Today we continue with perek 62 of Tehilim, pasuk ט.
We will start off, again, with the first words,
בִּטְחוּ בוֹ בְכׇל־עֵת
Rely on Him in all times.
What does in all times mean?
The Sefer Ikarim, and the Chassid Yavetz offer a new explanation:
They both say that it means relying not only when the going is tough. That’s not the best trait. Of course, Hashem always comes through, but Yirmiyah describes people who say, when times are hard, “Get up, save us.” Rather, the correct Bitachon is to rely in all times. Even when things are going right, we must still rely and connect to Hashem, and realize that our success comes from Him.
The Sefer Ikarim says that we know a person has Bitachon in good times if he doesn’t say, “It was my strength, it was my power,” but rather realizes that it was Hashem made him successful.
One must constantly pray to keep this goodness going.
If a person gets up in the morning, and Baruch Hashem, he’s living in a house, he has a wonderful family, he has a car, he has a shul to go to… these things are not to be taken for granted. He has to say, “Hashem, please! Keep it going!I know that it’s coming from You. I know that I can’t do anything on my own.”
That is what Hashem wants. He wants us to constantly pray to Him, even when times are good, because that is an indicator that we realize it’s coming from Him.
That’s why the next portion of this pasuk says,
עָם שִׁפְכוּ־לְפָנָיו לְבַבְכֶם
The nation that pours out their hearts before Hashem.
Even when things are going well, I still pray to Hashem that it should stay that way. And I realize,
אֱלֹקים מַחֲסֶה־לָּנוּ סֶלָה
He is my Refuge, my Protector.
There is so much going on, there is so much that we have been protected from.
We have to appreciate that, and keep praying for the continuation of our success. That is what /בכל עת in all times means.
Yesterday we discussed that it means, even when it looks like there is no hope.
Now we’re hearing a new explanation.
Rely on Hashem in all times means that you need to exercise bitachon even when times are good, and realize that it is all coming from Hashem.
Of course, in all times means difficult times as well.
Both are true, but today we are stressing that it’s even when things are going well and good.
The Sefer Magen Avot connects the beginning of this pasuk to the end, in a slightly different way. He says that when a person has bitachon (he uses the example of a time of sickness), he realizes that the main thing is not what the doctor say, but the Rofeh Hinam, the free doctor, Hashem.
How do we know that a person is relying on the true doctor? Because he’s not relying on his doctor, or any other force.
In trying times, the indicator is that
שִׁפְכוּ־לְפָנָיו לְבַבְכֶם
he’s pouring out his heart
to Hashem in prayer.
When you do that, it’s an indicator that it’s known that He’s the only address, and that will cause
אֱלֹקים מַחֲסֶה־לָּנוּ סֶלָה
He is my refuge, my protector.
It’s cause for God to be our Refuge. So even though the person did not necessarily make a direct Bitachon statement, or didn’t specifically state that he was relying Hashem, his prayer is an expression of bitachon. Prayers are a way of showing Hashem, “ I am relying on You.”
This, “nonverbal” reliance, that is expressed through prayer, is a cause for Hashem to be our Refuge.
So we have two themes here:
1- Rely on Hashem in all times, means even times of goodness, and the way we know this is because the person prays that the goodness should continue
2- Rely on Hashem in all times, means in bad times, and the way we know that the person is relying in bad times is also through prayer, which causes Hashem to be our Refuge.
Have a wonderful day.