We are now in the Aseret Yemei Teshuva/Ten Days of Repentance, and
Bitachon is strongly related to Teshuva.
The Sefer Yismach Yisrael, in Parashat Noah, quotes from a Midrash that says that Noah was talking to himself, saying,
“I might have sinned, like they sinned, (but) I relied on Your kindness, and You gave me refuge and told me, “Go into the Teva.”
Noah told Hashem that he knew that he might not be deserving, as it says,
And Noah found חן/Chen, but he relied on Hashem’s kindness, that He would save him.
So we see that Noah was saved because of his bitachon; his reliance on Hashem not just that he’d be saved, but that he would be accepted back in Teshuva.
Noah spent over 100 years giving the generation of the Mabul mussar that they should do Teshuva, but they didn’t listen to him.
The Sefer Yismach Yisrael says that they didn’t believe in Hashem’s kindness; that He would help them return in Teshuva.
The generation of the Mabul was lacking in Emuna in Hashem, that He would help them do Teshuva.
They should have relied on Hashem’s hesed.
It says that, “God will make sure that no one is pushed away.”
We have to believe in that, and they didn’t. That is why they ended up getting lost.
On the other hand, Noah had Bitachon. That sweetened everything, and caused him to merit in Teshuva.
So we have to strengthen our bitachon in all topics, even in the topic of Teshuva.
We have to believe, and rely on Hashem, that He will help us. That is the first step.
Rabbenu Yona starts his sefer Shaare Teshuva by saying Hashem will help him in ways that are beyond his abilities.
Of course, we have to make the moves and try, but it says, “When someone comes to be better, they help him.”
Who is “they?”
The Maharsha says that when you think that you want to do Teshuva, even before you have actually done anything, the thought itself creates angels (as every mitzvah create angels), and those angels push you forward to the next level. We have to believe in that. There are angels there to help us. Teshuva is easy. It’s up to us to do it. That’s where the ingredient of Bitachon comes in. We have to rely on Hashem to help us in our spiritual areas just as we do with our physical needs. If we want, and we try, Hashem will be there to help us.
Rabbenu Yona, in his sefer Yesod HaTeshuva, says that when a person starts off his Teshuva, he should not worry that he can’t do it, that he’s sinned, and done so many bad things. He shouldn’t think that it’s arrogant to come back to God like this. He says that thoughts are from the Yetzer Hara, who is out to get you, says Rabbenu Yona.
He says we should only think,
רַק יַחְשׁוֹב כִּי כֵן מִדַּת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ, יָדוֹ פְשׁוּטָה לְקַבֵּל שָׁבִים
That this is the way of God; His hand is outstretched, to accept those that return.
That’s what we have to believe. The first step is to believe that there is a process called Teshuva.
God, in His great kindness, is good and upright. Therefore, He guides and directs the sinners on the road.
He’s guiding us this week- He always guides us when we do Teshuva, but it’s especially felt during this week.
Look for Hashem when He can be found…
But again, we have to believe He is there to help us.
There is something called, “learned helplessness.“ When a person keeps on doing some thing and doesn’t see success, he gives up. A person might be able to give that excuse all year long, but on Aseret Yemei Teshuva, the gates are open. The help is there. We have to believe in it, and we will see it. B’ezrat Hashem, we will all merit to be hozer b’teshuba- to return in Teshuva.