that every time we utter a word of prayer we are creating worlds in the spiritual realms to degrees that we can't even imagine, it would be impossible to stop praying but in this world we are not allowed to see because the purpose of our existence is specifically to believe when we don't see; emunah.

We've been discussing the tremendous opportunity we have to communicate with Hashem in both the form of our personal prayers, every single one of us in our own way, with our own words, at our own time, in our own place, as well as the tremendous opportunity we have to recite the prescribed prayers which were authored by the great sages of times of old through divine inspiration, and how each letter is imbued with tremendous holiness beyond anything we could imagine. In both of these forms of communication with Hashem, our job is to build our emunah - our belief.  When I talk to Hashem in my own words, He is really listening to every word. And as we pointed out from the Torah sources, the Sefer Chareidim and the Shelah cite the masters of Kabbalah, that when I speak to Hashem in my own words, the potency of that has seven times more effect than even that of Torah learning, and we know the great value of Torah learning, where the Mishnah teaches us that the value of Torah learning equals all of the mitzvos put together, yet, talking to Hashem has more of an effect on the neshama than even that; and at the same time to build our emunah, that when we recite the prescribed blessings throughout the day, to have more intention and meaning, and perhaps recite them slower, to be able to truly focus on what we are saying, and not miss out on the opportunity of tapping into the tremendous power of these prescribed words by the holy sages.  We spoke about how in the times of the future, although all of the animal offerings will cease to exist, nevertheless, we are taught that the korban toda - the animal offering of thanks, will always exist, because the prayer of thanks is something so important and fundamental to us, that although we will climb to such spiritual heights in the future not needing the other forms of animal offerings, nevertheless, we will always need the animal offerings of thanks. And in the same vein, we are taught by Torah sources that all songs will cease to exist in the future, because again, we will be beyond what songs can achieve for us, but the one song that will remain is mizmor lesodah, is the song of thanking Hashem, because when we thank Hashem, that is ultimately the highest expression of our emunah, because if we truly believe that Hashem would only do what is best for us, then ultimately we'll just sing to Him and thank Him and praise Him for everything He does for us all day long.  Although ideally we are called on to make every effort to say all of the prescribed prayers and blessings with the best intention and meaning that we can, and as we spoke about when it comes to the verses of psukei dezimra, which were initially designed to be songs for Hashem, the ideal course would be to say all of those prayers in form of song, praising and thanking Hashem, however, in particular, when it comes to the paragraph of mizmor lesodah, the Shulchan Aruch in section 51 outlines that we are called on to sing the chapter of mizmor lesodah, which is the song of gratitude, because again, expressing our gratitude to Hashem is such a fundamental principle.  There is a fascinating observation of the Maharsha to the Gemara in Brachos 32b, where the Gemara states that since the time of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, prayers are not as readily received by Hashem. However, there seems to be an apparent contradiction from the Gemara elsewhere, where the Gemara in Pesachim 85b states that even were there to be an iron wall separating us from Hashem, our prayers would always make their way up to Hashem. And the Maharsha resolves the contradiction as follows. He says that the first Gemara refers to when we make requests from Hashem. When doing so, yes, sometimes we need to pray again and again and again until our prayer will make the desired effect. Whereas the second Gemara we spoke about, says the Maharsha, is referring to prayers of praise and gratitude.  What a tremendous privilege we have to reach out to Hashem about anything and everything, in all forms of prayer, both the prescribed prayers as well as our personal prayers, both in terms of requesting from Hashem as well as prayers of praise and gratitude. Let us capitalize on the opportunity to pray to Hashem in all areas, and perhaps in particular, to make prayers of praise and gratitude to Hashem, which is the highest type of prayer that can exist.

We've been discussing the tremendous opportunity that every single one of us has to talk to Hashem in our own words on a constant basis. Besides for talking to Hashem in our own words, we all also have the tremendous opportunity to pray the prescribed prayers on a daily basis. We know that the prescribed prayers were authored by the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah through divine inspiration and every single letter that is uttered has tremendous holiness and potency. Everything in this world is about emunah, belief. When I read the prescribed prayers, maybe some days I might feel motivated and inspired for whatever reason, but perhaps much of the time, especially that it's a repetitive exercise that the same words are recited every day, it can become monotonous. We are called on to make every effort to build our belief that every word that we utter of the prescribed prayers that were authored by the Holy Anshei Knesset HaGedolah through divine inspiration, is making a tremendous effect in the spiritual worlds.  We should make every effort when we recite brachas throughout the day as well as throughout the prescribed prayers to say the words with meaning, concentration and intention. Although life is busy and everybody is in a rush, the more we believe in the potency and power of these words, the more we will be inspired to say them slowly and with concentration and meaning. After we say the morning brachos in the shacharis prayers, the next section of the davening is the psukei dezimra, which means the verses of song. This whole section is ultimately many songs of praise that we are called on to sing to Hashem and in an ideal world where there was more time, we would spend perhaps many hours just singing and singing these songs to Hashem. Again, just like there are many levels to emunah, there are also many levels to what it means to believe in the words of prayer. Perhaps the highest level would be to spend many hours singing these songs that David HaMelech and others composed towards praising Hashem. But again, we are not expected to be what we can't and to reach levels that are beyond us, but what Hashem does expect from us is to make our maximum effort to grow as much as we can. Perhaps when we say psukei dezimra, we could choose one paragraph which we say with more song and enthusiasm and concentration, and that itself is already a tremendous effort in growth in our belief in the potency of the words of the sages. And in the same vein, when we say bracha throughout the day, perhaps we could choose one bracha that we will say it slightly slower, trying to think about the meaning of the words.  We've mentioned before that in the future there will be no more animal offerings, except for one, and the reason for that is because we will have reached such a level in terms of our spirituality that the animal offerings in general will not anymore be needed in order to enhance our service to Hashem. However, the Torah sources teach us that the korban toda, the animal offering of thanks, will always be active even in times of the future, and the reason for that is because it is such a fundamental cornerstone of our essence to express our gratitude to Hashem that even in the times of the future when we will reach such tremendous spiritual heights, we will nevertheless always need that form of service to Hashem. And similarly we are taught that in the times of the future, all songs will cease to exist except for one, and that is the song of thank you, because thanking Hashem is such a tremendous foundation of what it means to be a Jew and to live by the values of the Torah.  Every single one of us has the constant opportunity to thank Hashem for things that are obvious that we should thank Him for. The gift of eyesight, the ability to hear, the fact that I can walk today, the fact that I might have had some food available to eat today, the fact that I might have family, friends, a job, the fact that I have the opportunity to learn Torah, to be exposed to emunah - to be exposed to the real reason that I exist and be given Hashem's perspective about what my life is truly about, and so many other things that we can all think about in our own personal lives. "Thank you, Hashem, for the gift to be able to praise You and thank You for all the tremendous things that You do for me."

We've been discussing one of the greatest opportunities that we have, to constantly converse with Hashem about anything and everything, and of course, it is not easy to keep up the practice on a constant basis, because as Rav Pinkus points out, many people struggle to talk to Hashem because they don't truly believe Hashem is listening to them; whereas the more one builds their emunah, that Hashem is truly there, and every single word that I utter, as the Midrash says, it's as if I'm telling it to Hashem directly in His ear, the more one is motivated by the truth of what is truly going on, that Hashem is listening to every single utterance that I make, the more motivated I will be to prioritize the time that I speak to Hashem about any area of my life.  When I need anything, certainly my first address will be to reach out to Hashem, and the discussion we've been focusing on is emunah in general, being our main purpose and focus in this world, is something that does not come easy, and is our life's work. And one of the main efforts that we can make towards growing in our emunah endeavor is to reach out to Hashem Himself and ask Him for help. Every single one of us has the opportunity to talk to Hashem in our own words, asking Him to be successful in our emunah, in our bitachon, and in anything else that we see as a priority in our lives.  We mentioned that many Torah commentaries refer to personal conversations with Hashem as hisbodedus, which simply means secluding oneself away from other people and other distractions, and talking to Hashem in one's own words. And we mentioned the rare expression used by the Mesillas Yesharim in chapter 15, where he says "hisbodedus is more precious than anything else." We also spoke about the statement of the Masters of Kabbalah, which are cited by both the Sefer Chareidim in chapter 65, as well as the Shelah Hakadosh, in Yoma, ner Mitzvah, Beis, that "the effect that hisbodedus has on the soul is seven times greater than the effect of learning Torah." This is a very potent statement because there are countless Torah sources that highlight the tremendous value that Torah learning has, and as we recite every morning the first Mishnah in Peah which says that the value of Torah learning equals all of the other mitzvahs put together; yet here we learn that the effect of talking to Hashem is so potent that it has a seven times greater effect than even that of Torah learning. The Chofetz Chaim in Likutei Amarim, chapter 11, writes, "The reason that we do not merit salvation from all the hard times that befall us is that we do not pray and cry out to Hashem enough." He continues, "It is not sufficient to daven Shmoneh Esrei three times a day, rather, several times a day whilst alone, a person must pour out his heart in prayer to Hashem from the depths of his soul. Since one is accustomed to the daily recital of the Shmoneh Esrei, one does not say these prayers with absolute sincerity. On the other hand, when it comes to speaking to Hashem with our own words, in our own way, this type of prayer emanates from the depths of one's soul with true sincerity, and this type of prayer will without question not be denied by Hashem."  Much has been written about His bodedness and one's personal relationship with Hashem, and one who'd like to research this topic further will be able to easily do so by the many fantastic sefarim and online resources that are available to us in today's day and age. Ultimately, however, no external resource can give over the precise details of what it means to have a personal relationship with Hashem. Just like one cannot be robotically directed as to what to discuss or when, where and how often to connect with one's spouse or best friend, in the same way, when it comes to our relationship with Hashem, ultimately it is your personal relationship with Hashem. One does not need to be a scholar or have a diploma in order to enter into a relationship. Hisbodedus is a relationship. It's your own personal relationship with Hashem.

We've been discussing the tremendous opportunity that every single one of us has available to us at every single moment - to talk to Hashem in our own words. If I believe that Hashem exists and is able to hear any word that I utter, then certainly the more I believe, the more I will reach out. Both when it comes to times of struggle in my life, the true address I will reach out to more than any other address, more than any other human being, or any other effort that I might be required to make, my main effort will be to reach out to Hashem Himself and ask Him for help. And when it comes to our life's work, when we realize and internalize how our main focus in this world is to grow in our belief in Hashem, to feel calm when anxiety-provoking situations arise, and all the other many things that a life of true emunah and bitachon leads to, we will certainly make our maximum effort to talk to Hashem as much as possible, to help us to be successful in our endeavor.  Although talking to Hashem is a very obvious equation for one who believes in Hashem, however as always, much more important than what our own logic dictates, is what the Torah sources teach us, because that is truly Hashem's perspective, the only unmistakable perspective. We mentioned the Mesillas Yesharim in chapter 15, who writes that the early pious sages would practice Hisbodedus and bond with Hashem in seclusion; and he writes that David HaMelech spoke approvingly about the practice of Hisbodedus, and that the prophets Eliyahu and Elisha would spend large amounts of time secluded in the mountains practicing Hisbodedus with Hashem. And to quote this very rare expression used by the Mesillas Yesharim, which highlights the tremendous power and effectiveness of Hisbodedus, "Hisbodedus is more precious than anything else." The Sefer Chareidim in chapter 65, as well as the Shlah HaKadosh in Yoma, Ner Mitzvah 2, both cite the masters of Kabbalah that write, "the effect that Hisbodedus has on the soul is seven times greater than the effect of learning Torah." Now let us just take these words to heart. Every morning we recite a Mishna which states that the value of Torah learning is so profound that it equals that of all the mitzvos put together. Yet the Sefer Chareidim and Shlah HaKadosh teach us over here that the effect of Hisbodedus on the soul is seven times greater than even that of Torah learning.  "Hashem, my Father, thank You so much for giving me the tremendous opportunity to know what life is truly all about. Thank You, Hashem, for teaching me that my ultimate focus in this world needs to be to grow as much as possible in my emunah and bitach and endeavor. And at the same time, thank You, Hashem, for teaching me via your Torah sources the only absolutely true perspective, that one of the greatest endeavors that we could involve ourselves in is to practice Hisbodedus, is to be alone with You and talk to You about anything and everything that we might desire.  Thank You, Hashem, for making it so easy that we don't even have to pay any amount of money to be able to have the opportunity to talk to You, and that there's no limitation in what we're allowed to say. We're allowed to talk to You about anything and everything at any moment. Thank You, Hashem, for teaching me that I am never alone, because whatever I'm experiencing throughout my life, I always have the opportunity to reach out to You, to ask You for help, and there is no greater address to go to.  Yes, although in this world sometimes people see it as a weird thing to do, to talk to something you can't see and something that doesn't give you a response, but ultimately that's because this whole world's purpose is to test us in our emunah. I do not see You, Hashem, and it's difficult, because I wish I could hear a response from You. But again, my purpose in this world, as You've taught us loud and clear from countless Torah sources, is to believe in You. And believing in You means that I cannot know that You're there, and I cannot necessarily experience that You're there, but I do believe that You're there. Thank You so much, Hashem, for the constant opportunity to have a personal relationship with You."

We've learned countless Torah sources, emphasizing the tremendous focus the Torah places in directing us to make our maximum effort to excel in our emunah and bitachon. And as we've discussed previously, one of the greatest efforts that we can make is to talk to Hashem Himself and ask Him for help, because again if we believe that Hashem exists and listens to every single word that we are saying, we can talk to Him about anything.  And just like we can and should talk to Hashem about any and all of the happenings in our lives, because certainly there is no greater address than going to Hashem Himself, the Creator of the world and the One who orchestrates every detail in every single one of our lives, but perhaps one of the most important areas that we ought to make our maximum effort to constantly communicate to Hashem about, is to help us succeed in our emunah endeavor.  If we take to heart what we've learned from countless Torah sources, that emunah and bitachon is the most important thing that we ought to focus on in this world, then certainly we should internalize how important it is to treat personal prayer to Hashem, specifically in the area of growing in our emunah and bitachon, with utmost importance. Because just like Hashem created the world, constantly runs every detail in everybody's lives and is ultimately the One who calls every single shot, so too certainly He is the One who can help me in my life to grow in my emunah and bitachon. And as many Torah sources teach, Hashem does not require from us anything more than our maximum potential. How successful we might be on an objective scorecard depends on many factors that are often beyond our capabilities. If Hashem did not make me particularly smart or motivated, or perhaps I didn't have a background in Jewish education, or whatever other reason, I might not be able to objectively be on a higher level than an individual who does have those things. However, Hashem does not care about the objective results.  Hashem has tailor-made my life to achieve my maximum potential. In this world, it is me against me. There is no comparison to one another. We all have completely different lives, completely different makeups, with many intricate details that only Hashem knows. Hashem only desires that we make our maximum effort in truly trying to excel and succeed in the areas that are important. And as we've learned by countless Torah authorities, there is nothing more important than emunah and bitachon. Certainly then, we are all called on to make our maximum effort to grow in our emunah and bitachon.  Although many Torah authorities outline how talking to Hashem in our own words, which by many is referred to as hisbodedus, is one of the greatest efforts that we can make towards growth in our emunah and bitachon, and b'ezrat Hashem, as we'll continue to discuss, we find many powerful statements throughout Torah literature about the tremendous potency of our personal conversations with Hashem, it is noteworthy to highlight that just like emunah with Hashem has many levels, and our life's work is to grow and climb the ladder of emunah as much as possible, in a similar vein, if one of the most basic expressions of emunah is talking to Hashem because I believe he exists, there are obviously many levels of what it means to talk to Hashem and have a personal relationship with Hashem. We are not expected to climb the ladder in one day, nor necessarily get to the top. But we are expected to make our maximum effort. It is noteworthy to point out that the opportunity to talk to Hashem is available to every single one of us, regardless of our backgrounds or what we've been exposed to. Because just like we all are able to talk to another individual, Hashem has given us this tremendous privilege to be able to talk to Him about anything and everything, including asking Him for help to succeed in our endeavor to grow in our emunah and our bitachon.

We've been discussing how although many Torah commentaries point out to us that our sole mission and purpose in our life is to make our maximum effort to grow and excel in our emunah and bitachon, but seeing as emunah means to believe, and what we see in front of us on a day-to-day basis, much of the time presents values exactly the opposite to what the Torah teaches about emunah and bitachon, there are many different paths of how people come to believing in Hashem and by extension to believing in His Torah and the Torah sources as being His word.  Some people perhaps were brought up with Torah education. Others might have been motivated by a certain moment of inspiration. Some others might have had the opportunity to explore sources outlining the validity and reason why one should believe that the Torah is an extension of Hashem's word. But taking for granted that one does believe in Hashem and one does believe that all the Torah sources that we have are an extension of Hashem's word Himself; we are taught loud and clear that our ultimate purpose and focus in this world is to make efforts to believe in Hashem. We've discussed that one thing we can do is to constantly expose ourselves to Torah teachings about emunah, which is available to all of us in many forms, regardless of our level, in today's day and age. We've also been talking about that perhaps one of the highest expressions of true belief in Hashem is acknowledging that if He does exist and He listens to everything that I'm saying, it is a simple equation that I should be in constant communication with my Creator. Even if I don't need anything in particular, if I believe Hashem exists and is there, I should be communicating with Him, and certainly if I am currently experiencing some hardship or challenge, my address to find a solution should not be to turn to another individual or circumstance, but rather to Hashem Himself.  The more one believes in Hashem, the more one will make an effort to talk to Hashem. The challenge with communication with Hashem, in contrast with communication with another individual, is that when I talk to someone else, usually I hear a response, and therefore that will motivate me to continue talking to them. Whereas as we discussed, when I talk to a wall, it is quite boring, because I don't feel like the wall is listening. But again, if I send somebody a voice message, although I know that they're only going to listen to this message in a few hours' time, and I might not even receive a response, because maybe they'll decide not to respond, or for whatever other reason, nevertheless, when I'm dictating my voice note to them, the reason I will send it is because I believe that they will receive my message, even though I'm not experiencing any communication. And we can compare that type of communication to the way we speak to Hashem. For whatever reason, Hashem does not openly reveal Himself in this world. But if we have emunah, we believe that He is absolutely listening to every single word that we utter. And just like we would send a voice note to someone else who we believe they will receive our message, so too when we speak to Hashem, we believe that He will listen to us. A basic equation of simple emunah - If I believe Hashem exists, if I believe that Hashem is listening to every word that I am saying, certainly I will talk to Him. And seeing as emunah is the challenge, is the test of my life, because as mentioned countless times, this is the main way that we earn our place in the next world, so obviously it's not going to be an easy task. Although we've discussed that exposing ourselves to constant inspiration from Torah sources and the like is certainly conducive to helping us remain in the mindset of constant emunah and bitachon, but perhaps even more powerful than that is to reach out to Hashem Himself and ask Hashem to help us to be successful with our emunah.

Once we have internalized that our sole mission and purpose in life is to make maximum efforts to strive to excel in emunah, how are we to practically go about daily living with simple and sincere emunah? Of course, there are many different forms of serving Hashem, such as the performance of mitzvos, Torah study, making effort to improve one's character traits, and the like. All forms of service to Hashem are important and are ultimately based on having emunah in Hashem.  We shall now explore one of the most potent forms of applying and living emunah in a practical way, perhaps the strongest course in developing our personal relationship with Hashem. When I talk to a friend, I do so because I know that he will listen. Talking to a wall is dispiriting because it is futile. On the other hand, when I send a message to someone, I communicate as if that person is in front of me, even though he may currently be on the other side of the globe, offline and unresponsive. Why? Because I believe that he will hear my words, even though we are not currently together.  If I sincerely believe in the existence of Hashem, talking to him is like leaving a voice message for a friend. Most of us do not experience direct revelations from Hashem. We do not experience His presence in the tangible way that we experience communication with another human being. But if we believe that God permeates the entire world and that He is listening to every word that we utter, we should certainly communicate with Him, at the very least, in the same way that we communicate with another human being. Talking to Hashem in one's own words and thereby developing a personal relationship with Him is often referred to in Torah sources as Hisbodedus. The Mesillas Yesharim in chapter 15 writes that the early pious sages would practice Hisbodedus and bond with Hashem in seclusion. He writes that as early a luminary as David HaMelech spoke approvingly about the practice of Hisbodedus and that the prophets Eliyahu and Elisha would spend large amounts of time secluded in the mountains practicing Hisbiodedus with Hashem. To quote the Mesillas Yisharim, "Hisbodedus is more precious than anything else." The Mesillas Yesharim is explaining to us that by isolating ourselves from society and practicing Hisbodedus with Hashem, we clear our mind and heart of mundane matters, thereby creating room for success in our spiritual endeavors. Our lives involve serving Hashem in many ways, expressing our submission to and love for Him. We observe many mitzvos with all their intricacies. We have chesed, we have Torah study. All of these are extremely important. It is fascinating however to note this potent and rare expression used by the Mesillas Yesharim which highlights the power and effectiveness of Hisbodedus, as he stated, "Hisbodedus is more precious than anything else."  We've seen many Torah sources who have highlighted to us that ultimately the fundamental core of the entire Torah and mitzvos and our main focus in this world is to grow in our emunah. And as we've pointed out, there are many levels to what it means to live a life of emunah. We learnt in the Gemara that if we've only got enough food just for today but have no idea what we're going to do about tomorrow, it is possible to reach such a level of emunah that I feel completely calm knowing that Hashem will take care of me.  As we've discussed previously, the Mesillas Yesharim and many others point out that life is meant to be a test, to give us the opportunity to pass and succeed in something that there was also a potential to fail. Every day we all experience many tests that Hashem is giving us the opportunity to pass and succeed, thereby earning our highest place in the next world, Bezrat Hashem, and we are called on to place our highest focus on our endeavour to pass the test of emunah and bitachon, where everything around us in this world that we live in seems to dictate the exact opposite of the values of emunah and bitachon that we are taught from the Torah. But again, this is an opportunity that we have, and the more that we choose to invest in our endeavour to grow in our emunah and bitachon, the more of a success story we will be in the true world, in Olam Haba.

Very briefly, let's go through the steps again of why Hashem created the world. Hashem created the world just to give to me. Ultimately, that takes place in the next world, and what I'm doing in this world is earning my portion for the next world. And as Torah authorities outlined to us, the main way that we earn our eternal portion in the next world is by growing in our emunah in this world. We discussed how a life of true emunah will lead to one making their maximum effort to fulfilling the mitzvos and all the intricacies in the best way possible. We discussed further what the Torah commentaries teach, how emunah is considered the tree and bitachon is considered the fruits of the tree and in many ways, emunah is more of a theoretical exercise where one knows that Hashem is in control and bitachon is taking that theory and applying it in a practical way.  Let us remind ourselves of what many Torah commentaries write that we've discussed many times, that although it might seem counterintuitive, bitachon is completely independent of our actions. And again, one serious about their purpose in this world will constantly be remembering the fact that their ultimate destination is the next world for eternity and as we are taught, there are consequences both for the mitzvos that we do as well as for the transgressions that we commit and one should certainly therefore make their maximum effort to do the right thing in this world. However, what is so important to remember is that regardless of what one has achieved and regardless of what one has transgressed, we are taught that bitachon is a completely independent entity to our mitzvos and our transgressions. And in the words of the Midrash, even a rasha - a truly wicked individual who stops and relies on Hashem, Hashem will come through for that individual. And as some of the Torah commentaries discuss, even if a thief who is on his way currently to commit a crime stops and asks Hashem to help him out, Hashem will come through for him. Because again, bitachon is a reality that Hashem created in the world that works regardless of how we might be doing in our spiritual endeavor.  There are many things that a life of true emunah and bitachon will lead to. Most importantly, we are achieving our ultimate purpose in this world, earning our maximum potential for the next world. Additionally, in this world itself, the more one grows in bitachon each day, the calmer one will feel throughout any and every situation. Because again, the reason we are triggered by anxiety-provoking situations is only because we are scared of something. Whereas when a person truly internalizes that Hashem is in absolute control every single moment, and Hashem only created me just because He wants to give me of His best, eternal pleasure, and one is in the safest hands, much safer than any individual could ever provide for me, even the person who loves me the most, or I truly see as my security, but again, people are always limited by human capacity and limitations. Whereas Hashem Himself is not, He is the Creator of the world. The more I internalize that belief, the more I will feel completely calm throughout my life. And similarly, everybody is searching for true happiness and fulfillment in one's life. When one is living together with Hashem in their life, there can be no happier feeling than that. Rav David Ashear, in his fantastic book, Living Emunah, tells the story of a little girl who was flying on an airplane. Suddenly there was tremendous turbulence on the airplane, and many of the passengers felt scared and anxious. One passenger noticed that this girl looked completely calm throughout the whole ordeal, and he went over to her and said, "Little girl, how come you are not nervous like many of the other passengers who are aboard this flight?" And the girl responded, "Oh, there's nothing for me to worry about, because my father is the pilot of this plane, and I know he will only do the best thing for me." And she was completely calm because she knew she was in the best hands. And in the same way, when we take to heart that every single happening in our lives is orchestrated exclusively by Hashem, without the interference from any other individual or circumstance, we are able to feel completely happy. We are so privileged to be able to have access to this treasure, the keys of how to live a truly meaningful life.

We've been discussing the Torah's perspecive, the only true perspective, of exactly what our purpose is in this world. Firstly, why did Hashem create the world in the first place? As the Torah sources teach us - only to give to us. Where ultimatelty do we receive and experience Hashem's goodness? In Olam Haba - in the next world. Why then did Hashem place me in this world? And as discussed, just because He wanted to give us an opportunity to be able to earn our eternal portion for ourselves. And by having the constant opportunity to choose good and stay away for bad in this world, we are thereby able to earn our eternal portion for ourselves. And as many Torah commentaries discuss, if we are to summarise into one world, what exactly our purpose is in this world - how exactly do we earn our eternal portion in the next world? The answer to that is: emunah. We've been discussing what exactly it means to have emunah and how important constant repetition of these concepts, even if one might have heard them many times before, is. Because again, as many Torah sources teach, it's one thing to learn the information. But our main purpose in this world is not just learning the information, but rather truly internalizing that information in how we live our lives. And one of the greatest things we can do in our endeavor to do so, is by constant repetition of these concepts. And the more we grow in our emunah journey, the more we will be able to apply the concepts that we are learning to our own lives, everybody in their own way. As we've been talking about, one expression of emunah that many Torah commentaries discuss is the performance of mitzvos. Because again, if I believe in Hashem, then I will certainly be motivated to follow His laws exactly as He has prescribed whether I understand or not. Because I'm not doing so based on my understanding, but rather because of my belief in Hashem. We've discussed many times, many Torah sources, such as the Zohar HaKadosh, the Vilna Gaon in numerous places, as well as many others, who state that the purpose of all the mitzvos is ultimately for the sake of emunah. In today's day and age, we are so privileged to have so many platforms available to us to learn about all of the mitzvahs. And again, seeing as this is one of the most basic and most potent expressions of emunah, to practice Hashem's mitzvos, one should certainly make their maximum effort to study as much as possible about all of the laws and intricacies of all the mitzvos to be able to practice them in the best way possible. For our purposes right now, we are going to focus on an additional and most potent and core aspect of what it means to live a life of emunah. The Ramban and many others contrast emunah and bitachon and explain that having emunah is like the tree, whereas having bitachon is like the fruit from the tree. It's possible to have emunah without applying the bitachon, whereas it's impossible to have bitachon if one does not have the emunah. So ultimately, one of the main ways we achieve our purpose in this world, which again, is ultimately leading us to our place in Olam Haba for eternity, is by growing more and more in our belief that we have in Hashem.  And as we've learned many times, the more emunah that one has, the more calm one might feel throughout all circumstances, knowing that Hashem is in complete control. When there is a potential to feel feelings of anger, the more emunah that one might have, the less feelings of anger I will feel because I will internalize that it is not this other individual who is causing this to happen to me, but rather, Hashem pulling all the strings, causing everything to happen. Because Ein Od Milvado, there is only Hashem in the world, and every single happening that happens in the world is exclusively orchestrated by Hashem. Let us remember what the Rambam writes in the 13 Principles of Faith, that 'vehu lavdo' - Hashem exclusively, without the help of any other individual or circumstance, orchestrates every single detail of our lives. The more we are able to take these concepts to heart, the more we will be able to apply them in a practical way, by exercising our bitachon in Hashem.

We've been discussing one of the most fundamental questions. Why would Hashem, a perfect being who doesn't need anything outside of His perfect self, create the world in the first place? And we discussed that the only place we want to look is Hashem's perspective, the Torah perspective, which can be the only unmistakable perspective. And many Torah sources teach us that the only objective Hashem had in mind in creating the world was because He wanted to give to us. And without a recipient, obviously, there's nobody to give to. And He therefore created us to be able to receive His goodness.  We discussed, however, that there seems to be an apparent contradiction to that by the fact that we all undergo suffering and challenges throughout our lives. And if Hashem created me just because He wants to give to me, why at times do I have to suffer? And we discussed what the Torah sources teach, that Hashem ultimately intended for us to receive His goodness in the next world, in Olam Haba. And the only reason that we were first placed in this world was to give us an opportunity to earn our eternal reward for ourselves because in Hashem's great wisdom, He understood that if we are given the opportunity to earn our eternal reward for ourselves, the level of pleasure that we will experience by doing so will be much greater than if it was just given to us as a free gift. And this really brings us to the final point of this discussion. Seeing as Hashem placed me in this world just to give me the opportunity to earn my eternal place in the next world, what exactly am I supposed to be doing in this world? How exactly do I fulfill my purpose in this world, in the most efficient and ideal manner? And again, although there is much Torah literature about this, and throughout one's life one can certainly learn more and more and digest the concepts more and more. But simply speaking, the Torah commentary is right that the answer to this question can be summed up in one word. Emunah. Let us remind ourselves that if we are studying this information for the first time, it is certainly very beneficial because we can now take this information and move towards the next steps of trying to truly internalize this information. But even if one has been exposed to this information many times previously, let us remind ourselves what the Torah commentaries teach, that our whole purpose in this world is to truly internalize the concepts of emunah, not just to know the information, but more and more each day to internalize the information and live our lives according to their values. And as we hear this information again and again, one has the opportunity to contemplate on the information and try to apply it in a practical way to one's life more and more each time. What exactly does it mean to live a life of emunah? Again, seeing as this is our life's work and main purpose in this world, it can be easy to understand that it's not going to take a three-minute discussion to summarize how to fulfill our purpose in this world. But again, we are not called on to do that. We are just called on to make our maximum effort to try our best to grow more and more each day in internalizing these concepts. One very important and fundamental branch of emunah which many Torah commentaries discuss is the fulfillment of mitzvos.  Seeing as Hashem is the Creator of the world and designed the whole pattern of what we are doing here, namely to be in this world to earn our eternal portion in eternity where we are able to experience Hashem's goodness, Hashem is also the one who knows best how we are able to go about earning our best place in Olam Haba. Hashem has given us many mitzvos, things that we are supposed to do and things that we are supposed to stay away from. Some of them are easier to understand and perhaps more logical, whereas many of them we have little or no understanding of. In our journey towards the life of emunah, we are called on to fulfill all of Hashem's mitzvos as best as we can regardless of our understanding. Because again, if Hashem created the world and He is the one in charge of everything that happens, I certainly ought to listen to His instructions based on His perspective. Although certain mitzvos might be more appealing and more logical, but a true life of emunah would dictate that every single one of the mitzvos should be dealt with highest priority including all of the intricate details because if this is what the Torah sources coming from Hashem's perspective dictate for us to do, then I can and should trust that this is certainly what I should do. The more emunah that we have or that we might be aspiring to achieve in our day-to-day growth, the more that will direct us to treat each of the mitzvos and all the intricacies with paramount importance.

We've been going over one of the most fundamental questions that can exist. Why did Hashem decide to create the world in the first place, when He is a being who is completely perfect and does not have any needs or desires outside of His perfect self? We discussed that the only place that we can find a truly undistorted answer for this question is the Torah, which is ultimately Hashem's perspective Himself. And as many Torah sources teach, the only reason Hashem created the world is to give to us.  But the question that then needs clarification is that if Hashem does truly just desire to give to me, why is it that so many people do suffer in this world and don't just experience Hashem's sweet goodness on a constant basis? And as the Torah commentaries taught us, that ultimately Hashem had in mind for us to make our way to the next world after our small excursion in this world. Although 120 years might seem like a long time, but again, in contrast to the analogy that Torah commentaries offer us, imagine the largest stadium that you've ever seen filled up to the top with sand and every million years a bird would go and take out just one grain of sand. The amount of time that it would take to empty out the stadium would be so great that 120 years would not even be like a second in comparison to that amount of time. And again, that is still not eternity, because eternity is literally forever, even longer than it would take to empty that stadium. And Hashem's plan for us was to make our way to a world called Olam Haba, the next world, where we literally live eternally, basking in Hashem's goodness. But then the question that needs to be dealt with is that if Hashem's vision was for me to make my way to the next world and there bask in His light and experience His goodness, why do I need to be in this world at all in the first place where we do undergo many challenges and much suffering? And again, the Torah commentaries, Hashem's perspective, provide the answer to this question. The only reason that Hashem decided to first send us for an excursion in this world was because Hashem wants to give us the ultimate pleasure. And in Hashem's great wisdom, He understands that if we are given the opportunity to earn our eternal reward for ourselves rather than it just being given to us as a present, that pleasure that we will be able to experience again for eternity will be much greater than if it was just given to us for free.  Some Torah commentaries illustrate this with the following. If I were to give you a million dollars today, yes, you'd be happy because now you have that money available for whatever you need to do. However, when a person starts their own business and thereafter cuts a deal for a million dollars because of their own efforts, they feel so much more accomplished by having worked and achieved their success. In a similar vein, if I am very hungry and I go get some takeouts from the restaurant, again, that makes me happy because now that food is able to take care of my hunger. But perhaps a person might feel much more fulfilled when I am hungry and I go pull out all the ingredients that I need from my own kitchen and spend a certain amount of time making the food myself. When I sit down to eat that food, I'll appreciate it a lot more because I spent time and energy and effort making this myself.  And in a similar vein, although we can't fully grasp Hashem's ways by any means, but the analogy that Torah commentaries do offer us is that although Hashem's vision in creating the world was for the exclusive purpose of giving to us and that experience will ultimately take place in the next world, in Olam Haba, however, the reason that we are here for our excursion in this world is to have the opportunity to earn that reward for ourselves for eternity in the next world. And again, by having the opportunity to choose good and stay away from bad in this world and making our maximum effort to follow the instructions and guidance of Hashem as laid out to us in the Torah and b'ezrat Hashem being successful in that endeavor, we will thereby be able to earn our place in Olam Haba and there bask in Hashem's light and goodness for eternity.

We've been discussing one of the most fundamental questions that can exist. Hashem, a perfect being, who doesn't need anything outside of His perfect self, why then would He go ahead and create the world? And as we discussed, the only place we want to look for the answer is the Torah, which is Hashem's true perspective. Because any other perspective is always susceptible to be mistaken. And we discussed how countless Torah sources teach that the only reason Hashem decided to create the world was because He had a desire to give. And without a recipient, there'd be nobody to give to. So this answers the question, why did Hashem decide to create you and I and everything else that is encompassed within our universe? Just because He desired to give to us. Let us remind ourselves again that we are not trying to study information to be able to pass the test and graduate from this information and move to the next subject. As the Torah greats have taught us, the purpose of emunah is not just to learn the information, although that is the starting point, but our life's work is to take that information and to truly internalize it. And via constant repetition of the concepts, b'ezrat Hashem we will be able to take the information more and more each day and apply them to our personal lives. So from Hashem's vantage point, He created the world just because He had a desire to give to each one of us. But then the question that begs to be answered is, most of us experience challenges throughout our lives, and if Hashem decided to create me just because He wants to give to me, why does He sometimes send challenges and bitter experiences my way? Let's discuss how the Torah sources, Hashem's perspective, the only true perspective, answer this question. If Hashem decided to create the world just to give to me, why do I need to suffer at times? And as many, many Torah sources teach, a fundamental belief to Judaism and the Torah is that the world that we live in is certainly not our final destination. But rather the next world, Olam Haba, is where we are destined to receive Hashem's goodness. When Hashem created the world, He did so having in mind that one day we will depart from our lives in this world and make our way to our final destination in the next world, and there truly to bask in Hashem's light in His true goodness for eternity. Although we certainly can't grasp a full understanding of what it means to go to the next world, because that is one of the things that is hidden from the eyes of human beings, however there certainly is very much Torah information about this concept, and again one who would like to investigate this topic further has much Torah literature available about the concept of Olam Haba and what it means to live in the next world, however for our purposes right now, let us just relate an analogy offered by many Torah commentaries to shed just a little bit of an appreciation of what it means to live in Olam Haba.  Imagine the largest stadium that you've ever seen. This stadium gets filled up to the top with sand. Every one million years, a little bird comes and takes one grain of sand out from the stadium. Let's try calculate how long it will take for the stadium to be emptied. Of course nobody can work out this number, it is so big. Sometimes when people are asked how long it will take for the stadium to be emptied, people answer "forever". However the truth of the matter is that that is still not considered eternity, because after a certain huge amount of time, the stadium will be emptied. Whereas we are taught from Torah sources that Olam Haba, life in the next world, is literally for eternity. So just to appreciate, when Hashem created us in the first place, His vision is that after our small excursion of a maximum of 120 years in this world, we will thereby make our way to our true final destination in the next world. And there we will bask in His light for eternity.

We've been discussing one of the most fundamental questions. Why would Hashem, a completely perfect being, who is not lacking anything, and certainly does not need anything from us, have decided to create the world in the first place? We've also been discussing that the only way to answer this question with absolute truth, with no risk of making a mistake, is if Hashem Himself gives us the answer. Because when we use our own logic and minds to try to find the solution, we are all susceptible to mistakes. And even though we might be well-meaning, even the smartest person in the world is still limited by their human capacity. And when dealing with such a most fundamental question, any individual who is seriously seeking meaning and finding the purpose of their lives which will ultimately be based on finding the answer to this question, will not suffice with just assuming the answer based on their own logic, which one knows could have mistakes and lead to incorrect conclusions.  And as we discussed, we are so privileged to have Hashem's Torah, where Hashem has given us a vast amount of information in both the written Torah as well as the oral Torah which was transmitted down from generation to generation. And therefore all of Torah literature which we have today is ultimately the same word of Hashem, as if I'd be hearing Hashem's voice directly speaking to me, relaying this information. So what does the Torah say? What is Hashem's perspective about this question? Why did you, Hashem, decide to create the world, seeing as you are perfect and you don't need anything else?  And as we've discussed many times and again, learning this information for the first time is certainly a huge accomplishment. But even if I've heard this information many times previously, digesting this information and trying to internalize it into my day-to-day life more and more each day is ultimately our objective because again, Emunah is not just about knowing the information but taking the information that we've learnt and trying to internalize that information more and more each day to be able to live our lives according to the true values of Emunah. Sometimes we find some level of Torah controversy within Torah sources with regards to how to answer certain questions. When it comes to this question, however, it is unanimously clear from countless Torah sources that there is only one reason that Hashem decided to create the world in the first place. Again, He did not need it for Himself. Hashem is a perfect being that could very well manage without a world having been created. And as all the Torah sources outline, Hashem had a desire to give and without a recipient being created, there is nobody to give to. So the only reason that Hashem decided to create the entire universe and everything that is encompassed within it is just to be able to give to the recipients that He would create. Now again, one might ask, but why did Hashem have a desire to give? There might be Torah information where one is able to understand this question further, but that is not our focus right now. For our purposes right now, we are told by countless Torah sources that Hashem had a desire to give and the only way for Hashem to be able to give would be if He would create recipients who would have needs and wants. And by Hashem being able to fulfill those needs and wants, He would be fulfilling His desire to give. So again, let's digest this information. Information from Hashem's perspective, the only true perspective. The only reason Hashem, who is a being who does not need anything else except for His own perfect existence, decided to create the world in the first place is because He had a desire to give. Let us try to internalize and take to heart that as we advance on our emunah journey, whatever we might be experiencing and going through, let's make an effort to internalize the truth of what's actually happening. That although at times it might be difficult to reconcile why Hashem is dealing with us in a certain manner, but if we are able to remember and internalize the starting point of why Hashem, who didn't need to create us in the first place, nevertheless decided to go ahead and create this world and everything that is encompassed within it, including you and I, when we follow that thought process, we will quickly realize that everything in the world that Hashem does is ultimately for our best. And by doing so, we will thereby be able to move more and more towards living a truly meaningful life.

We've been discussing perhaps the most important question that we might attempt to answer. Why did Hashem decide to create the world in the first place? Seeing as Hashem is a completely perfect being, completely independent of needing from any external force, as opposed to us human beings who have many needs, physically, emotionally, psychologically and the like, why would Hashem decide to create the world in the first place? And again, answering this question is certainly very beneficial to be able to know exactly what my purpose is in this world. And even if I have heard this information many times previously, as discussed many times, repetition of these principles is of paramount importance, because it's not just about knowing this information, but it's about taking this information and truly internalizing it, and each day living our lives more and more according to their values.  We discussed that we need to ascertain what would be the appropriate method to attempt to answer this question. Because if we just try to use our own brains and logic, we are certainly susceptible to making a mistake. Although we might be super well-meaning, but just like very clever people in many areas of life could be so misled by talented orators such as Hitler, or perhaps in today's time, misleading but sometimes very compelling presentation of information on the media can very easily and quickly turn well-meaning and well-educated people to see things from the wrong perspective and thereby reach gravely mistaken conclusions, seeing as Hashem is the only perfect being that exists in our universe, the only way to find an absolute truthful answer to this question of why did Hashem decide to create this world in the first place, which seems illogical to us because He doesn't need anything, would be to ask Hashem Himself for the answer to this question.  As we've discussed many times, in today's times, Hashem does not reveal Himself to us in an open way. And for the most part, we do not have a phone line where we could literally hear Hashem's voice on the other side telling us answers to these questions. But for our purposes right now, the way Hashem does communicate with us in this world is via the information that He has given us in His Torah. And although there is much information for one interested in studying this subject more extensively, very briefly for our purposes now: many years ago when Hashem decided to give the Torah to the Jewish people, He did so by making a public revelation to three million people. And as opposed to some of the other religions where the claim began from one individual, where the starting point of one's entire trust and reliance is based on the episode or story that was related by that individual, whereas with the Jewish people, there was a public revelation.  For one individual who might be talented, it is possible to fabricate a good story that many people might follow. Whereas for three million people to fabricate a story and pass that information down from generation to generation, it is easy to understand how it's an absolutely impossible feat. It is well known that when Hashem made that public revelation, it was there that He handed down two Torah's to Moshe Rabbeinu on behalf of the Jewish people. One is the written Torah, the same text that we have today. And the second is the oral Torah, which was much information told directly by Hashem to Moshe Rabbeinu. And as we are taught, that information was then passed to the leader of the next generation, and following that, passed down to the leader of the following generation, creating a chain of tradition all the way back from Hashem to Moshe Rabbeinu, through the leaders of all the generations, and right down through to our day and age today.  There is much Torah literature available to be able to investigate this topic further. However, for our purposes here, we are taking it for granted that I believe that the written book of the Torah, as well as much information which was transmitted orally, was given directly from Hashem to Moshe Rabbeinu, passed down from generation to generation via specific leaders, and is that same written and oral Torah that we have today. And that being the case, we now have an address to go to, to answer our initial question. Why did Hashem decide to create this world in the first place, seeing as He doesn't need anything? So let's look into the Torah and discuss, why would Hashem decide to create this world.

We've been discussing how although the principles and fundamentals of what it means to live a life of emunah and truly fulfill our purpose in this world, in a sense does have limited information and after spending time studying the topic, one might have mastered the information, however, as discussed, our purpose in this world is not just to know the information, but rather to take that information and truly internalize it and b'ezrat Hashem transform our lives to be able to live according to the values of true emunah.  The first and most fundamental question that needs to be discussed is why did Hashem, a being who does not have any needs and who is completely perfect in His core, decide to create this universe and everything that is encompassed within it. Usually when one creates something or embarks on any sort of venture, the reason I would do so is because I need or want something, such as more money, that could help me live more comfortably by embarking on this business venture. Whereas if there'd be no financial gain nor personal fulfillment by getting involved in this business venture, I certainly wouldn't embark on this project. Hashem does not need anything in this world because He's completely perfect in His core. So why did He decide to create this world?  And as we've discussed previously many times, before answering this question or in fact any question, we need to ask ourselves what method we're going to use to try to answer this question. If I just use my head to try find the answer, I need to ask myself, have I ever made a mistake before? And of course anyone real with themselves will quickly realize that we all make many mistakes all the time. And that being the case, how can I be comfortable to assume that the answer I might think of for this most important question of why Hashem decided to create the world in the first place, which will ultimately lead to what exactly is my purpose on a moment-to-moment basis, to assume that the answer that I might think of with my limited brain, which is very susceptible to constant mistakes. But what else are we supposed to do, if not for using my head to try find a solution? What other possible solution is there?  As we've discussed previously, just to illustrate this concept in a more tangible way, when one looks at the current war between Israel and its enemies, most of us can easily understand that the truth is with Israel and the cruelty is with the enemies. However, it's fascinating to point out that most of the world does not believe so. And when you look around at the people that have sided with the enemies of Israel, many of them might be smarter people than you and I. And that being the case, one feels like screaming and saying, how can you not see the truth? If you are such a clever individual in many other ways, why are you making such a terrible mistake in this area?  And similarly, when one looks at the Holocaust, many people who followed Hitler, Yemach Shemo and his atrocious policies, in many areas of life they might be smarter than you and I. And again, seeing as that's the case, and we are not dealing with just plain silly individuals who cannot understand anything, but rather many of them smart individuals, how could they make such a grave mistake which seems so apparently obvious to us and it would be such a basic logical conclusion to all of us that Hitler and his policies are completely gravely mistaken and untruthful, whereas again, many of the people, clever people, did not see it that way?  And that being the case, even though we might feel like we see things clearly in these areas, we are also people and limited by our human limitations, just like many of those people - clever people, were limited and blinded in many ways. So, what therefore are we to do when we ask ourselves, why exactly do I exist? What is my purpose in the world? How can I make sure that before I leave this world, I have fulfilled the real purpose of why Hashem decided to create me? In order to answer that, let us break down these points in a clear way. And again, even if we've heard this information many times before, try to take this information, to understand it and to apply it, everyone in our own way, to our own lives, and each day more and more, be able to thereby, be able to thereby, be able to thereby, and live according to the values of true emunah.

We've been discussing how constant repetition about the principles of Emunah and Bitachon is of paramount importance. In the world that we live in, for the most part, it is much easier to relate to things that are physical and tangible, and I am able to see the accomplishment of my efforts. So, usually when I study a subject, once I have completed learning and perhaps remembering the information that I have studied, I am now able to move on to the next subject. Whereas when it comes to Emunah, our core purpose in this world, although certainly we do have to learn the information as a starting point, but by no means does it end there. The real work of Emunah is taking the information that we might have learned many many times previously and trying to truly internalize that information to be able to live according to their values.  So let's go ahead now and discuss some of the concepts that we've discussed many times previously with the objective of not only reminding ourselves about this information, although that too is a worthwhile endeavor, but perhaps to make an extra effort to take whatever information and growth that we might have made whilst being exposed to Emunah and Bitachon and to try and apply it to areas of our own lives, everyone in their own way. So the very first question that needs to be discussed is if I believe that there is a God, a Creator, a Being who is certainly not limited by needs such as the ones we have, the question is why did Hashem decide to create this world in the first place? Anyone who has studied any Torah information about God understands that Hashem is completely independent of anything else that exists in the entire universe and in existence in general. And that being the case, why did Hashem decide to create the entire universe, with all the spiritual worlds as well as the physical world that we live in?  Just as an aside, the question that we are discussing here is certainly the most important question for anybody that accepts that there is a Creator. There are many ways that people arrive at this conclusion, that there is a Hashem overseeing our world, and our discussion here does not revolve around proof for the existence of Hashem, although that is certainly a worthwhile discussion in its own right and there is much information available for a person who is sincerely seeking, but has many questions about the existence of Hashem in general. But assuming that one has accepted that there is a God in the world, that Hashem does exist, then the most important question that needs to be delved into becomes, why did Hashem, a being who does not lack anything, decide to create the world? It almost seems superfluous to do such a thing. Imagine for a moment the wealthiest person in the world, a multi-billionaire, who has everything financially available to him. Would it make sense for this individual to be involved in a project that would only produce him one dollar? Of course, it is easy to understand why he would not do so, seeing as he has all the money in the world available to him. And similarly, why would Hashem decide to create a world when He does not lack anything and does not need anything?  And although we are trying to illustrate this point with this analogy of the billionaire, however truthfully this does not portray the concept of how Hashem does not need anything. Because since we are human beings, by definition, we have needs, and although a billionaire might not need another dollar, but the extra dollar might nevertheless bring a slight smile to his face and the like, whereas when it comes to Hashem, He is completely perfect and does not need this world in the least. So that being the case, why did Hashem create this world? And again, although we might have explored this topic many times previously, it is so worthwhile to go over it again and again, to digest the concept, not just to know the information, but to truly internalize the information and b'ezrat Hashem, thereby be able to truly internalize the information, live according to their values, and transform your life.

Usually, when one is trying to study a subject, after a certain amount of time of delving into the content of the subject matter, one will be able to master that subject and move on to a different topic. We've discussed many times about what the Torah's sources teach us is our purpose in this world - to make efforts to build and internalize our emunah and bitachon - our faith and reliance on Hashem more and more each day. And in a sense, one might ask, "I've learnt about this topic so many times, so why do I need to continue to delve into the topic of emunah each day? Is it not perhaps time to move on to something else?" It is so important to remind ourselves of what many of the Torah greats teach, that although in a sense one is able to graduate from knowing the information about emunah and bitachon, because after continuous study, one will certainly gain much information from the Torah about what it means to live a life of emunah and bitachon, but as many of the Torah greats point out, when we are taught that our ultimate purpose in this world is emunah and bitachon, it certainly does not just mean knowing the information of emunah and bitachon, but rather, as they teach, the distance between just knowing emunah in one's head, as opposed to truly internalizing it in one's heart, is greater than the distance between heaven and earth.  Just like we can clearly understand that there are miles and miles apart between the highest heavens and the earth that we live on, in a similar vein, when it comes to emunah, although it is certainly a tremendous accomplishment to be making an effort to learn the information of what it means to have emunah, because without knowing the information we certainly can't move forward to try to internalize that information, but it's also so important to highlight that ultimately our purpose in this world is not just to know the emunah in theory, but rather, our purpose in this world is to take that information and truly transform the way that we live to be according to the values of emunah and bitachon. And as we've discussed many times, it's an obvious equation that it's not going to be an easy task that can be mastered overnight. Because as many commentaries that we've discussed, such as the Ramban at the end of Parashas Bo bring to our attention that our main focus and job and purpose in this world is to grow in our bitachon. And as we've pointed out many times from many many Torah sources, that ultimately the purpose of all the mitzvos, of Torah learning and everything we do in our lives is in order to build our emunah. Emunah is the core of everything we do in our lives. So seeing as this is the ultimate purpose for our existence and our focus of what we're supposed to be doing in this world, it's obvious that it's not going to be a simple task that can be mastered overnight, but rather, a lifetime of constant effort in order to grow in this area as much as possible.  And therefore, constant repetition of the same concepts that one might have studied many times before is highly recommended. Because in the world that we live in, most of our experiences are surrounded by things which could be potential deterrents from living a life of emunah. And understandably so - it's supposed to be that way, because again, our purpose in this world is to try find the emunah, and if it wasn't a challenge, then what is our purpose of being here? Without making a conscious effort to be mindful to live according to the values of emunah, one will certainly fall to the normal way of the world, which is certainly not a life according to the values of emunah. And because we are constantly surrounded by things which might attempt to deter us from a life of emunah, we are certainly called on to constantly revise the concepts of emunah and how we are able to apply them in our own lives in a practical way and b'ezrat Hashem, each day, we will thereby be able to be living lives truly according to the values of emunah.

We've discussed previously with regards to the famous verse that states ein od milvado - there is nothing else in the world except for Hashem exclusively - and we've discussed that there are many levels to what it means to truly understand and internalize this verse. Simply speaking, if someone were to ask me, "do you believe that Hashem runs the world?" and I am to answer in the affirmative, that certainly is a milestone in having understood to some degree what the verse ein od milvado means. However, as discussed many times, Torah commentaries point out that the distance between knowing Emunah in our heads, meaning knowing the information, that yes, Hashem does run the world, as opposed to truly internalizing it in our hearts, which will translate into the way we live our lives with real life Emunah, that distance is greater than the distance between heaven and earth, meaning that there are many levels to what it means to have Emunah. Our life's work is of course initially to grow in our knowledge about Emunah, because without knowing what we are trying to internalize, we can't really move forward. But after one has already understood in one's head that our main purpose in this world is in order to grow in our Emunah, the next step is to try internalize that Emunah more and more into the core of our beings, to the point that Emunah does not just remain an abstract concept or subject, but rather translates into the very core of our beings and the way we live our lives. There is much information available to us about many Torah concepts, from the study of the Chumash itself, Tanach, the Talmud, Halacha, Kabbalistic material, inspiration for character development, and much more. They are all important, and we are certainly encouraged to strive to explore as many areas of Torah as possible. Different people are attracted to different areas of Torah, and although we are all called on to learn all areas of Torah to our best ability, and we should certainly strive to do so, it is nevertheless motivating to remind ourselves about what many Torah commentaries write, that ultimately all the branches of Torah are super important, and again, we should make our maximum effort to explore all the branches of Torah. However, as pointed out by many Torah commentaries, Emunah is not one of the branches, Emunah is the trunk of the tree itself, because when one has Emunah, it automatically leads to all of the branches of the Torah. So whilst it is so vital to explore all the branches of Torah, it is also important to highlight and remind ourselves that the trunk of the tree itself should never be forgotten about, and our highest focus should be placed in not only knowing the concepts of Emunah, but also making our maximum effort in trying to internalize the Emunah in our bones, in a way that it translates to the way that we live our lives.  "Thank you, Hashem, for the incredible privilege to be able to know about Emunah, and to be able to learn about Emunah, and to have the ability to try make an effort to truly internalize the concepts of Emunah. Hashem, please help me from this moment on to grow more and more in not only knowing the concepts of Emunah, but also truly internalizing and changing the way that I live, to living a life of sincere Emunah."

The passage in Tanach from Shoftim chapter 16 verse 28 tells how the Prophet Shimshon was blessed with supernatural strength, which made him immune to his enemies. Eventually, however, his enemies, the plishtim, discovered his secret and stripped him of his supernatural strength. Using his own words, Shimshon requested that Hashem please give him the supernatural strength just one final time to take revenge against the plishtim in order to sanctify Hashem's name just one more time. And as the passage tells, Hashem answered Shimshon in His personal prayer.  There is a well-known Torah teaching which states that ma'aseh avos siman labanim - the narratives recounted in the Torah, are not just mere history lessons, but rather each event has valuable lessons to teach each one of us that we can apply to our lives in a practical way. One obvious take-home from the above account in the episode of Shimshon and the Pelishtim is to regularly reach out to Hashem using our own words. The same Hashem who was present and available to hear and come through for Shimshon in his challenging situation, is the same Hashem who is present today and waiting to hear from every single one of us.  The Gemara in Yoma 29a states that with regards to prayer, the more one prays, the more effective one's prayers become. It's important to take to heart this teaching of the Gemara, because as we know, tefillah can be disheartening at times, especially when we do not seem to receive what we had prayed for. Sometimes Hashem withholds blessing from us specifically in order to give us reason to keep on praying. Eventually, however, all our prayers come together and will be much more potent and effective than if we had been answered in the first place. Again, our purpose in this world is to have emunah. I don't know, I don't understand. Emunah means, I believe. The Midrash elsewhere teaches that some prayers take years before they are answered; some prayers take months; some days, and some prayers are answered instantaneously. And the question is, why? And the simple response is, we cannot know Hashem's calculations in this world specifically because we are called on to believe - to have emunah - not to understand and know Hashem's workings. But the one thing is for sure, that no prayer ever goes to waste. And just like we learned from the Gemara above, the more one prays, the more effective one's prayers become, and if I prayed for something, and not only didn't I get answered, but things even seemed to get worse, although logic and a mistaken perspective would dictate, "you see, Hashem is not really listening", however, the emunah perspective would dictate - "even if I don't see Hashem coming through for me, I have no doubt in the world that that prayer that I just made is making a huge impact, and even if the results are not experienced right now, it could be that for whatever reason, Hashem is holding back right now, but in the future, there is no question that this prayer will come through for something of tremendous value." The book of Yonah relates the fascinating episode when Yonah was swallowed by a large fish and remained inside it for three days and three nights. Whilst inside the fish, Yonah reminded himself that the only thing that could help him out of his predicament was tefillah. He was therefore able to pray to Hashem with true sincerity, even inside the innards of a fish. As mentioned many times, personal prayer was the consistent practice of all of our ancestors. The opportunity of prayer is always accessible and available to every single one of us at any time and at any place. "Thank you so much Hashem for the constant opportunity to be able to reach out to you and have my personal relationship with you."

We've been discussing how practising our emunah and bitachon, our core purpose and focus in this world, is expressed in one of its highest ways when we talk to Hashem in our own words. Again, for many of us, if we are asked if we believe in Hashem, we would answer in the affirmative. However, when push comes to shove and adversity strikes, there are many levels of how one can respond. The ultimate would be feelings of complete calm and turning to Hashem in prayer to help out. And on the opposite extreme would be someone who doesn't even think about Hashem, but rather just runs around trying to find their own solutions. There are millions of levels in between, and all we are required to do is grow each day to make a little bit more effort to when something does happen, rather than initially running around to try to find our own solutions, first reaching out to Hashem and asking Him to help us in our endeavour to find a solution.  The Midrash Rabbah in Vezos HaBerachah section 11 states that after it was decreed that Moshe Rabbeinu would not be permitted to enter Eretz Israel, he prayed no fewer than 515 times, beseeching Hashem to annul the decree. And as the verse states, after the 515th prayer, Hashem actually asked Moshe Rabbeinu to stop praying about this matter. And this is because had Moshe Rabbeinu prayed just one more time, Hashem would have been required to fulfill His request.  Many people would ask, but doesn't Hashem run the world? Hashem calls the shots, and if Hashem desired that Moshe Rabbeinu should not enter Eretz Israel, regardless of how many times he prayed, He would not have entered. And the answer to this question is that Hashem created the world with a rule: Tefillah works. Just like Hashem created the nature of our world, that if you are hungry and you eat food, it satiates the hunger, and if one is tired and sleeps, one feels rejuvenated thereafter, similarly, Hashem created nature in the spiritual worlds, and one segment of how the natural order in the spiritual worlds work, is that emunah, bitachon, and prayer work, to the point that Hashem had to ask Moshe Rabbeinu, "please do not pray again, because if you do, although I do not want you to make your way to Eretz Israel, I will be required to take you in because of your prayers." Nobody is on the level of Moshe Rabbeinu, and for many people to daven 515 times would be an achievement beyond our maximum capacity, but again, one day when we meet our Creator, we are not going to be asked, how did you do in comparison to Moshe Rabbeinu? We are going to be asked, how did you do in comparison to what you could have become? Every single one of us has the constant opportunity to pray. If we are to internalize the truth of the words, ein od milvado - that Hashem truly orchestrates every single detail in every one of our lives, we will quickly realize that we don't call any of the shots to anything that happens in our lives or in anyone else's lives. Everything is exclusively orchestrated by Hashem. The only thing that truthfully is within our capacity, is our ability to pray and ask Hashem to make things turn out the way we would like, and of course thereafter, to make our maximum effort to make it happen.  Many individuals have expressed their desire to live in the land of Israel. It is not our time and place now to discuss the benefits of what it means to live in the land of Israel from a halachic or Torah perspective, but assuming that one has decided that ideally they would like to live in the land of Israel, for many people, much of the time it can seem like an absolute impossibility on many fronts, be it because of financial circumstances, family dynamics and many other things. Now again, assuming that one's perspective after investigating the topic is that the right thing ultimately is to be in the land of Israel; One day, when we are to meet our Creator, He is not going to ask us, did you live in the land of Israel? Because again, if I believe ein od milvado - I will quickly realize that I will only live in the country that Hashem will place me in, and I actually have no say in the matter.  But the question that will be asked is, did you pray to live in the land of Israel? And therefore, for the many people that would like to live in the land of Israel, but see it as an impossibility, the wisest thing that one can do is make it part of one's daily personal prayers to beg Hashem to give one the opportunity to come to live in the land of Israel. And again, even if one sees it as an impossibility, when one takes to heart that Hashem is the Creator and controls every detail of the world and can do absolutely anything, then I will quickly realize that I too can pray for absolutely anything.

We've been discussing how one of the most basic expressions of emunah and bitachon is to talk to Hashem, and how the opportunity to have a personal relationship with Hashem and talk to Hashem is available to every single one of us, regardless of our levels. Although it might be such a basic fundamental of emunah, that if I believe in Hashem, I know He is there, He can hear me, He can help me, why would I go and make other efforts in place of talking to Hashem? Again, we do have a mitzvah of Hishtadlus, to make our own efforts, and we can talk about that at another opportunity. But regardless of our own efforts, a person with an emunah mindset will certainly devote the majority part of their energy and effort to their relationship with Hashem, to talking to Hashem, because if He is the Creator of the world and He is the One that makes everything happen every moment, is it not logical to reach out to Him to help me, because He can and He just wants me to talk to Him before He sends me the help?  As opposed to trying to make my own plans and forgetting to reach out to the Creator, which upon contemplation, one will quickly realize is an absolute absurdity. However, it's also important to remind ourselves that because of our human limitations, we often don't feel that inspiration and motivation, and even though we might know the information about emunah, that Hashem is there and does listen, when push comes to shove and we try to talk to Hashem, we feel like we are talking to a wall. And again, that is the whole objective of our existence in this world, to give us a test in our emunah and have the constant struggle every single day, regardless of what I might have learned. Today, I just don't feel it; I'm uninspired, I'm unmotivated. So what then do I do?  What we've discussed many times is that the answer to all questions always is the opportunity to reach out to Hashem, even about this topic itself. I don't feel inspired about my emunah, my bitachon and my relationship with Hashem. Whatever I am able to say, I should. Perhaps, "Hashem, I really am not feeling that inspiration anymore, for whatever reason. Please can You help me, Hashem, that I should be able to talk to You with true sincerity and mean what I say. And Hashem, even if I'm not feeling it today, I'm asking You, please can You come through for me in the areas that I'm asking You, not just so that I should achieve what I'm trying to achieve, but more importantly, that I can see how You do listen to me and how You do come through for me, because there's been times in my life, Hashem, where I did talk to You, and You came through for me and You answered me, and when that happens, it's a tremendous motivator and inspiration for me to continue to build my relationship with You."  There are many levels of emunah, and there are many levels of talking to Hashem. Every single one of us has the constant opportunity. All we are called on to do, is to do our best. Rabbeinu Bechaya to Bereshit chapter 46 verse 32 writes that many of our ancestors were shepherds. Hevel, the son of the first man - Adam, was a shepherd; and so were Moshe Rabbeinu, the prophet Shmuel, King Shaul, King David, as well as many others of our righteous ancestors. Rabbeinu Bechaya writes that they specifically chose shepherding as their profession because shepherds spend much of the day in the fields with their flocks, away from other people. And this is conducive to focusing on one's connection and relationship with Hashem, without distraction. Because of the fast-paced world that we live in, we are all at risk of forgetting to prioritize our relationship with Hashem. Rabbeinu Bechaya here is teaching us that the secret to many of our ancestors' success was that they would seclude themselves at regular intervals. Again, there are many levels. Perhaps for some of our great ancestors, they might have secluded themselves away from other people to be able to just focus on their personal relationship with Hashem for a two-week uninterrupted period or longer. For many of us, that is not something attainable, but certainly, every single day, every one of us has the opportunity to build a personal relationship with Hashem. Every one of us according to our own level. The more we make an effort to build our emunah, the more we will be motivated and inspired to treat our relationship with Hashem and talking to Hashem with highest priority.