We have been discussing where we can find Bitachon sourced in our Torah. It’s so important, where do we find it?
Firstly, the Seforno says in V’Ethanan 6,4 on the pasuk of Shema Yisrael, that when it says Hashem Elokenu, Elokenu means that He is the One that we hope to, to get all of our needs, without an intermediary.
Since He is the source of all force, He is the one that we bow to, and He's the only one we hope to (again, without any intermediary). He's the one we pray to.
Rav Bloch points out that normally we think of Elokim as strong and tough, as Middat HaDin/ God’s trait of justice, and it’s true. That is what Elokim means.
But there's an added aspect to Elokim. What does it mean that God is strong and tough? There are two ways to look at it. One is that God is strong and He is tough, and He's going to beat me up. But that's not what we're supposed to be thinking. We're supposed to be thinking that God is strong and tough and therefore He can do whatever He wants and help me when I'm in trouble.
When two kids are fighting in the park, and one says the other, “My father is stronger than your father.” What does he mean? That my father hits me more than your father hits you?
No, he means, “My father is going take care of me when I'm in trouble. And if you start up with me, he's going to beat you and your father up.”
That's the meaning of Elokim.
One of the most basic, fundamental names of God shows us that we can rely on Him.
The pasuk in Tehilim 46,8 says “Adonai Sevaot Imanu Misgav Lanu Elohei Yaakov Selah.”
God of the host is with us, He is like a tower/fortress for us. The Elohim of Yaakov.
The Yerushalmi says that this is one of the Pesukim that should never leave your mouth.
We're now in the Parasha of Yaakov and Esav, and we always stress Elohei Yaakov because Yaakov is the one who went through more trouble than the other Avot, and needed God's constant help.
What does it mean He’s Misgav Lanu/He's a fortress? The Targum Yonatan Ben Uziel says He's Takif/strong, and powerful.
Similarly Shulchan Aruch ( siman ה ) says that anytime we say God's name in a blessing, we have to have in mind that He's Takif/strong. He’s the One that's able to do, the One that is in charge of all forces and energies.
That force, that power of God, that Takif, is there to create a fortress for us, and allows us to rely on Him, because He's reliable.
So it ends up that the name of Elohim, which sometimes has a scary connotation also means powerful to take care of us.
The pasuk in Tehilim 56, 5 says B’Elohim Batachti, Lo Ira/
In Elohim I relied, I'm not afraid.
So again, the term Elohim, which sounds tough and scary; as the trait of justice, also has in it the aspect of He’s strong and powerful, and therefore I can rely on Him.
Hashem is referred to as Tzurenu/ our Rock. What is the connotation of our Rock? There are different explanations. In Ha’azinu, chapter 31, the pasuk says,
Ki Lo K’Tzurenu Tzuram
Our Rock is not like their rock (referring to God as the Rock).
Targum says, Our strong one, our Takif is not like their Takif. The word Takif means stronger than strong.
(like when the Gemara says Matkif, it means an attack question). Takif is someone that's strong and tough.
In the pasuk לז in Ha׳azinu it says
Tzur Hasayu Bo
The Rock that we seek refuge in.
And again, Targum says Takifa, the strong One that we relied on.
It’s noteworthy that when we talk about God's 13 attributes of mercy, the first one is El, which means strong. The commentators are bothered by this. El sounds like a justice trait, not a mercy trait. So some of the Rishonim explain that El means He's strong and He brings us parnasa with His strength.
But according to this, it also could be understood as God is strong, which means He's strong and I can rely on Him because He can take care of me.
The Hovot Halevavot says that one of the seven prerequisites needed to rely on someone is that he has to be powerful, that nothing can stop him. That is part of what we're supposed to be thinking about when we talk about Elokenu. He's our God. Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokenu- The Seforno says this means that He's all powerful and the One to rely on.
Built into God's name is this concept of Bitachon.