This is the final unit discussing the blessings and curses mentioned in Yirmiyah, in the Haftara of Bechukotai, where he tells us that the source of all blessings and curses is actually Bitachon. It’s connected to the blessings and curses that we read before Shavuot, where we sayשתכלה השנה וקללותיה:
Let the year and it’s curses end,-תחל שנה וברכתיה
and let the new year and its blessings begin, (this is referring to the blessings that come through Bitachon)
The Hovot HaLevavot tells us a very powerful line in Shaar Bechina. He says that -דרגת הטבע מין התורהThe level of nature, vis a vie Torah-כמדרגת העבד מאדוניו
Is compared to that of a servant and his master
The forces of nature act in the custom of the world, as decided by the Torah.
This means that we have a world that seems to function “naturally.” Some people are successful, some people are not successful; Some people live a long life, and some people live shorter lives, but everything that happens in this world is, as the Ramban says, is really a hidden miracle.
As he says, the fact that someone does mitzvot and is prosperous isn’t natural. It’s a hidden miracle. The world was made in a way that based on the way we act; Hashem reciprocates in this world- and that is a miracle. In other words, the world functions based on the Torah.
To illustrate, there’s a story from 200 years ago, of man who went to a certain Gadol in Europe, because he had a lung ailment. The Gadol told him he should move to Tzfat. But the man thought, why travel to all the way to Tzfat, which in those days had living conditions that weren’t easy. Tzfat has nice mountains and fresh air, so why not just go to Switzerland- they also have nice mountains and clean air. But the Rabbi explained that it wasn’t about the air or mountains of Tzfat. It was because the man had a particular lung ailment. There was an an argument between the Bet Yosef, who lived in Tzfat, (and was the Halachic authority of Tzfat in those days) and the Ramah, (who the Ashkenazim follow in the Shulchan Aruch) who lived in Poland. They argued about this particular lung ailment in an animal, and whether or not it was a Terefah, in which case it would not live out the year.
In this case, the Bet Yosef believed the animal was kosher and would live out the year. The Ramah argued that it wouldn’t.
The rabbi told the man that he had that same lung ailment, and so as long as he was in Poland, he’d be under the influence of the decision of the Ramah, that this animal, based on his understanding of the Gemarah, wouldn’t live out the year. But in Tzfat, according to the Bet Yosef’s understanding of the Gemarah, the animal would live out the year. And since the Torah influences nature, and nature, as the servant, must follow the command of the Torah, and the Bet Yosef’s understanding was that the animal would live, than he was better off in Tzfat, where the animal ( and he) would survive. The Torah is the blueprint of the word. Just like if you change the wall in a blueprint, it gets changed in the house, the Torah is the blueprint of the world. If something is erased on this blueprint, it’s erased in the world. This might be a little hard for everyone to grasp, but that is the concept.
What does this have to do with Bitachon? I saw a beautiful thought from the Sefer Chayei Mussar, on this haftara that we are reading. He picks up on the comparison where it is said that the man who relies on a human being is cursed, and is compared to a cactus tree in the desert that will dry up and won’t see any water, in the dry climate. On the other hand, the one who relies on Hashem and makes Hashem his reliance, is compared to a tree on the edge of the water, whose roots are spread out, is never afraid of heat, with leaves that are alway moist, is not afraid in times of famine, and always gives forth fruit.
He says, when a person starts off relying on himself, working during Shemitah and relying on natural things, he doesn’t realize that nature follows Torah. If the Torah tells you to keep the laws of Shemittah, and the Torah tells you not to work, that will bring you beracha. But he doesn’t understand that. Therefore, he relies on himself. When what he does seems to bring success, since the Torah says it won’t bring success, as natural as the dry cactus lacking water, his efforts won’t be successful.
The opposite is true as well. The man that has bitachon, that bitachon will be the source of blessing, and it’s a natural source of blessing. So the man with Bitachon, who is not working, might seem like he won’t see success, but G-d promised him success, just like the tree that is rooted in the water and is not afraid.
He ends off quoting this Hovot HaLevavot, that nature follows the Torah.
The blessings of Bitachon are as natural as atree bearing fruit when rooted by the water.
That’s why we connect all of the blessings and curses to
Im Bechukotai Telechu
If you follow my Torah...
We read this before Shavuot, to strengthen our belief that following the Torah
ונתתי גשמיהם מעתם
I will give you “your rain” in the right time.
The Sror U’meor asks why it says “your rain” why not just “rain? ”
In order to show us the concept that the water is ours. He says a powerful line:
“The nations took us in (after the Spanish Inquisition, which he lived through), because they knew we could bring rain at the right time. It’s our rain.”
The nature of rain depends on whether we accept the Torah. And on that it says,
רק עם חכם ...
Only this nation is considered wise and understanding, the nation that received the Torah.
Have a wonderful day.