We are up to the next principle of Bitachon.
This, the third principle, is that our Bitachon must be exclusive. It’s not enough to say we’re relying on Hashem and someone else. That’s a lack of Bitachon, and what’s worse, the magical power of Bitachon is lost this way.
As we’ve learned previously, Bitachon works even though G-d never promised us anything. Going back to our airport mashal, if I call my brother who loves me, and ask him to give me a ride to the airport, and he knows I’m relying on him (and that if I don’t get there I’ll miss the big meeting), and then the phone goes dead, he’ll still come even though he didn’t tell me he would, because that’s the decent thing to do.
That’s how it works. We rely on G-d, and G-d comes through. But once we rely on others, and not just solely on Hashem, it doesn’t work.
There’s a halacha that if person goes begging door to door, collecting for a wedding, let’s say, when he comes to you, you only have to give a small amount of $5-$10.00 because it’s not your responsibility. He’s going to a lot of people. But as the story goes, when a desperate man travels miles to get to Mr. Rothchild, and desperately bangs on the door and collapses, and then pleads with Mr. Rothchild, telling him how he’s relying only on him and no one else, Mr. Rothchild takes care of that man. Another man hears this, and tries it too, but he goes to ten other people as well. When Mr. Rothchild only gives him a small amount, he asks why. The answer, says Mr. Rothchild, is that he wasn’t just relying on Mr. Rothchild. He had relied on others as well. It wasn’t Mr. Rothchild’s responsibility.
It works the same way with Hashem, kal v Yachol (in a sense), if we’re totally relying on Him.
However, it’s very important to clarify that total reliance doesn’t mean you don’t have to do hishtadlut. Of course you have to put forth your effort. But what’s your mindset? What are you thinking? This reliance is all in the mind.
The example the Hovot HaLevavot uses is the pious king Assah. Assah was a king, who, when ill, relied on the doctor, so Hashem didn’t help him.
It’s not what we are doing, but who we are relying on. Where is our heart? That’s the concept. Our reliance has be exclusively on Hashem.
The Shulchan Aruch mentions a halacha for הנכנס להקיז דם - a person going to blood-let (this was a popular medical treatment at that time, but poskim say this holds for any type of action taken for medical purposes today):
The person should say a yehi ratzon ...
יהי רצון מלפניך ה׳ אלקי שיהא עסק זה לי לרפואה כי רופא חנם אתה; ולאחר שהקיז יאמר: ברוך רופא חולים
“ May it be your will, Hashem my G-d, that this activity that I do should bring me healing, because you are the Doctor who doesn’t charge.”
After the medication you should say: “Baruch Rofeh Holim”
A person has to go through all of the measures, but at the same time, who is he relying on? It can’t be 50% doctor, 50% G-d. It has to be 100% G-d.
This concept is a pasuk we’ve quoted many times ברוך הגבר אשר יבטח ה׳ והיה ה׳ מבטחו
Blessed is the one that trusts in Hashem...
On the other hand, the opposite is true as well: Cursed is the man that relies on people.
Relying on people takes away the benefit of Hashem.
The Hovot HaLevavot ends off with what he started with:
ומן הידוע, כי מי שימנה מבני אדם שני ממונים או יותר לעשות דבר, מינויו מופסד
It’s well known that if you hire two people for a job, it doesn’t work.
We need one person in charge. Too many cooks spoil the broth.
We have to look to G-d when we have a problem and ask G-d to take ownership. There may be other people we are delegating to, such as a shadchan, a lawyer, or a doctor, but delegating and ownership aren’t the same thing. Ownership has to be given to G-d.