Today's class is dedicated in honor of Eli Kairey’s 18th birthday.
We’ve been talking about Emunah and Bitachon. Sometimes we use these terms slightly interchangeably, so today we'd like to explain the difference. The basic difference is that Emunah is the belief system, and Bitachon is the actualizing of this, and actually relying on Hashem.
The Ramban, in his sefer Emunah and Bitachon, gives a beautiful mashal. He compares Emunah to a tree and Bitachon to the fruit. And just like you can't have fruit without a tree, you can't have Bitachon without Emunah.
You can have Emunah without Bitachon, because you can have a tree without fruit. But, as Rav Bloch adds, “A tree without fruit is an unhealthy tree.”
We're not talking about a a tree that doesn't give forth fruit. It's a fruit-bearing tree that doesn't bear fruit, so something is wrong.
So too, if one’s Emunah does not produce Bitachon, there's a problem.
Ultimately, if the Emunah is real and healthy, it will produce Bitachon.
Furthermore, he suggests a point of focus: The best way to strengthen your Emunah is by having the goal of Bitachon.
If I want my tree to be a healthy tree, the best way to do that is to make sure that my tree produces fruit, so I'll do everything necessary for my tree to produce fruit.
And when my tree is producing fruit,
that's an indicator that my tree is healthy.
Having the goal of producing fruit, will cause me to do everything in my power to make the tree healthy, which will ultimately produce the fruit
Similarly with Emunah and Bitachon. If my goal is to have Bitachon, then in the process, I will per-force need to strengthen my Emunah, because only healthy Emunah will produce Bitachon.
So, in essence, when we're working on our Bitachon and all our Bitachon skills, if it's be real Bitachon, it can't be that our Emunah is lacking, because there cannot be fruit without a healthy tree.
Real Bitachon is the litmus test for Emunah.
And as we mentioned not long ago, the sefer Mitzvot Hakatzar, known as the Samak, by a one of the authors of Tosafot, from Corville, talks about the Mitzvah of Emunah. He says, “One must believe in a Creator, the Creator of the heavens and earth, and that He controls everything above and below. The source is Anochi Hashem Elocha. He took us out of Mitzrayim and did all those miracles for us.
A person doesn't stub their toe down here unless they announced it above.
That's why they ask us, after 120 years, Did you look forward to God's salvation?
One might ask How could they ask us that question after 120 years, if it's seemingly not one of the 613? They ask if you were honest in business.
I understand the question. That's a mitzvah. They ask- Did you try to have children? That too is a mitzvah. And they ask- Did you learn Torah? That's a mitzvah as well.
But where does it say in the Torah that I have to look forward to God's salvation?
And his answer is that if we believe that God took us out of Mitzrayim, as we said, Anochi Hashem Elokecha, then it means that He is able to save us in difficult situations.
And just like He saved us then, He'll save us in the future.
So we see clearly that rooted in good Emunah is Bitachon.
Rooted in the belief of Anochi Hashem Elokecha is I am Hashem your God that took you out of Egypt, which means count on Me, believe in Me, and rely on Me.
A strong belief in Anochi Hashem Elokecha will create the belief in Asher Hotzeticha M’Eretz Mitzrayim. That's why, as the Rosh says, if you only believe in Anochi Hashem Elokecha and you don't believe in Asher Hotzeticha M’Eretz Mitzrayim, that's not Emunah Shelemah/ complete Emunah, because your Emuna has to create Bitachon.
Our birthday boy, Eli Kairey, as I know from his relatives, uses his Emuna to produce Bitachon.
He has overcome certain scary situations, fears and phobias. using his Emuna.
And that is our goal, that our Emunah will lead to Bitachon, that our tree will be healthy and produce fruit.
Have a wonderful day.