Bitachon 252 - Joining Efforts and Faith

You're listening to the 252nd edition of the talking podcast and we are learning the puzzle per chapter 16 verse 20 in proverbs. It says like this someone who is wise who thinks about manners so he will find good. A person who trusts in Hashem is praiseworthy. Okay. So there's two different approaches to this PK. One is that it's actually a contrast between a person who is intellectual, who might be wise, and then as opposed to somebody who trusts in Hashem, who's faithful, who believes that things are going to be good, who has confidence in Hashem. That's one possibility. Another possibility is that it's it's saying that a person who uses their intellect and we'll see what that means and how it applies. But person who uses their intellect is on a certain level. That's good. But a person who also applies their is even deeper. But the one who trusts in Hashem is truly joyous. The word ashray can mean praiseworthy or can mean a deep level of happiness. Let's learn together. Rashi first is brought here. Rashi says that what does it mean? Moscll, a person who's wise. He means someone who pays attention, who thinks about matters. Why? He wants to bring his paths. He wants to bring his ways into balance. So when I use my intellect in that way, I try to bring my life into balance. I'm going to find good. Things are going to be good for me. and trusting in Hashem. Now sometimes a person is looking for balance and in so doing person might find that there's a particular spiritual obligation a mitzvah that needs to be done and it involves a a certain danger and it might be a physical danger. It might be a financial danger. But he trusts in Hashem and he does good. Me meaning despite the danger he does what he knows is right. Ashv. So that person is praiseworthy. Ashurai the the joy the praiseworthiness belongs to him. Okay. So it's very interesting. I I'm just thinking about Rabbi used to say that if you want to figure out what's the right way to go let's say you have a question you have a dilemma in front of you and you're not sure which is the right thing which is the the correct path which is going to have a good result so he would say that if you can find aic uh ramification for it if you can find a moral justification I would say for one particular choice over the So then that guarantees a positive result which basically means that if I follow the principle if I follow the dictates of the Tyra so then in the end things are going to come out good. It might not look good in the beginning but ultimately when I do what's right so then things will work out right. And it seems to me that that's similar to what Rashi here is saying that if I see that I that I'm going to do the right thing but it involves a particular challenge or difficulty but if I go with it if I take it to its spiritual end so it's going to be good. I have a promise if I trust in Hashem it's going to work out well. That's Rashi. Now he brings when a person holds on to that which the intellect agrees with. Meaning a person thinks about a matter, he thinks about an idea, he thinks about a situation and he intellectually approaches it not so much from an emotional space, not from the ego, not from bias. Interesting. If a person doesn't lean on his mind to think that I'm going to be successful, if I do it this way, I'm I'm guaranteed success in the future. But rather, the person leans on the compassion of Hashem, the the the mercy of heaven. So if a person takes that approach generally, what am I trying to do? I'm trying to figure out what is it that Hashem wants for me. I'm trying to always not just depend on myself. I'm trying to always depend just on Hashem. So then when a person takes that approach, when a person is living in a in a mindset, we could say. So then even when it seems that I don't know how things are going to turn out, I don't know what's the right path to take. I don't know what, you know, I don't have any I don't have enough information in this situation to get to the desired outcome that I that I want. That's not going to stop me. It's not going to prevent the power of my faith in Hashem. are. So if a person has that approach where no matter what, I'm not holding on to the outcomes. I'm saying, Hashem, you are in charge of the future. You are in charge of the outcomes. I got to show up. I got to be present and trying to do what I believe is Hashem's will, but I don't know how it's going to turn out. That's the spiritual approach. That's the approach of and that person, a person who can live in that space, think about it. If you're not always holding on to the outcomes, you won't be disappointed. No matter what, it's going to be good. Hashem, I I trust that Hashem has the best outcome in mind for me. Brings here in a note on the bottom explains person who trusts ine when he's involved in taking action, he remembers and he recognizes This is what we're after, folks. No matter what, if I'm involved in or not, but especially if I'm involved in and taking actions and efforts, I recognize that the salvation is not because of me. I recognize that if if the 92% of the missiles that get knocked out of the sky indeed get knocked out, it's not because of us. It's the it's the heavenly assistance. Very important. This kind of recognition will help a person that even if we end up in a place or a space where it seems hopeless, where it seems like there's no natural path to success, no natural path to being saved. That person hopefully that's us. That person will not ever feel like he's lacking in his faith in Hashem. Hashem can can save me no matter what. Hashem sometimes uses my efforts to save me, but it doesn't always have to be that way. And we get to think about that a lot today, especially with with the missiles falling and and the nissim that are going on, the miracles that are happening every single day that Hashem is doing for us. We get to be humbled to realize that Hashem is directly protecting us. the s of the masp which is from he explains in a similar way and from this you can draw conclusions about what looks like he says not just what our obligation in is let's say a is bitten by a snake or by a an acro, a scorpion, not only does a person need to obviously take the precautions and necessary measures to heal the wound, to scrape around the area and to apply the antidote. person needs to immediately trust, turn to Hashem and trust in Hashem. Hem has in his hands the souls of every living creature. We describe Hashem as the one who kills and gives life. The person who got bitten by a snake. So clearly there was a judgment about that person and Hashem has meated out judgment upon that person. In order for that to happen, it has to be that that's something that was meant to happen. And now once we recognize that Hashem is the mis Hashem is the one who brings out judgment upon a person. So then we recognize he's the Micaiah. He's the one also brings out life, gives life. And then Hashem will have mercy upon the person. And Hashem will save the person with his kindness just like the person was judged. And as he's putting on the lotion, putting on the antidote, taking care of the wound, this should be successful that it should succeed in curing mem. However, understand that even if it happens, let's say a person is in a situation where they don't have the antidote, where they don't have a a lotion to take care of the bite of the scorpion. He's in a wilderness. He doesn't have anything to put on the the wound. A person, excuse me, has terrible stomach pains and he is in a lonely place. He's in a secluded area. There's no doctors and there's no medicines. So all a person has is talking alone. Yeah. So let's take it into today. siren is going off. Let's say I'm in a place where there's nowhere to go. Start praying. Obviously, we do that naturally. That's the instinct. But start domining having me. Hashem is going to take care of me. Hashem is protecting me. Just stay calm. Person who's out at sea and the waters are stormy. There's turbulence and the captain of the ship says we've got no hope again. All that's left turn to Hashem. Come back to Hashem knows the great potential for damage. will not allow you to be disappointed from his compassion. Hashem will save you in that moment when it seems like there's no hope. Don't give up hope. Rely on Hashem. put your faith on Hashem that's now he brings here from the dark panon which I've never heard of but he talks about the idea of in a way that I'm not used to but we got to see all the different opinions somebody wants to attain a particular thing he says you got to put in every effort to prepare yourself and do everything that's needed in order to attain it. It's important to know that there is such an opinion. But I will mention that I've heard a lot of people quote this opinion. I don't remember seeing it except for this little paragraph throughout this entire book that we've been studying together for a few years now together. So it's important to know that there is such an opinion. It is not the main opinion but an opinion nonetheless. He says that putting in efforts is is necessary. It's absolutely necessary. You cannot get away without that. But despite that you need to you need to ask Hashem's mercy that you should get heavenly assistance be very careful do not say this is my strength and my power that accomplished it for me like says there are three matters of the word can either mean the way of the And literally can mean respectfulness or can also mean ways of making. What's the way of the land? What should a person do in order to become wise? So here it says you should sit and learn and be involved in spiritual matters. That should be most of what you do and a little bit of merchandise, a little bit of parnosum. says, "Many did this but it didn't work. So what should a person do? You should pray for mercy from the one who wisdom is his." Now there could be a few different understandings of this. One understanding could just be that you got to spend time involved in your livelihood. So dashem should give you wisdom that this the time that you spend in spiritual matters should be should be more powerful even though you're spending less time. That's one possible explanation. But it could also be the opposite that it's if a person is not succeeding with the spiritual approach dive in more deepen your spiritual approach. Davashem should help you that the wisdom should be more powerful. that the spiritual side of yourself should be more powerful. Let's see what he says. He brings out and he says this is what King Solomon means when he says praiseworthy. A person who is wise in the matter will find good. The one who trusts in Hashem is praiseworthy. It means the same. Let's say a person is trying to get a particular thing that he's after and he's putting in every effort but he makes sure that he's not trusting only in himself not in his intellect but he's also trusting in Hashem that person is praiseworthy because then the person will succeed in attaining that which she wishes with Hashem's help. Okay. So even if a person goes with the shita that says you have to do every effort. So you have to be extra extra careful with that shittita. You have to be extra extra careful to be constantly I'm I'm adding to be constantly domining to be constantly praying Hashem make this successful. Hashem help me with this. Don't ever think that it's you. Don't ever think that it's your efforts. Don't make that mistake. Now he brings him the safer says the wise one in a manner will find good person who is wise who directs his actions based on his intellect. So if a person learns from experience so I mean that's the best way to go right in a pushup sense in a in a regular superficial sense when a person goes with the intellect thinking about matters thinking things through so in a natural way he's going to find good but if a person does something deeper person trusts in Hashem If a person when he's determining which path to take he uses his mind uses his heart he uses his uses his faith in Hashem to guide him on the path. So then he's going to have he's going to have divine providence and he will be praiseworthy because we're talking is the foundation of the Tyra and it's the main aspect of faith in Hashem of of Amuna. What is means I have faith in Hashem. I have confidence in Hashem. I know that Hashem is going to take care of me. That comes from interesting language. It it means righteousness in the straightness of one's opinions and actions. Okay? It's a deeper straightness. It's a deeper type of understanding. Hashem love wisdom. Loves wisdom. But Hashem loves even more when we attach ourselves connect with that deeper heartfelt wisdom I would say which is and that's what is saying once again let's read this muscular one who's intellectual does things with intellect well fine good but it's deeper it's deeper when a person a person is in a place is in a place of faith in Hashem. And with that, we will continue next time. Thank you so much for listening. We'll see you again next time.