We are now in Aseret Yeme Teshuva, and it's important to realize that part of the Teshuva process is strengthening our Bitachon. The sefer Keren Ora, in Mesechet Taanit 15 B explains the Gemara that talks about different prayers they would make when they fasted for rain. They would add the following beracha, that started with chapter 121 in Tehilim:
אֶשָּׂ֣א עֵ֭ינַי אֶל־הֶהָרִ֑ים
I lift my eyes to the mountains
מֵ֝אַ֗יִן יָבֹ֥א עֶזְרִֽי
Where is my help going to come from
‘ עֶ֭זְרִי מֵעִ֣ם ה
My help is going to come from God…
אַל־יִתֵּ֣ן לַמּ֣וֹט רַגְלֶ֑ךָ
….Don't let your legs falter.
And then it ended off with,
“The One that answered Eliyahu HaNavi should answer us,”
which is something that we mention in our Selichot. What is exactly the connection between this chapter in Tehilim and Eliyahu HaNavi?
And he says, Go back to the story of Eliyahu HaNavi, when the people were fluctuating back and forth between idol worship and God.
Eliyahu HaNavi tells the people in
Melachim א (18,21)
עַד־מָתַ֞י אַתֶּ֣ם פֹּסְחִים֮ עַל־שְׁתֵּ֣י הַסְּעִפִּים֒ אִם־יְהֹוָ֤ה הָאֱלֹהִים֙ לְכ֣וּ אַחֲרָ֔יו וְאִם־הַבַּ֖עַל לְכ֣וּ אַחֲרָ֑יו וְלֹא־עָנ֥וּ הָעָ֛ם אֹת֖וֹ דָּבָֽר׃
How much longer are you going to be jumping back and forth? You're jumping from one to the other, you're prancing ( or as they say, you're dancing at two weddings) . If God is the God, follow Him. If Avoda Zara is the god follow him
And he explains that the main attack of the Yetzer Hara, especially in the end of times, is when Esav attacked Yaakov's legs.
It says Yaakov Avinu was limping. What does that mean? He says that legs refers to the support that we give. We support Torah institutions, or other causes, and that's where the Yetzer Hara comes to attack- trying to convince us not to support what we're supposed to support…. Because maybe we can't give the money out… maybe we need it for ourselves…etc.
But if a person has Emuna and Bitachon, he's not going to falter. He's not going to waver back and forth. He's going to stand strong.
Bitachon is what causes his legs to be able to stand strong and not limp, so he'll be able to support what he needs to support.
Furthermore, he says that that is what it means in the Tehilim when we saying that we look up to God.
If we look up to God, God is not going let our legs falter. We'll be able to stand strong. We'll be on solid footing and solid ground, realizing that Hashem is in charge and He’s the only one that we need to count on.
And he says, in beautiful words:
“The main Teshuva is to annul any false refuge and any false reliance, and to realize that from God alone our helps comes, and only to Him do we pray and thank.”
We don't have idol worship today, but we say in our Shabbat Shuva reading, ”V’Lo Nomar Elohenu…
We won't say “God” to our handiwork.”
In other words, we won't call our business our God.
That's how the commentaries explain that statement. We won't call our business our God. That means sometimes we think our own handiwork is what's bringing our blessing, and we don't realize Who's really bringing the blessing. That's why sometimes, people might cut corners, or do things they shouldn't be doing, because they don't realize or fully appreciate Emuna and Bitachon.
Therefore, working on our Emuna and Bitachon is one of the fundamentals of Teshuva. That's why, in many, if not all, communities, we end off our Yom Kippur prayers with the words,
Hashem Hu HaElokim
Hashem Hu HaElokim
Hashem is the God. Hashem is the God.
And throughout our Selichot, at least in the Sephardic communities, every single day for 40 days, we say Hashem Hu HaElokim
Hashem Hu HaElokim
Hashem is the God. Hashem is the God.
Who said that?
The people at Har Carmel thought the false gods could bring the the fire, and the fire didn't come down.
Then Eliyahu HaNavi poured buckets of water all over the Mizbe’ach, to make it clear that there were no shenanigans going on, and that it would be a miracle of God. Then the fire came down from heaven and everyone screamed, “Hashem Hu HaElokim
Hashem Hu HaElokim
Hashem is the God. Hashem is the God.” Hashem is the only One in charge.
That was their Teshuva, and that's our Teshuva, to realize that Hashem Hu HaElokim. That's part of the Teshuva process, and therefore the more we work on Emuna and Bitachon, the more we are working on our Teshuva.
Have a wonderful day.