Bitachon 211 - Israel's Rock of Protection

You're listening to the 211th edition of the podcast. The says in chapter 118 verse8, "It is good to trust in Hashem more so than trusting in a human being." And as we'll see in the mortim, the word here is which has a different connotation than and both mean to trust. But is a different kind of trust. It's not necessarily my full-fledged trust. Means absolute confidence. I know things are going to be it's going to be good. That's that's the tells us is a different language. It means to trust somewhat. It's better to trust somewhat in Hashem than it is to trust fully in a human being because even trusting somewhat in Hashem is much better than trusting fully in a human being. Okay? So, you know, we talk about a range of different levels of different levels of trust in Hashem, confidence in Hashem. And it's important to remember that we're human and sometimes we're better at it. Sometimes we feel it and sometimes we don't. Sometimes we have a riffian. We have a weakness in our and we need to know that there is still value to trusting in Hashem of course to the best of our ability as best as we can. So let's see together what the say about this. Rashi says the word means a kind of shadowy kind of of faith. It's a small amount, right? How significant is a shadow? We talk about a fleeting shadow. It passes by in a moment. It's better the is saying to have a weak a shadowy kind of as opposed to the the more the the stronger type the more resolute type of and what we're saying is that trust Trusting in Hashem in a weak way is better than trusting in a human being in a strong way. And well, again, we'll see what what that looks like. But really, what it's what it's saying is that, you know, I could think this is how I'm thinking about it in this moment. I could think that there's a milo there's a certain advantage to trusting in a person, being in a place of trust. Maybe one day I'll transfer that feeling of trust to Hashem. I could I could uh convince myself that kind of thing. I need to get in the habit of trusting. There's truth to that. Sometimes I have trouble just trusting. Even in a person I have trouble trusting. But the Pik is telling us it's better to have a weak trust in God, in my Hashem, than it is to have a strong trust in another person. Partly because another person can't guarantee anything. But let's get it to the right place. Let's get our trust into the right location. Let's practice trusting Hashem instead of practicing in the wrong in in in something that's I would say an easy an easy way out. It's harder to trust in Hashem. Even a weak trust, it's harder. It's easier to trust in a human being. I see the person. I know that that person could help me. No says the tells us it's good to trust even a weak trust in Hashem rather than trusting in a human being says is telling us that trusting in Hashem is better than fullfledged trust in a human being. Kelly, obviously the level that we're reaching for, the higher level is trusting completely in Hashem. But I would say the Mir doesn't say this explicitly, but I would say if I'm aiming for a higher level of trust, even if I start with a lower level of trust, I'm aiming in the right direction. I'm going to get there. brings here from the he says again there's a difference between the language of trusting in Hashem versus absolute resolute faith in Hashem it's better to trust in Hashem in the sale of hem. Here's another explanation of this, right? Because we have the the says, right? We find a that talks about the fact that we we we nestle under God's wing. We are in his shadow, which means to say when you see the shadow of something, you're not looking at the thing directly. But it's better to be in God's shadow even if Hashem hasn't made you a direct promise. Right? Looking at we say bless us our father all of us as one with the light of your face right direct light of Hashem. When we see Hashem that means we see Hashem is in our lives. We see Hashem is guiding us. We see Hashem is protecting Ami Israel. We see we see that's Hashem's face. But sometimes we're not in his face. We're in his his shadow. We're in the shadow. It looks like things are dark. We don't realize that the darkness also it's his shadow cuz he's close. But we don't necessarily see like when we see his face. So it's like there's a promise. We see God is taking care of us. We see Hashem is there. But what about when we don't have that promise? when we don't see Hashem's face as it were. So then we need to have a we need to it's not going to be as clear. It's not going to be as powerful our our faith but still it's going to be there. And that's more powerful that level of faith in the dark is more powerful than trusting in a human being. If I believe in that he's going to take care of me, get me through the rough time, get me through the hardship, that's an absolute, says the that's the absolute. But a human being, there's doubt whether he'll be able to fulfill his promise to me. He might say he wants to help me. He might be willing to help me. He might even promise to help me. But who says that he'll be able to help me? when being is subject to things that go on in their lives. Something can protect protect prevent that's the word I'm looking for. Maybe you won't be able to fulfill that which he promised. Now why is the say it's better to have this kind of shadowy faith in Hashem? It's better to have that kind of than it is to have full-fledged of a human being within a with a in a human being. Why doesn't he say it's better to trust completely ine than to trust completely in another human being? That's obvious. So the the word means it means promised. It was promised to me, right? Sometimes I feel like I I have a promise. Sometimes I feel like I have a promise and sometimes I don't. The word is is stronger than when I feel promised. I know it's going to be good. Means I I believe I hope it's going to be good. I believe it's going to be good. That's not the highest level. That's not, you know, that's not the ideal level, but it's a level and it's sometimes the only pathway up to the higher level and it depends on our circumstances. But we need to know that that level is not only available to us, but that it also has power. It also has weight. Shem also, as it were, responds to that kind of. And sometimes that's all we can muster. That's all we can pull together for ourselves. And that's all right. And that's better that's better than our natural trust in a human being says the we have two separate parts of he goes along the same kind of line as the talking about a promise. Sometimes Hashem promises somebody, I'm going to make you wealthy. I'm going to give you tons of possessions. Hashem made such a promise to Abraham that he would make him rich. That's called means I am absolutely certain and and and there's no doubt in my mind because Hashem promised me. He promised me. It brings in in the note. See that which the the son of the Rambam speaks about at length. We talking to Kaz he refers to this kind of where a person got a direct promise from Hashem that it's a direct and complete he also says there interestingly which points out he would say how the the Rambam's highest level is the level of the alter of and by the way we all have potential to reach that level interestingly according to the altar but in any event says that this level is a very precious and unusual level it's something that theim had even many of the prophets couldn't have expected to have such so even there were prophets who attained that level but they didn't have it all the time I'm guessing he's referring to we find that was told by to go and anoint David to be the next king and said I'm afraid will catch me he'll kill me. So even though he had direct promises, he didn't always have that level. A person can't expect and this is an important point. No matter where we are on the on the spectrum of we can't expect that the level of that we attained yesterday is going to stay with us to today. It's a constant a it's something that we need to be working on all the time. We might touch that place and then fall off that place. But don't get discouraged. We might get into a space of real where we really feel like the promise is there. He promises us, right? There is such a promise. If you trust in Hashem, Hashem will be the guarantor. Tells us that. I think we can trust him. But I don't always feel it. I'm not always in that space and that's okay. And in that space in that time I need to also accustom myself get in the habit of having be talking anyway anyway says the second kind which is what we're talking about today is where Hashem did not promise me or I don't feel like there's a promise in this moment but the person himself does place his trust in Hashem. This is called interesting he brings us this god is our rock that we nestle in his shelter. We nestle in his shadow. The word s can mean rock. It can also mean hem is our fashioner. He fashioned us. We're like the clay in the hands of a potter. Hashem is Hashem is the one who fashioned us. If a person right happens to be I'm sitting here on a rock. Got a rock right next to me also. Kind of nice. The rock. Hashem is our rock. What does that mean? It means just like a rock. If you go around over here in these hills, so you're going to find holes, caves underneath the ground. And the caves are made out of rock because if you want to be protected from the elements, the rock is that which protects you from the elements. You want to be in the shade of the rock. Shem is the rock. The rock protects a person from wind and rain. When a person rests there himself, if you go into that cave and it's raining outside, you don't have a promise from that rock that he's going to that the rock as it were is going to protect you. So what does it mean? What is the grub bringing out? The gr is bringing out that the nature of a rock is to protect. There's there's an implicit promise. There's an implicit promise. The rock is inanimate. It doesn't talk. But its very existence speaks and it says, "I'm here to protect you." Just like if you're in the shade of a tree, the shade, the tree is here to protect me from the sun. This beating hot sun. I want to sit in a cool cool location so I can I can lean upon the promise of this tree or this rock. That's what the means when it says it is good to come under the the shade of God. This is the second type where there's not an explicit promise, there's an implicit promise. that I can and I want to and I need to know that it's available for me to throw my package on Hashem and say, "Hashem, these are my problems. You take my problems. You take my problems." Hashem never said never promised, I'm going to take your problems. I'm going to deal with your problems. Doesn't say that. But so what? He says, "It's better for me to turn to Hashem, who I don't have an explicit promise from, but I know that that's that's who he is. He's the rock. He's the rock of our life. He's the shield of our salvation." Who says that he promised that he's going to do that? Min Ara, he's the shield of Abraham. Main David, he's the shield of King David. Yeah, they were huge, right? They were huge. Hold on a second. Melerosia, right? Is a king. Hashem is a helper. He's he's a king. That means that he's he's all powerful. Everything is his. Maybe he's aloof. Maybe he's beyond access. Oh, he's there. He's He's my helper. Yeah. Me? Yeah. Yeah. He's going to help me. Not just is he going to help me. He's going to save me. He's going to protect me. He's my protector. Me? Who am I? No. That's that's Hashem's nature. Hashem's nature is as it were. Hashem is a mel I can figure it out again. I know that he did it for Abra. I know he did it for David. But he does it for everyone. He's the rock. He's our rock. So I can depend on him. I can depend on him. And I I don't feel like I deserve it today. I'm not in that space. I'm not I don't feel the promise. But I don't need a promise. He brings here from the a little a little concept. Hey, I don't feel like I deserve it. Maybe maybe my sins are too strong. Maybe I've defied Hashem too much. Maybe he doesn't he doesn't want to look at me. says, "No, no, no. Get off that. Release that. Let that go." Hashem, you know, the king, I mean, his good graces. The the the my friend, he always does me favors and I, you know, we're on good terms. Maybe I should trust in my friend. I've I have a good relationship with him. My relationship with Hashem is a little, you know, not what it should be. No, says trust in Hashem. It's better to trust in Hashem than it is to trust in your best friend. It's better to trust in Hashem than to trust in your best friend. says the it's better to nestle under the shade of God's wings, the the the wings of the divine presence to trust in the in the help of Hashem. The human being's life is so tenuous. The human being himself needs Hashem. So go straight to the source of but Hashem no matter what anywhere there's nothing that Hashem needs. He's not dependent on anything or anyone. Hashem is always available, always present, always all powerful and he can protect me and take care of me and help me overcome whatever challenges I may be facing. Thank you so much for listening. See you again next time.