We continue expanding on our Pesukei Bitachon. Today's pasuk is Yirmiyah (17,7)
בָּר֣וּךְ הַגֶּ֔בֶר אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִבְטַ֖ח בַּיהֹוָ֑ה וְהָיָ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה מִבְטַחֽוֹ׃
Blessed is the man who relies on Hashem, and Hashem is his reliance. In the past we've discussed this seemingly superfluous terminology, and the Chida ( among other commentaries), in his Sefer Homat Anach, explains that there are three kinds of people.
-Somebody who relies on a person totally and doesn't think about Hashem at all.
-One who relies on Hashem, but looks at a certain individual as his intermediary and thinks of Hashem only here and there.
- One who is totally reliant on Hashem and doesn't focus at all on the intermediary.
That Thurs one is Baruch Hagever- Blessed is the man that total relies on Hashem. On the other hand, Arur HaGever- cursed is the person that totally relies on a person.
There's something in between. The Kli Yakar on Bereshit (41,1) offers a similar explanation. He says that Baruch Hagever was really the level of Yosef HaSaddik in general. He did not turn to intermediaries at all, and that's why he was held accountable when he relied on the Sar Hamashkim- because he was adding an ingredient that really wasn't necessary.
The sefer Panim Yafot in Bereshit (32,10) explains the superfluous terminology as follows:
Blessed is the one that relies on Hashem and Hashem will be his reliance means that in the merit of his bitachon, he will get what wasn't really coming to him originally. Furthermore, he makes the following diyuk. It says
Baruch Hagever Asher Yivtach B’Hashem- V’Hayah Hashem Mivtacho/Blessed is the one that relies on Hashem and Hashem will be his reliance.
Here, V’Hayah is read as “will be,” but he says it can also mean “was.”
He explains with a phenomenal, very fascinating concept. For example, two hostages were recently saved in a very heroic rescue.
Now you might have heard that it happened at 1:49 Israeli time or 5:59 American time (or whatever time it was), and exactly at that time, thousands of children were screaming Tehilim, Eleh V’Rechev V’Eleh B’Susim… and think Wow!
But a cynic could say, “Hold on. This mission took months of preparation. They were standing a minute away. They had to have all kind of things prepared. You’re telling me that someone relying on Hashem at that moment is how they were saved?”
This is true anywhere, anytime there’s a problem, and you rely on Hashem to save you. If you need medicine, the medicine had to be thought of years ago, it had to be prepared, it had to be sent. So how does it all come together now?
And the answer, says the Panim Yafot beautifully in Shemot 25, Hashem knows the future. He knows the things that you're going to do, and based on the bitachon that you're going to have in a year from now,
He already started preparing the answer. As it says in Yeshaya 65,24,
וְהָיָ֥ה טֶֽרֶם־יִקְרָ֖אוּ וַאֲנִ֣י אֶעֱנֶ֑ה
Before they cried out to me I answered
You didn't cry out yet, but I already started the process before you called out to Me.
This is a fascinating concept, and he reads it into the words V’Hayah, and Hashem was your reliance.
One last beautiful thought based on the Mishna in Masechet Pe’ah 8.
When discussing gifts for the poor, it says, “Whoever needs to take but doesn't take and relies on Hashem, he will eventually give others.”
He says, “On him the pasuk says, “Baruch Hagever Asher Yivtach B’Hashem, V’Hayah Hashem Mivtacho,”
Blessed is the one that relies on Hashem and Hashem is his reliance.
The sefer Kol HaReMaz from Rav Moshe Zacuto on Mishnayot, is bothered. “Where do we see in this pasuk that if you don't take money and rely on Hashem, eventually you'll be giving other people?”
He says there’s a Midrash Raba (Devarim 5,8) that says,
“Whoever relies on Hashem, he will be like God,” and uses our pasuk as proof. Baruch Hagever Asher Yivtach B’Hashem, V’Hayah Hashem Mivtacho,”
V’Hayah Hashem-He will be like Hashem. He will be like Hashem, that He relied on. He will have power like Hashem. So therefore, says the Kol HaRamaz That means this man that didn't take and relied on Hashem, will have power like Hashem.
Hashem is the one that takes care of the parnassa others. And therefore, he will be like God in the fact that he will be able to give parnassa to others. This is a fascinating concept. You want to know how some people become the the givers? How do some people become the conduit, like God taking care of people? The answer is, because of their bitachon, they become like God. V’Hayah Hashem Mivtacho..
A beautiful thought from the Kol HaReMeZ.
Have a wonderful day.