Bitachon 284 - Minimal or NO Efforts

You're listening to the 284th edition of the B'tachon podcast. And we just quoted the sheet of the Ramban. Which Rav Dovid Rosen says is that one should put in minimal hishtadlus, some kind of efforts, but not go too far with them. Now, if you've been following our podcast for a few years, you may recall, and that's going to be the next point that he discusses, that the Madreigas Adam, the Alter of Novardok, in speaking about B'tachon without any hishtadlus, without any efforts, he quotes the Ramban. He quotes Nachmanides. So, we just said that the Ramban says you need to do minimal efforts. But the Madreigas Adam, and we'll see it's also Rebbi Yisrael Salanter, who says that the Ramban says himself that you don't need to do any efforts. So, let's see how we can understand this. If you have shaat Rebbi Yisrael Salanter tzal Kodesh zatzal, she yesh sham shnei suggei B'tachon. We find that Rebbi Yisrael Salanter, who was the uh first the first person to really bring to the Jewish people the concept of Mussar of character refinement as a concerted study. So, Rebbi Yisrael Salanter says that there are two types of B'tachon. Achad shel haRamban. The first is of the Ramban. L'hashlich al Hashem yahavav b'li shum sibah. He says that the Ramban says that one is to throw one's package onto God without any personal efforts. U'mah she darshu razal b'Rappei yarpei. And that which our sages say in regards to the verse, the pasuk says that there is a there's an obligation to cure somebody. Hainu she nitan b'reshus l'Rappei yarpei. Which means to say that a doctor has permission. You're allowed to go to a doctor. Why should I go to a doctor? If I believe in spiritual salvation, if I believe that God can and will do everything for me, so why do I need to go to a doctor? So when the positive says that one is indeed to go to a doctor, it means that there's permission. You're allowed to go to a doctor, even though really you shouldn't. Really it shouldn't be necessary. We either or really person shouldn't be allowed to perhaps because one should rely on Hashem. So a regular person has a right or permission, we could say, to go to a doctor, but a person who's really trying to serve Hashem properly, so then that person doesn't doesn't need to go to a doctor. He's not allowed to go to a doctor. It's not appropriate for that person to go to a doctor at all. Don't seek out any kind of natural solutions. Or the day >> [snorts] >> as Rebbe Salanter understands him, when it comes to a person's parnassah, you also don't need to do anything. Just trusting God. So that's Rebbe Salanter's what the the first type of bitachon. But Rebbe Salanter talks about a second type of bitachon, which is what we refer to as the shittah. Where a person has bitachon, but also alongside that puts in efforts. He says that we can reconcile these two opinions and say that they're both true. We find that in our sages there is an argument between Tanaim, which means we're talking 2,000 years ago. In the chapter because of the one who brought this, we have something to go on here. The verse says that you shall bring in your grains. So, Rabbi Shimon Sheeta is that we are to do regular things, put in regular efforts to take care of our parnassah, to take care of our livelihood. Gather in the grains. Famously Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai says If a person is constantly involved in all the things that it takes to get his livelihood doing the doing the threshing of the the ground, doing the planting of the seeds when will he have time to learn? When will he have time for his spirituality, for service of God? When a person does what they're supposed to do then the person's work is done by others. If I am focused completely on spirituality I don't have to think about my parnassah. Someone else, as it were is going to provide for me. He has many shluchim, he has many messengers. Or Abaye Abaye says in that Gemara "Harbei asu k'Rabbi Shimon, v'lo alsa b'yadam." Many did like Rabbi Shimon, which was to indeed put in physical efforts into the in you know gathering in your your grains. Right? Alongside the talking of course. And they succeeded. Many tried to do what Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai prescribed which was to completely rely on God completely focus on spirituality and it didn't work out well for them. That this is specifically when too many people all at once if the general populace will try to lead their lives like Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. It is the direction of the hidden. It's not something that can be done by the general populace. Only individuals can do this. And by the way, as I recall my Rosh Yeshiva Pesach saying, when the Maggid of Salonika was speaking, the Alter of Novardok, so he was speaking to his students. He was speaking to the Yechidei Segulah, those who merited to be from amongst those who were chosen by God to serve him. So, in such a case, you don't need to do any efforts. Namely, such a Yechidei Segulah value relies on the Bitochon of the Ramban, Kidas Shimon bar Yochai. As the Vilna Gaon explains, those who are Yechidei Segulah, special uh special unique ones, so they should have Bitochon like the Ramban, who says in the Shita of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, don't do any efforts. The words of the Chofetz Chaim are among the general populace, Kidas Rabbi Yishmael. And the words of the Chofetz Chaim, which encourage a person indeed to do efforts alongside one's Bitochon, so that's going according to the first opinion in the Gemara, which is Rabbi Yishmael. That's the general populace. Now, that's how Rabbi Yisrael Salanter explains the seeming contradiction between the two Shitas, the two understandings of the Chofetz Chaim and the Ramban. What emerges or comes out of this whole matter is that the Shita of the Ramban he talks about the lack of Hishtadlus. We seem to be saying here, in contradiction to what we said last week, we seem to be saying here that the Ramban holds that you don't need to put in any efforts, or you shouldn't. The understanding of the Ramban he after all is for the Yechidei Segulah. But we also understand that he's talking about individuals, special individuals. The Shita of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and he holds like Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. However, this study is arguing. It would seem, says Rabbi Dovid Rosen in the Sefer Bitochon Hashem, that this requires understanding and depth. So the Sefer Emunah u'Bitochon of the Ramban is a classic. We find that the Ramban himself has a book called Emunah Bitachon. It's an essay where he speaks about Emunah Bitachon at length. And he writes on the possuk Bitach Ba'Hashem V'Asei Tov Ertez V'Hitya'aleem Emunah. Trust in Hashem and do good. Dwell in the land and be a shepherd of faith. Shkon Ertez R'Tzo L'Omar When it says in the possuk dwell in the land, it means to say Im Kol Zeh She'Yesh Lo Chuvah V'Tzrichah B'Achrayus Mitzvos Al Taniach Yadecha. He says that even if you're involved in fulfillment of the commandments, you are involved in doing Chuvah, in returning to God, spiritual person, but don't forget about your physical reality. D'Ova She'Tachlis B'Zeh Gam Mizeh Al Taniach Yadecha. He brings the possuk in Koheles in Ecclesiastes which says hold on to both. You got to do both. Be spiritual and also take care of your physical needs. V'Zeh Oodas Rabbi Shmuel and he says that's the opinion of Rabbi Shmuel. So clearly >> [sighs] >> V'Eema Chayei D'Avichan D'Rabbi Abaye Harbei Oso V'Chulai. The Ramban brings this this argument which we quoted in the Gemara in Brachos as well as the words of Abaye which say that many tried to do like like Rabbi Shmuel Chaim were unable to. Many tried to do like Rabbi Shmuel and they were able. Im Kein Keitzad Neimar She'Yesh Lanu Shnei Sugim B'Bitachon D'Ramban B'Eish Tzad Zeh V'Shulchan Aruch M'Shum Zeh M'Shum Zeh. So, how can we say that there's two types of Bitachon, one with efforts, one without efforts? V'Eilu V'Eilu Divrei Elokim Chaim Shmuel V'Tzanu Choli Sanu M'Shum Rabbi Chaim Zeh Omed K'Rabbi Shmuel Chaim. You're telling me we just said before earlier in this podcast that the Ramban is consistent with the with the Shita, the opinion of Rabbi Shmuel Chaim. You don't need to do any efforts. The Chofetz Chaim argues. But you see that the Ramban explicitly says like Rabbi Shmuel which is the first understanding in the Gemara, which means that you need to indeed put in efforts. So, the Ramban is a contradiction you know a So, the Ramban himself seems to contain a contradiction according to the way that we're saying. So, he says like this. When Rabbi Yisrael Salanter says that the Ramban holds that when it comes to be talking you don't put in any efforts I'll pose it. So, he is actually quoting or directing our thoughts to our intention and our focus to what the Ramban says in Parshas Bechukotai on the possuk the verse says I shall place my my Mishkan my dwelling place amongst you. So there on that possuk the Ramban says why would a person go to a doctor? If you believe that God is with you so you don't need to go to a doctor. You shouldn't go to a doctor. I'm going to bless your bread. I'm going to bless your waters. I'm going to remove any sicknesses from amongst you. So, that's indicating a supernatural removal of any problems. And a supernatural providing of one's sustenance as well. >> [gasps] >> So, those who do Hashem's will they don't have to have any attachment to any connection with with doctors cuz they depend on the promise of the possuk which says that Hashem is going to remove any any any sicknesses from our midst. But the Ramban indicates that this is something which today we can't really relate to. Most people cannot depend on this type of promise. A cloud is like this. The cloud is well are in a state of spiritual greatness or spiritual perfection if you prefer. The cloud is well is in the right spiritual state, so then there's no nature with them at all. If most of cloud is well is doing what we're supposed to do physically and in their land, you don't have to have an army. If we're doing what we're supposed to do spiritually, we're on that level. Not generally and not any individuals. Because Hashem will bless their bread and their water and remove any sickness from their midst. You won't need any doctors. If we are sufficiently connected spiritually, naturally everything is fine. But as regards the state of the Jewish people today, maybe our Ramban is a Gamara. The Ramban brings the Gamara that the children of Adam are not able to Ramban says in the Gamara that it's not the way really of human beings to be able to cure. But that's what we do. That's why we go to doctors. Because of our Gamara so he writes about this Gamara that if you If things were different than it seems to be today, so a person would get sick because he's sinned. Meaning the physical reality is a mirror of the spiritual reality. If I've done something wrong to disconnect myself from Hashem, so my physical body, heaven forbid, can become sick. And if Hashem wants me to become well, if I do chuvah, if I repair the spiritual damage, my physical the physical damage will be repaired. So Ramban says that since we do get involved with the physical aspects and we do go to doctors, so Hashem leaves it, as it were, lets nature take its course. And therefore, can go to a doctor. Doctor can help cuz we're talking about natural things. Now, we kind of disassociate with the spiritual reality and therefore the physical reality has become disconnected from the spiritual reality. We can understand that this is really not the ideal situation. It comes from a weakness of the general populace. There's always going to be those who are a a that are distinct from the rest of the Jewish people, as it were, in this regard. Hashem calls to them about which This is how the righteous would do things in times of prophecy. Even when a person would do a sin and they would become sick and it would be kind of clear, I guess, that that was the result of that. They wouldn't go to doctors. At that point, they would go to the prophet. They would go to the navi. So, when a person their ways are desired by Hashem, when Hashem is happy with who they are and what they're doing, meaning in a high spiritual level, so then they don't need to go to doctors. They don't have a right to go to a doctor. >> Okay, so we see the Ramban says two different things. We can deduce here that from the Ramban himself as follows to the world of others that the Ramban when he speaks about not putting in efforts which he talks about in the context of not going to a doctor. That's something that only applies today to those who are special individuals who have a special relationship with Hashem and Hashem continues to go with them as it was in previous generations when Jew when the Jewish people as a whole was at a higher level. These individuals are indeed are on that level. We talking image toddlers. But the general populace, which means you and me the regular pop population, we do go to doctors and we do involve ourselves in normal efforts. Again, not out of hand. We minimize the efforts. We don't need to see 10 different doctors for sick cuz we shall not. But he finishes off with talking that the mice so we need to understand this better. And in the next section he's going to get involved more in the context that we'll be talking without his toddlers, but I'd like to just sum up. We had a lot of information here. I'd like to just sum up where we are. That the the bottom line is that there are those indeed who are on a higher spiritual level and they can have you talking they can have faith without putting in efforts. There are those of us who are on let's call it the medium level. We're striving for me talking we're striving for relationship with Hashem we're we're striving for person uh for spirituality. And therefore we minimize our bitachon. So, we minimize I have to be careful what how I say it. We minimize our efforts and we maximize our bitachon. We make sure to have full bitachon. We make sure we're not overdoing the hishtadlus, putting in too much efforts. Thank you so much for listening. We'll see you again next time.