We are now starting the fifth chapter of Hovot HaLevavot, where he tells us seven differences between the attitude of the Baal Bitachon and the one that doesn’t have bitachon.
The first difference:
כי הבוטח באלהים רוצה בדינו בכל עניניו ומודה לו על הטובה ועל הרעה
The one who relies on G-d accepts G-d’s judgement in all areas, and praises Hashem equally for good or bad.
He quotes a famous pasuk from Iyov,
ה׳ נתן וה׳ לקח יהי שם ה׳מברך
G-d gave and G-d took, G-d’s name should be blessed.
This quote is brought down in Masechet Berachot, as a source to explain the famous line that says:
חייב אדם לברך על הרעה כשם שמברך על הטובה.
A person must praise G-d equally for the good and the bad.
Let’s analyze this pasuk in Iyov, in order to learn lessons of bitachon for accepting G-d’s decree in all situations.
Iyov endured a terrible tragedy, lo Alenu. His response to his suffering, in the first Perek, was to say:
עָרֹ֨ם יָצָ֜אתִי מִבֶּ֣טֶן אִמִּ֗י וְעָרֹם֙ אָשׁ֣וּב שָׁ֔מָה ה׳ נָתַ֔ן ה׳ לָקָ֑ח יְהִ֛י שֵׁ֥ם ה׳ מְבֹרָֽךְ׃
I left my mother’s womb naked, and eventually, I will return naked as well (No one takes anything to the grave) G-d gave and G-d took. G-d’s name should be blessed.
The Gaon of Vilna tells us that Iyov is teaching us four reasons not to be upset at a harsh decree:
The first lesson is that when he was born, he came with nothing. Since he started with nothing, he’s always better off than when he started.
The second lesson is that all the wealth that he amassed, and whatever success he accomplished over his life, after 120 years, it can’t not be taken with him.
There’s a famous story about one of the Reichman’s, regarding this lesson. When Mr. Reichman passed away, he left behind two letters with directives for his children.
The first directive was to be opened on the day of his death, and the second a week later.
When his children opened the first letter, it was a request begging his children to please bury him with his socks on. His children wanted to comply with his last wishes, so they asked the rabbis, who said absolutely not. Although he requested it, they had to keep tradition, and it was better for his soul not to do so.
So, they didn’t comply with his wish.
A week later they opened the second letter, as directed. In it, their father wrote,
“I’m sure you tried to bury me in my socks, and I’m sure the rabbis didn’t let you. Let that be a lesson to you, that when you leave, you can’t take anything “
So, we learn, don’t get upset, because you’re not taking it with you anyway.
The third reason is ה׳ נתן Hashem gave-Any money that you have, you didn’t make it, It was Hashem that gave to you.
The fourth reason is- who took it away from you? Was it gangsters? No! It was Hashem!
When you look at these four points:
You came with nothing, you’re returning with nothing, whatever you have, Hashem gave you. And, who took it away from you? Hashem!
What are you getting upset over?
The Sefer Be’er Mayim Chaim teaches us a beautiful lesson about this using a mashal regarding this pasuk
ה׳ נתן וה׳ לקח
G-d gave and G-d took
The Midrash asks:
Why not just say “G-d gave and took?”
Why say .... “and G-d took?”
The Midrash says that it means הוא ובית דינו
“G-d and His court took... “
G-d (alone) gave, but G-d and his court took.
What does that mean?
Imagine a King who lent money to his people, but the justice system of the kingdom would imprison those who didn’t pay back their loans. This king once lent $100,000 to his subject. The man couldn’t repay the loan when it was due, and so, he was supposed to be arrested the next morning. But the night before this, the King snuck out and slipped $300,000 under the man’s door. When the collectors came to take him away the next morning, the man was able to pay the money back and he got to keep the $200,000!
What a benevolent King!
Says the Beer Mayim Chaim, When a person loses money, lo Alenu, for example, losing $100,00 out of $300,000 that a man invested in the stock market, he thinks it’s terrible. He thinks he worked his whole life for this and G-d took the money!
But what’s really happening is that this man had a bad decree on him. He owed his life to G-d. Instead of losing other things, G-d took away the money as a kapara. But before He took it away, He gave the man the money! And not just the money he’d lose, but more than that. However, this is done in a hidden way because it if it was done in the open, it wouldn’t seem just. G-d sneaks it in, so it looks like the man earned it himself. Then “they” come and take it.
If he realized that it was Hashem, the King, that slipped it to him in the first place, he’d appreciate it.
That’s Iyov’s lesson, and our first bitachon lesson in dealing with the trials of life.