We are going to start the 10 benefits of bitachon:
The first benefit of bitachon is -מנוחת נפשו ובטחונו על אלקיו יתברך-Menuchat hanefesh- which is probably the most important thing in the world.
Menuchat hanefesh, which has no true English equivalent, can be described as peace of mind, tranquility, and relaxation. Imagine sitting on a beautiful deserted beach, with perfect weather, someone fanning you, and not a worry in the world maybe with Gemara in your hand, learning etc... Whatever it means for you.
Menuchat hanefesh is the picture of perfect tranquility:
Maybe you've completed a successful business deal, you just married off your last daughter, you’re healthy...Everything is great and nothing can possibly be better! That’s Menuchat hanefesh, and bitachon will give you that feeling.
Hacham Yehuda Ades said, in the name of his teacher, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, that he saw a letter from the Alter of Kelm (or Rav Yisroel Salanter in another version of the story) that said that the Alter's daughter was having certain health problems- (for example a backache), and she went to see a doctor. The doctor told her that there was nothing wrong with her health, she was just too stressed and she needed menuchat hanefesh. The daughter was very impressed, because her whole life she grew up hearing her father preach about menuchat hanefesh. She wrote to her father, excited to share that the doctor believed in Menuchat hanefesh too. Her father wrote back and told his daughter to please ask the doctor in which pharmacy can one buy menuchat hanefesh. He said, you my daughter, raised in my home, know where one can acquire menuchat hanefesh.
So, if you are looking for an “alternative medicine” for menuchat hanefesh, you’ll find it in the Hovot Halevavot.
When we sit down with the Hovot Halevavot, to develop our Bitachon, we are in the process of acquiring menuchat hanefesh.
And with our Bitachon comes the ability to rely on our Creator.
This peace of mind comes because we rely on Hashem, כמו שהעבד חייב לבוטח על אדוניו-As the servant must rely on his master.
We must rely on Hashem, just as a servant must rely on his master.
As we have said in discussing the order of these units, Bitachon comes after Avodat Elokim.Because we serve Hashem, and he is our Master, we are compelled to rely on Him.
But this is not just referring to an eved hashem, even a regular slave must rely on his master. Rav Bloch asks a question: Where does it say in a slave’s contract that he has an obligation to rely on his master? The answer is that it’s not a contractual obligation of a slave, but just as a slave has responsibilities to his master, the master has responsibilities towards his slave. They have an unspoken deal in place. In exchange for the work of the slave, the master feeds him and gives him a place to live. The master takes care of the slave, and the slave is relying on what his master gives him. If there’s one pillow, the master must give it to the slave. Therefore the slave is relying on his master, because that’s where all his necessities come from. The Hovot HaLevavot is telling us that this is the way we should look at our lives. We have a Boss, a benevolent boss, and it’s almost improper not to rely on the boss.
It’s like a salesman on a business trip, whose boss sends him to China . He knows the boss will put him on a decent flight, maybe Economy-Plus with extra leg room, in a decent hotel as opposed to a youth hostel, and not expect him to ride a bicycle to his meetings. The thought that his boss might not treat him the right way would be a disgrace to the boss. A good worker should know that he can rely on his boss, that his boss is doing the right thing by him. A good worker relies on his boss.
