We continue to quote from the sefer Emunah and Bitachon by the Chazon Ish. He says that one of the great challenges of bitachon is to know how much hishtadlut/effort to do. What is the necessary effort I have to put forth? Sometimes I have to do it, sometimes I'm not allowed to do it. There is a claim against one of the greatest Baalei Bitachon, Yosef HaSaddik, because he asked the Sar Hamashkim/chamberlain to help him.
What did he do wrong?
The Chazon Ish says that Yosef knew that everything comes from Hashem, and he knew that he had to do hishtadlut just to cover up the miracle, because we can't rely on miracles. So what was wrong?
He says that what was wrong was that the pasuk that describes Yosef’s problem calls Yosef a man who puts his reliance on Hashem.
The mistake of Yosef was that the Sar Hamashkim presented an opportunity, but the nature of this man was not to be a helper. Even when he did help him, he was negative, he only remembered him two years later, and only when he had no choice. So, the Chazon Ish says that this act of Yosef came from ye’ush/despair.
Someone who's in despair will grab at anything, even something that's very far. Some people grab at straws. Lo Alenu, when people are in very dire straits, they'll go with some crazy nonconventional methods… anything, who knows what.
He says That is not hishtadlut. Hishtadlut is something that's done with a clear head, measured and not with a sense of urgency or despair.
This is another important, bitachon defining factor. How someone does his hishtadlut is an indication.
It says that Moshe Rabbenu complained against the Meraglim even though they were doing their hishtadlut. Why ?
The pasuk in Devarim 1,22, says
וַתִּקְרְב֣וּן אֵלַי֮ כֻּלְּכֶם֒ וַתֹּאמְר֗וּ נִשְׁלְחָ֤ה אֲנָשִׁים֙ לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ־לָ֖נוּ אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ ץ
And you all came in front of me and said, let's send messengers to search out the land.
Says Rashi, they came in a mixture.
That what does a mixture mean? The youngsters were pushing the elders, the elders were pushing the youngsters… Everyone came in a hullaballoo, in a panic state. Hishtadlut that comes in a panic state, the state of despair is an indicator that it's not coming from bitachon. And that's what went wrong with Yosef.
These are all important lessons and important indicators in how to understand our bitachon.
Like we said, it's very hard to tell.
Two people may be doing the exact same activities- one is a Baal Bitachon and one is not, and only God knows. Have a wonderful day.