Bitachon 250 - Don't Trust Your Mind

You're listening to the 250th edition of the B'tachon podcast. We are on our third round speaking about this pasuk B'tach el Hashem b'chol libecha, trust to Hashem with all your heart. V'al tisha'en and don't rely on your own intellect, on your own intuition. Don't rely on your own minds. >> [sighs and gasps] >> The Reishis Chochma says, "V'ro'eh adam b'zeh k'she'nichnas k'she'nichnas." It's it's notable that this the pasuk starts off with a lashon of B'tachon. It and it ends off with a different type of language, k'nichnas b'lashon B'tachon v'yotzei b'lashon hisha'anus. Like we we pointed out last time, it starts out with B'tachon, which means full confidence, full trust in Hashem, and it ends in a lashon of don't lean on your own intellect. What is the difference between B'tachon and leaning? Zeh k'ilu B'tachon mera'achez gadol b'havtacha b'havtacha b'chol lev u'v'chol nefesh. The concept of B'tachon, here's a definition, it means I'm completely completely trusting in Hashem. I'm strengthening myself with a promise, with all my heart and all of my soul. >> [snorts] >> That's how we have to depend on Hashem. With all of our heart, with all of our soul. Umnam hisha'anus siman d'rega p'sula m'B'tachon. But leaning is a lower level than B'tachon. K'ma'asheh k'she'adam nish'an al kanah ratzutz. They lean on something which was a faulty a faulty stick. So leaning on something can can easily that thing could break. V'al nemar o v'al nemar she'kavanas Hamelech al avashalom v'al achi avina. We can say like this, the Hamelech is coming to I don't want to say the word exaggerate, but he's he's trying to to accentuate the matter. L'che he's your sha'ol m'chol ma'aseh asher ya'aseh. he's exhorting us that the person in all of his actions that he will do don't depend on your mind. All of your all your faith, all of your heart, all your soul directed to a sham. Look at him and be talking to a sham. You would say he's going to be talking he means to say strengthen yourself huge huge dependence. What does he talking mean? What do we talking in modern Hebrew means security. You feel secure. >> [snorts] >> Hold on there's a lot of bugs here. I'm not but it says don't depend don't lean on your wisdom. And royal don't even lean on it at all your mind. Don't even have a a a weak type of be talking in your own mind. This I see a good this is an appropriate piece of advice general advice for all matters of the human being the human being whether it's in a person's actions or whether it's in a person trying to attain whatever he needs in this moment. Brings here on the bottom in a note continuation of continues like this it shouldn't be a question to you how it says or maybe the the same thing. Yeah. sure what he's referring to. But in other places we find that putting in efforts does seem to have an effect. You're not supposed to not do any according to this opinion. I'll say you might think that you should just sit around and do nothing. But then I'll say that's not what we do. It's not saying that you shouldn't do any efforts. It's not saying that you shouldn't show up to be God's messenger even for yourself. It's something good and appropriate of all. The approach needs to be I am not I'm never ever believing I'm never ever believing that the efforts that I am putting in are the things that are producing the results that I desire. Bring here from the more and I. Included in the cause of the faith is that a person should believe that everything that he does and all of his successes everything depends on a sham. Person should not say with my great wisdom and my great intuition I did this. Like the person says as a as a warning of danger, don't make this mistake. I can give you the other that was my great strength, my great prowess, my great wisdom that that brought about this great success. tells us remind yourself always I shall be the one who gives you the power, the strength to succeed. explains All right, let's have a look at the limit of the nitzon. Hashem is the one who puts the idea in your mind of which piece of property to buy. But who are those who are buying now? This is the matter that we spoke about. That even the wisdom, the concept, the the advice of how to to make money, to gain wealth. Cuz who am I yet? Hashem is the one who puts the idea in one's mind. Hey, do this. Invest in this property. Invest in this stock. We should have a lot more when Hashem, heaven forbid, desires. So, he'll take the wisdom away. They tell me so I'll make them foolish. I see it's my sexy limb. To do a foolish thing, to invest in the wrong investment. I don't know if you want to know. A person can lose his wealth if that's Hashem's will. So, never think if if Hashem were all on the positive sides of things, never ever think that it's my own great wisdom, but rather it's Hashem who's guiding my mind. Bring here from from the the new yes, the ramel. Call me Anybody who tries to find grace in the eyes of human beings without trying to get Hashem's help in the matter. So, it's not likely or it's maybe it's impossible for him to get what he really desires. People will just think he's a flatterer. He's just trying to get on my good side to get something out of me. The year right at some the muse. Will ignore us. He thinks that he's going to he's going to get some advantage, but all he's going to end up with is they're going to think negatively of him. They're going to think poorly of him. He's just a pariah. The correct way is trust in Hashem with all of your heart. Your intent your intention should be to do the will of Hashem alone, to do the will of the creator. Plus it says, "And to your wisdom Actually, I think it's Albinoska. No, it's Albinoska. Interesting. It says, "Trust in Hashem. Trust to Hashem. And don't trust to don't lean to your wisdom." Don't think that you're going to use your intuition and your wisdom, even you might be smart and you might have intuition. You might have life experience. But don't use that as your weapon or your tool. That people will will admire you and think you're so wise. >> [snorts] >> The end of this all is that when a person does that when a person tries to employ his wisdom in order to seemingly get what he wants or to prove to others that he's worthy of perhaps of support or of of uh of material bounty so he just ends up with a piece of Harrison his hand. A piece of earthenware. Earthenware breaks easily. The Gemara says in Sanhedrin 26 B and 26 When there's a Torah scholar who's interacting with a an Am Ha'aretz, an ignoramus, person who doesn't truly appreciate spirituality and spiritual attainments. So, at first when the when the Talmid Chacham is independent and makes it clear that he doesn't need anything from the ignoramus. He's not looking for his money. He's not looking for respect. So, then the Talmid Chacham, the wise person, looks like a golden vessel. But, the Gemara it says a a progression of what happens as the Talmid Chacham starts to butter up the ignoramus, starts to try to get out of him whatever he needs, whatever he thinks he needs. Whether it's wealth, money, or prestige. So, the result is that as he ends up eating together with the ignoramus, he no longer has the respect of that person. He ends up like a broken earthenware vessel. >> [snorts] >> He brings here from the Kol Ben Levi. We'll be you all explaining our possuk possuk betach Hashem. Trust to Hashem with all your heart. And don't Excuse me. Lean on your wisdom. The explanation is that generally speaking >> Why does a person turn away from the path of Hashem? Why does a person take away his focus from spiritual matters? What is it that leads a person astray from the Torah, from dedication to learning? It's because a person says, "I got to make a money. I need to provide for my family. I need to have a livelihood." The truth is that this comes from a lack of faith and bitachon. Doesn't have person doesn't have enough confidence in Hashem. Right? Why am I heading off into the work world? Why am I heading off away from the Daf Gemara, away from the Torah, away from spiritual pursuits? Because I say, "Look, I got to I got to take care of my family." And it's true. But I forgot that there's someone who really takes care of my family, and that someone is Hashem. That's what the possuk is telling us. Direct your faith to Hashem. Shita da'asha kol bashkacha naflah. You need to know that every single thing is there's incredible hashgacha, incredible divine providence. Hashem is looking after us. Hashem is taking care of us. Hashem, there's nothing stopping him from providing for us. Need to know that the human being's strength, what seems to be my power and my ability to make money or whatever it is, that's just it's it's vanity of vanities. It's just it's a mirage. Don't depend on your wisdom. Don't lean on your wisdom. Your wisdom says, your intuition says, "Well, I got to do this. I got to take care of my family. I got to worry about my livelihood." Al tish'an. Don't depend on this, Rabbah. Other way around. Kacha she'teylech. In all of your paths that you go, the A know him. Know Hashem should take the rock there at the tire. Only go on the path of Torah. Follow this path. Who is Hashem to say so? Should we straighten your your paths? She has the rock to slay you that uh She will give you your needs in ways that you didn't expect, that you didn't know about, that you wouldn't have fathomed, you wouldn't have even thought of yourself. I'll take over by nature. Don't be too wise in your own eyes. Come and show me the way I need the hammer so you see him call. That's what it says in the alarm. Chapter I give him a base pay rate uh chapter 73 possible 22. Actually, he says I was like an animal with you. I was like an animal. What does that mean? She has she want to be a hammer. I want to argue with my uncle. An animal has no concept. You have an animal I've I've watched I've been out in the in the fields and I've seen the way that the the sheep are led by their shepherd. They have no mind of their own. They don't They They just follow after. They're just followers. And like like sheep to the slaughter, this cuz they just go wherever they're led. Right? So, David is saying I'm like a sheep. I'm like an animal. I I've turned off my mind. I've turned off Excuse me, I've turned off my intellect. When I try to understand as as regards trying to understand the way that that a person can get along in this world. That today the rock of us And you will know one thing. Your eyes are Hashem to see me there. Which is a possible later, I think. Right? Our possuk is possuk hey. Two possuk later it says fear Hashem and turn away from evil. That's the only thing that you need to do. All I need to do if I want to succeed in life is fear Hashem and turn away from evil. Focus on spirituality. Kiyacol midasham kiyusham The only thing that a human being has a right to claim as his own ability to do is fearing heaven. Reminding myself that everything in my life is from Hashem. Reminding myself that everything that goes on for good, for not, it's all from Hashem. That's yira shamayim. Fear of heaven. How can I fulfill Hashem's will? How can I do the ratzon haborei? Kishitanef beder chaze When you go on this way, tiera she rufus to heal es shiracha. Which as we explained two podcasts ago this possuk means there's going to be a a cure for your stomach. What's your stomach? What is the concept of your stomach in this context? Zeh amtzah haguf. This is the center of the body. The center of the body is the stomach. Shikol koach haguf talui boi. The entire strength of a human being is dependent upon one's stomach, right? You eat, your body processes the food, and that's how you have strength. So, the Torah, the fear of heaven is uh turning away from evil. These are the things that give us the true strength. We think it's the food we eat. We think it's the parnassa, the livelihood that we make. No. It's a spiritual axiom. Kideshiv ayinai bishvirei bishvirei bitnai. A person's strength possuk says in Iyov, person's strength is in the muscles of his stomach. V'amshichri latzmi sak, possuk says that the Torah, spirituality, coming close to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, fearing God, trusting in Hashem completely, these are the things that give the marrow of our bones, give us that marrow, give us that strength within our bones. The phraseology here refers to the fact that when a person a person has that moisture within his bones, so the person is filled with joy. He's filled with rest, with with serenity and joy. says in Yeshayahu, we're seeing those over there. in the context say that a person has to be careful. Person has to be careful. Where Where is the salvation? It doesn't just come in empty service of Hashem. It comes in caring about others, as the say over there. Check out the beginning of the 58th chapter of Isaiah. So here it says that in in it says that a person when they are involved in when they are involved in caring about others, when they're bringing poor people into their homes and they're giving giving charity, so that strengthens the bones. Right, we're talking about ourselves. In the blessing, what is What is the strengthening of the bones? So Rashi there on that says it means that the bones become like they come they become like the ones who go out in war, those who are brave, those who have strength, those who have they have the wherewithal to fight. So a person who focuses on spiritual matters, as what is talking about. The spiritual matters, the giving away of oneself, the the chesed that a person does, the tzedakah that a person does, it strengthens a person's bones. And I would say that it it takes me out of my own false thinking, my own kochi v'otzem yadi, right? Why would I not give tzedakah? I say, "Look, I worked hard for this money. Why should I give it away?" But that's that's the that's the non-mitzvah thinking. That's the the mind that says, "Hey, I I I got to hoard it all for myself, make sure I have it, take care of cuz I'm the one who's doing it." But the one who has the the correct perspective correct perspective, the spiritual perspective, understands that it's not me that's doing it. It's not my money. Maybe I'm a steward over the money. Maybe Hashem has given me this money for me to to provide for my needs, but I need to share with others as well. The the ability to give to others, to give tzedakah, etc., is that we strengthen a person's bones. And then what's the result the end of the possuk, "Yishakeini b'rov neshikot then what happens is that we become like an irrigated garden. An irrigated garden is a place of tremendous growth, of tremendous beauty, of tremendous uh providing for all of our needs. It's counterintuitive. I give away and yet I get. And the answer is it is actually spiritually intuitive. I give away my own mind, I give away my own thinking, I give away my own version of reality, all of the yetzer which is all about separation, thinking that I'm separate from others, I'm separate from Hashem. And I get into the real reality, which is that I'm connected to everyone and I'm connected to Hashem. Thank you so much for listening. We'll see you again next time.