We are now in Tehilim 56,5
בֵּאלֹהִים֮ אֲהַלֵּ֢ל דְּבָ֫ר֥וֹ בֵּאלֹהִ֣ים בָּ֭טַחְתִּי לֹ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה בָשָׂ֣ר לִֽי׃
In Hashem I will praise His word. In Hashem’s I rely, I am not afraid of what flesh will do to me.
Rashi says, as does the midrash, that David Hamelech is saying, “Even though it's Elohim (which indicates Middat HaDin/strict judgement); even though it’s something I don't quite understand, I will praise Him and I will rely on Him.
The Malbim explains that, “I rely on Hashem. I'm not afraid,” means that “Because I rely on Hashem, that in itself is a merit, “because of my bitachon in Him.”
People don't always realize that bitachon in itself is a merit. Sometimes people think they don’t have the merit for a salvation, but the answer is, “You relied on Hashem.”
He says, “Hashem saves all who seek refuge in Him. I'm not afraid. No one can do anything to me because of the zechut of my bitachon. This is a very important concept, that cannot be overstressed. Bitachon is the zechut.
Another important rule, which we started off with from the Midrash, is that regardless of what happens, a person always has to be singing songs of praise to Hashem.
The Midrash Raba (Vayikra 24,2) also cites a more familiar pasuk, from Tehilim 116:
צָרָ֖ה וְיָג֣וֹן אֶמְצָֽא
וּבְשֵֽׁם־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֶקְרָ֑א
כּוֹס־יְשׁוּע֥וֹת אֶשָּׂ֑א וּבְשֵׁ֖ם יְהֹוָ֣ה אֶקְרָֽא׃
There's difficulty and suffering, and I still call out, I pick up a cup of salvation, and I call out to Hashem.
The Midrash is saying that regardless of whether there is difficulty and tragedy, or “cups of salvation.” I always have that singing and that rejoicing.
Another important rule found in this pasuk is also in the Hovot Halevavot’s Shaar Bitachon, where he goes through the advantages that the Baal Bitachon has over the alchemist. The legendary alchemist was able to turn copper into silver and silver into gold. He had a money-making machine in his basement, but he was not as good as the Baal bitachon. The third difference the Hovot Halevavot points out is that this alchemist is not comfortable sharing his secret with anyone, because, who knows, somebody might copy him or threaten him. But the Baal Bitachon is not afraid of his secret. Coca-Cola will not share its secret ingredient with Pepsi. People don’t like to share their factories in China. But the Baal Bitachon isn’t afraid of sharing. He is proud of it.
בֵּאלֹהִ֣ים בָּ֭טַחְתִּי לֹ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה בָשָׂ֣ר לִֽי׃In Hashem I rely, I'm not afraid.
I'm not afraid of sharing my bitachon.
What a beautiful way of reading the pasuk. It’s not that ‘I rely on Hashem and I'm not afraid of the financial crisis,’ or, ‘I rely on Hashem, so I'm not afraid of the health crisis.’
Rather, ‘I rely on Hashem and I'm not afraid to tell everyone that I rely on Hashem.’
I can share my secret with everybody. It's not a secret that I have to keep to myself because there's enough bitachon for everybody to share.