The Hovot HaLevavot, in his deep way of looking at things, comforts us that we shouldn’t despair or give up hope even if we lack resources, unlike the alchemist who, if he lacks resources, is in trouble.
The Hovot HaLevavot gives us the proof: Our mother’s womb. Who took care of us there? Hashem!
This is a beautiful insight the Hovot HaLevavot is teaching us. We learn that certain events that we thought were only one time occurrences actually aren’t. They’re an indication of how Hashem deals with us constantly.
The Elder of Kelm says the difference between nature and miracle is that nature is simply is the way we refer to constant miracles. Miracles that happen every day we call nature. A baby being born is “nature” but it’s really the biggest miracle in the world. These “natural” events are there to teach us about Hashem’s involvement in our lives, to learn that we can apply these events to other situations.
I remember building those “ship in a bottle” kits when I was a child. The kit came with pieces of the tiny ship that were assembled outside the bottle. We then slipped it into the bottle, pulled the string and voila-a ship popped up in a bottle. They were first designed by bored sailors on their boats.
But nobody can build the ship in the bottle. We have to build it first and then put it inside. Well, Hashem makes the ship IN the bottle. Every person that was once in their mother’s womb was a ship made in the bottle. Hashem didn’t make us outside. He made us inside. That’s impossible. That’s craziness! And that’s why, in Berachot, the Gemara tells us about David HaMelech:
דוד המלך שדר בחמישה בעולמות ואמר שירה
King David lived in 5 worlds and made praise.
What does this mean? The Gemara describes the five worlds, the first of which is:
דר במעי אמו ואמר שירה
He was in his mother’s womb and sang praises to Hashem. The Gemara quotes a pasuk from tehilim:
ברכי נפשי את ה׳ ואת כל קרובי את שם קדשו (103)
I praise Hashem and all my insides.
This doesn’t mean he sang as an embryo. The commentaries say that as he got older he looked back and realized he never thanked Hashem for being born.
That’s his greatness. It goes on to say
ינק משדי אמו- He nursed from his mother and quotes further:
ברכי נפשי את ה׳ ואל תשכחי כל גמוליו
My soul blesses Hashem and doesn’t forget my nursing years.
Again, King David is thanking Hashem for providing his sustenance throughout he years he nursed from his mother. He didn’t forget that. The nursing baby doesn’t worry about the future supply. Hashem provides as he needs it. This is the outlook we need.
The Hovot HaLevavot is using the example of David HaMelech to teach us to appreciate all the events that have happened in the past, and realize they can happen now too.
Many people celebrate birthdays- But why? Why should we celebrate and get presents? What did we do? If anything, we should thank our parents on our birthdays. We should get them presents. And we should thank Hashem that we’re here. We should write a check to tzedaka for our birthdays. David HaMelech looks back and appreciates his birthday and he uses the terminology to prove it. Tehilim is replete with examples of this.
כי אתה גחי מבטן מבטיחי על שדי אמי (כב)
You are the one that drew me out from the womb, You’re the One I was relying on when I was nursing from my mother
עליך השלכתי מרחם מבטן אמי אלי אתה
I was cast upon You from birth, from my mother’s womb You’ve been my G-d.
He goes way back to see how Hashem took care of him.
He goes on similarly in Perek 139:
גמלי ראו עיניך
You saw me when I was just a plan. I wasn’t even a structure.
The hizuk we are supposed to get from this is: If Hashem took care of me then, He’ll take care of me now.