The Hovot HaLevavot continues with the fourth introduction: Bitachon in relation to our mitzvot and averot/sins.
The Hovot HaLevavot tells us that someone who relies on G-d, but is a ממרא - a rebel, he’s foolish.
He explains that if we ask someone to do something for us, but we don’t do for this person, that’s the greatest cause for us not getting what we want.
We can go back once again to our airport mashal from Rabbi Bloch: Bitachon is based on the concept that a person comes through for us if he knows that we are counting on him.
So if your friend needs a ride to airport, and he’s counting on you, and he knows you have a car, and you are available at that hour, and you have taken him in the past; although you didn’t say explicitly that you would, if he’s relying on you, proper derech eretz dictates that you’ll come through.
That’s the principle of Bitachon. If we rely on G-d, and G-d knows we are relying on Him, He’ll come through.
But what happens if my friend is relying on me, but last time, when I needed a ride, he never came, and I waited an hour?! It would be very hard for you to rely on someone when in fact you didn’t come through for that person when he counted on you. It’s not impossible, but it’s hard. If someone borrowed money, and never paid it back, should he rely on that lender again? If you didn’t pay him back last time, why should he help you this time? It’s not proper.
The same is true with Bitachon.
*An important clarification must be made though: This doesn’t mean that if you sin, you can’t have Bitachon. We all do wrong at times. No one is perfect. It does mean, though, that you can’t be “a rebel.” You can’t be someone who doesn’t care about Hashem’s will.
We have mentioned that the Chafetz Chaim says Bitachon is not dependent on merits. He says, even if a person is not perfect, but he strengthens his reliance on Hashem, Bitachon will protect him.
And as the pasuk in Tehilim says,
רַבִּ֥ים מַכְאוֹבִ֗ים לָרָ֫שָׁ֥ע וְהַבּוֹטֵ֥חַ בַּה׳ חֶ֝֗סֶד יְסוֹבְבֶֽנּוּ׃
The wicked man has many pains, but if he relies on Hashem, he will be surrounded by G-d’s kindness. The Chafetz Chaim says we can’t be rebels.
G-d doesn’t say He’ll only save you if you are sadik, but He does say you can’t be a rebel.
To rely on Hashem, we have to be, as the Hovot HaLevavot says,
שתהיה השגחתו חזקה
Your supervision in G-d’s areas must be strong
והשתדלותו גדולה
And your efforts should be great.
Which is to say that you’re trying. You have to be trying. You can make mistakes but you have to try.
However, to think you can just do whatever you want and then play the Bitachon card is foolish, in the words of the Hovot HaLevavot.
The Rambam’s son includes many quotes from pesukim on this topic in his
ספר המספיק לעובדי השם
He quotes David HaMelech who said:
בטח בה׳ ועשה טוב
Rely on Hashem and do good.
And he says that in the times of the Hurban, the people made a mistake. They had Bitachon but it was misplaced. They relied on the false prophets. He quotes Yirmiyahu, who said, (ז׳ד
אל תבטחו לכם אל דברי השקר לאמר היכל ה׳
Don’t rely on false words. We have the Bet HaMikdash.
כי אם היטיב תיטיבו את דרכיכם ואת מעלליכם וכו׳
Fix yourselves and then I’ll dwell with you.
You think you can kill, steal, lie and worship idols and then you come to Me and say I’m good?” It doesn’t work that way. We need a relationship with Hashem in order to have Bitachon.
We are now in the three weeks, a time when it’s appropriate to talk about these topics.
Our Bitachon has to be real. There has to be a relationship.
Just like in our mashal, where if you didn’t pick your friend up, you can’t rely on him, and you can’t rely on G-d if you don’t have a relationship with Him.