Today’s pasuk, Tehilim 56,12 is very similar to the one we did in the previous lesson. This one says,
בֵּאלֹהִ֣ים בָּ֭טַחְתִּי לֹּ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה אָדָ֣ם לִֽי
I relied on Hashem, I'm not afraid of what man will do to me,
whereas the previous pasuk said, I’m not afraid of what flesh (and blood) will do to me.
The Radak says they're actually one and the same.
Yesterday's pasuk spoke a little bit about the concept of praising Hashem when things are not going quite well, so today we'll discuss the other half of the pasuk, which is that no one can do anything to me.
Rabbenu Yonah, a Rishon, in Mishleh (3,26) cites this pasuk as a source for the principle (which some people think is not agreed by all) that a person has to know, “In truth,no human being can do anything good for him; no human being can help him (for which he cites a certain pasuk), and no human being can harm him.” And he quotes our pasuk, בֵּאלֹהִ֣ים בָּ֭טַחְתִּי לֹּ֣א אִירָ֑א מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה אָדָ֣ם לִֽי
I rely on Hashem. I'm not afraid. What could a human being do to me?
Rabbenu Bachye, in his sefer Kad Hakemach, on the topic of Reshut, says that it's not befitting for a sadik to be afraid of anyone but God. He says that's true Yirat Shamayim, for as long as a person is afraid of a human being, his fear of Hashem is not complete. True fear of Hashem means, I'm afraid of Hashem and only Hashem.
That's how he explains the juxtaposition of the pasuk: I relied on Hashem, I'm not afraid of what a person will do to me. Those are two sides of the coin, because if a person has true bitachon, he's not afraid of what a person does. That’s true Yirat Shamayim. He says the Torah constantly warns us about being afraid of people, as it says, “When you go to war against the enemy and you see horses and you see armies, don't be afraid of them.” And, as it says, “When you see there's so many of them, and say, ‘How am I going to beat them,’ don't be afraid of them.”
So this is a fundamental of Bitachon. It’s not just that I'm relying on Hashem, but that I'm not afraid of people. Rabbenu Bachye, in the same sefer, on a different topic, reiterates this concept. He quotes our pasuk and says, When a problem comes to a person, and he realizes it comes from Hashem, he understands that he has to focus on Hashem, because whoever it may be, Hashem is controlling that person.
As the famous pasuk in Yeshaya says, ‘When an ax is chopping a tree down, can the ax pride itself over the chopper?’
The Navi compares a person to an ax. The ax doesn't act on its own. It acts based on the man that's holding it. So too, every human being is nothing more than an ax, and Hashem is the One chopping.
He quotes a pasuk in Yeshaya when God says that Ashur is nothing more than the stick of My wrath.
Despite all his armies and all of his force, he is just a stick in the hand of Hashem.
He additionally quotes the pasuk about the man who is afraid, who must go back from war, and he adds something very interesting: This man is a Ma’amin/believer. It’s not that he doesn't believe in God. But although he believes it’s all in Hashem’s hands, that's not enough. He didn't develop his Bitachon. His heart is soft, he’s afraid of human beings and therefore, he can’t go to war.
So, a person can be a Ma’amin, but that's not enough. You have to become a Baal Bitachon, and the litmus test of whether you're a Baal bitachon or not is, Are you afraid of people?
Have a wonderful day.