This is the third unit of lessons from the Navi Yirmiyah, (Chapter 17).
The Navi tells us about the man that does not have a Bitachon:
(יא) קֹרֵא דָגַר וְלֹא יָלָד
There is a certain bird that sits on eggs that aren’t hers. She didn’t lay them, but she sits and incubates them. When the eggs hatch, and the chicks come out, they just fly away because she’s not their mother.
So too, עֹשֶׂה עשֶׁר וְלֹא בְמִשְׁפָּט -Someone who makes money illegally,
בַּחֲצִי יָמָיו יַעַזְבֶנּוּ -It will leave him in mid-life.
Money has wings. It knows who its mother is. It knows who honestly earned it it.
Yesterday, I was giving a class on Bitachon in a different venue, and a man told a story about how he was buying a house from a person and they had a deal. Then the person reneged, although they had already shaken hands, and asked for an additional half -million dollars. Because this house fit his needs, and he wanted to move into that neighborhood, he had no choice but to pay the extra money. Later, he found out that the man took the half-million dollars, that he had claimed he needed for his business, invested it in the stock market, and lost it all.
That doesn’t always happen, but as this man’s story shows, ultimately, if the money is earned illegally, it will separate from the person.
The Bet HaLevi tells us that a fundamental benefit of bitachon is that the person realizes that he will see no benefit from any money made dishonestly. It won’t bring beracha or success. This is the lesson that the Navi is telling the man who says he can’t keep shemittah, because he thinks he’s in charge. He’s going to make his money illegally and he thinks it’ll bring him success.
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The next lesson is that
(יב) כִּסֵּא כָבוֹד מָרוֹם
G-d’s throne is very high and lofty,
מָרוֹם מֵרִאשׁוֹן מְקוֹם מִקְדָּשֵׁנוּ:
But as high and lofty as G-d is, He dwelt down here in the Bet Hamikdash
He dwells down here and is involved.
It’s interesting that we say the beracha Asher Yatzar, we say גלוי וידוע לפני כסא כבודיך
It’s revealed beforeYour holy throne, that even in something as unbecoming as using a restroom, G-d is there watching.
The next pasuk says,
(יג) מִקְוֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל יְדֹוָד
G-d is the hope of the Jewish people.
Mikveh can mean hope or purity, and the Ramchal explains that our hope can purify us.
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But, the Navi tells us, those people that leave G-d,
עָזְבוּ מְקוֹר מַיִם חיים
They don’t realize that G-d is the real source, the real wellspring.
The last pasuk of this Haftara, which is very pertinent to our times is,
(יד) רְפָאֵנִי יְדֹוָד וְאֵרָפֵא
Heal me Hashem, and I will be healed.
הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי וְאִוָּשֵׁעָה
Save me and I will be saved
כִּי תְהִלָּתִי אָתָּה:
Because You are my praise.
This text may sound familiar, because it’s actually the format for the beracha we say three times a day for the healing of the sick.
We say רפאנו ה׳ ונושעה, in plural, because the Amidah isn’t just for us as individuals. All the Berachot of the Amidah are for the entire Jewish people.
We say הושעינו –“save me “because “You are our praise.”
What does this mean?
Rashi says it means, “I pride myself, and glorify myself, that You are my salvation.”
The Radak says something similar.
- אני מתהלל בך שתצילני מידם:
“I praise myself in You, that You will save me. And I’m proud to declare, and tell everyone, that You will save me. I make that proclamation. I have that bitachon.
I ask Hashem to save me, because I take pride in Your salvation.”
This is another secret of bitachon. The Brisker Rav explains the pasuk ( tehilim perek 13),
ואני בחסדך בטחתי
I rely on your kindness (not because I’m deserving)
יגל לבי בישועתך
My heart is already thrilled in Your salvation (even though the salvation didn’t happen yet). But my heart is thrilled. I’m dancing
אשירה לה׳
I will actually sing a song
כי גמל עלי
When He does it- (He didn’t do it yet).
I’m ready to sing when the salvation comes.
That is one of the secrets to Refuah and Yeshua. We have to invoke these feelings in these trying times. We want these times to come to end, and this is one of the ways to do so: Envision G-d’s salvation. But it’s not enough to just envision ourselves back in school, back in work and back in shul. We have to be thrilled and rejoicing about it already (even though it didn’t happen yet). That’s how sure we are of Hashem’s salvation.
Have a wonderful day.