What Trust in God Really Means - Rabbi Zamir Cohen

What is bitachon? Trust in God. What does the word bitachon mean? In the book Shovot Halevavot, in the gate of trust, on its very first page, he writes a wonderful definition of bitachon. He writes, "The essence of bitachon is the peace of mind of the one who trusts." He writes that the essence of bitachon is the tranquility of the soul of the one who trusts. When a person trusts in God, he has peace of mind. Peace of mind means inner calm. Yet, in practice, he is not indifferent. Bitachon is not indifference. He is active. He takes action. He makes things happen. There are explicit verses in the Torah where the Holy One, blessed be He, demands of us, "Make an effort." You can't just sit at home and say, "God will drop money on me from the ceiling." Do you want a livelihood? You need to put in the effort for your livelihood. For everything a person wants to achieve, they must put in the effort. But, alongside the external effort he makes, he is a person who is calm in his soul. He does not live in tension. He sleeps well at night, wakes up peaceful, and goes to business meetings without stress. Whether it works out or whether it doesn't. When he goes to get married, he meets someone, she meets someone, there is no tension or pressure. The soul is calm. He speaks with serenity and confidence. Why? Because you tell yourself, "Am I the one running the world? I trust in the Holy One, blessed be He. He runs the world and he knows how to do things in the best way, in the most wonderful way, the most perfect way.