Today's pasuk is from Hallel
בֵּ֣ית אַ֭הֲרֹן בִּטְח֣וּ בַיהֹוָ֑ה עֶזְרָ֖ם וּמָגִנָּ֣ם הֽוּא The House of Aharon should rely on Hashem, He is their helper and He is their shield
The Chafetz Chaim, in his sefer Zechor L’Miriam (chapter 20) says that the chapter begins with
לֹ֤א לָ֥נוּ יְהֹוָ֗ה לֹ֫א־לָ֥נוּ כִּֽי־לְ֭שִׁמְךָ תֵּ֣ן כָּב֑וֹד עַל־חַ֝סְדְּךָ֗ עַל־אֲמִתֶּֽךָ
Lo Lanu Hashem Lo Lanu/ God don’t save us for ourselves, but rather give honor to Your name.
לָ֭מָּה יֹאמְר֣וּ הַגּוֹיִ֑ם
Why should the say goyim say….
The Gemara in Pesachim 118 says this refers either to the war of Gog U’Magog or to the times of Hevleh Mashiach/ the birth pangs of Mashiach. The Chafetz Chaim says that these pesukim,
יִ֭שְׂרָאֵל בְּטַ֣ח בַּיהֹוָ֑ה
בֵּ֣ית אַ֭הֲרֹן בִּטְח֣וּ בַיהֹוָ֑ה עֶזְרָ֖ם וּמָגִנָּ֣ם הֽוּא
יִרְאֵ֣י יְ֭הֹוָה בִּטְח֣וּ בַיהֹוָ֑ה
Yisrael should rely on Hashem,
The House of Aharon should rely on Hashem,
The Yireh Hashem should rely on Hashem….
With all of this demand for reliance on Hashem is telling us how to survive these times of the birth pangs of Mashiach and the wars of Gog Umagog, which, as we know, is the era that we're in now. The way to survive it is through reliance on Hashem. And David Hamelech didn't just mention the Jewish people at large. He broke it into the Jewish people, the House of Aharon and God-fearing people, because there are different levels in the Jewish people: the Jewish people at large. the Bet Aharon, which refers to Kohanim (which the Rambam says, is not just the tribe of Levi, but anyone that dedicates themselves to Torah such as the clergy, the rabbis, the teachers, the et cetera), and the Yireh Hashem (the people that he says achieve on a higher level than the Kohanim). During that time period, there will be a strong Middat Hadin/trait of retribution, as we saw in the Holocaust and the like, which, as many people say, is the era of Gog Umagog and Hevleh Mashiach.
So whether you're a general Bet Yisrael person, a higher Bet Aharon or a Yireh Hashem, or whatever your level you're on, whatever good deeds you have,
you need reliance on Hashem. That' is what is going to save us during Middat HaDin. For when it comes to Middat HaDin, when God comes with strict justice, no one’s merits can withstand it. It says even the great Avot would not be able to withstand God’s Middat HaDin. The only way to withstand it is by using the power of bitachon- reliance on Hashem.
That's why it says afterwards, Hashem remember us. Because when we rely on Hashem, it causes Hashem to remember us. And it says Yebarech Et Bet Yisrael, Yebarech Et Bet Aharon, Yebarech et Yireh Hashem, all those groups will be saved because they had bitachon. This is an important rule. It is brought down by the Or HaChaim HaKadosh and others that did not have the merits at Keriat Yam Suf. As it says, They (and the Mitzrim)were both idol worshipers, they were both adulterers, they're both idolaters. So, according to strict, harsh Middat HaDin,God's demanding justice and fairness, why save the Jews?
In that situation, as it says, “Go and travel, move forth-With bitachon. This is a tremendous principle. There are times of Middat HaDin, such as Rosh Hashana, when God judges us. So we dress up in our nice clothing and we shave and we shower to show that we're relying on Hashem that He’s going to make a miracle and save us.
We're in a time of Middat Hadin now, when no matter how many Mitzvot you put on the scale, it won’t tilt the right way. In a time of God’s strict justice, He will find fault in this mitzvah and that. Nothing is perfect, and Middat HaDin demands perfection.
Rav Wolbe says Middat HaDin is not like some angry person. It's like that teacher who wants 100% on the test, who demands perfection. So how do you get there? How do you pass that test? The Chafetz Chaim is telling us that David Hamelech has given us the secret. Bitachon. Bitachon has the ability to win the war. Bitachon will cause God to remember us for the good.
And whoever you are, the answer is the same. Reliance on Hashem. Have a wonderful day and a Hodesh Tov.