We continue with pesukei bitachon and we are now in Tehilim that 62,9.
בִּטְח֘וּ ב֤וֹ בְכׇל־עֵ֨ת ׀ עָ֗ם שִׁפְכֽוּ־לְפָנָ֥יו לְבַבְכֶ֑ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים מַֽחֲסֶה־לָּ֣נוּ סֶֽלָה
Rely on Him at all times, Nation. Pour your hearts in front of Him. God will forever be a refuge for us.
What does it mean to rely on Him at all times? The Chida, in his commentary on Tehilim tells us all times means whether things are good or bad. When things are bad, it's usually because we're not behaving. And therefore, he says, the pasuk says we should Pour your heart in front of Him. Heart לבבכם, is spelled with 2 ב which means both hearts, the two Yetzers/inclinations, the good and the bad, and commit yourself to change. He says, even though you didn't change yet, by committing yourself to change, you already become a Sadik Gamur. And when that happens, God will be your refuge and the negative judgment will turn around to mercy.
When things are not going well, it says, check into your deeds.
The Chida is telling us, check into your deeds and then rely on Him and things will turn around.
The Sefer Ikarim 4,46 says a similar thought. He says, rely on Hashem at all times-When things are good and when things are bad. When things are good, everything's going great. Wonderful, I love Hashem! But, even when things are not going well, continue to rely on Him.
That's the test- to see if you continue to stay strong and love Him, even when things are not going well. So rely on Him in the difficult times, and rely on Him in the good times.
It’s interesting, in the beginning of Hovot Halevavot/Duties of the Heart in a discussion of the the duties of the heart, he lists different things we have to do in our hearts. One of them is Rely on Him. And he says, rely on Him and give our souls over to Him, which means that we should rely on Him in whatever He does. That’s ultimate bitachon- I'm happy with what He gives me. I'm giving myself over to Him. I surrender to God's will.
And the Hovot Halevavot, the king of bitachon, brings this pasuk as proof:
בִּטְח֘וּ ב֤וֹ בְכׇל־עֵ֨ת ׀ עָ֗ם שִׁפְכֽוּ־לְפָנָ֥יו לְבַבְכֶ֑ם אֱלֹהִ֖ים מַֽחֲסֶה־לָּ֣נוּ סֶֽלָה
Rely on Hashem in all times, Pour your hearts in front of Him, which means give yourself over to Him.
According to the Hovot Halevavot, this pasuk is the ultimate in Bitachon, of giving yourself over to Him.
The Sefat Emet in Devarim, on his commentaries on Sukkot in the year 5645 says this pouring your heart is symbolized in the Bet Hamikdash on Succot when they would Nisuch Hamayim-they would pour the water in front of God. The Zohar says this symbolizes the water down here and the waters above in the heavens, which God split on day two of Creation. The waves of the oceans go upwards saying, Why can't we come close to God like our cousins up there in the heavens that are close to God? And God says, “We’ll use you and bring you close and pour you on the Mizbe’ach on Succot.”
So the holiday of Succot symbolizes that yearning to come closer to God when we spill and pour the water. And when you have that yearning to come close to Hashem, Hashem becomes a source of refuge for you, which is the holiday Sukkot, when we go under the Succah, under the refuge of God, and God protects us and gives us blessing for the whole year.
This is how he reads the pasuk
בִּטְח֘וּ ב֤וֹ בְכׇל־עֵ֨ת ׀ עָ֗ם שִׁפְכֽוּ־לְפָנָ֥יו לְבַבְכֶ֑ם ָ
Rely on Him at all times.
Pour your hearts in front of Him, yearn for his connection and closeness, and then,
אֱלֹהִ֖ים מַֽחֲסֶה־לָּ֣נוּ סֶֽלה
even when God is at this point of justice (as the Chida says, Elokim means Middat HaDin) He will turn around and become an everlasting refuge for us, because we pour our hearts out towards Him in yearning to come closer to Him.
Have a wonderful day.