Many moons ago, we did a series on Pesukei Bitachon, which are pesukim of bitachon gathered by different rabbis. The goal is to say them and strengthen our bitachon. There are segulot brought down, going back to the Maharal, that they used to say these pesukim when the Jews went out to war, for success in business, and the like. Even in contemporary times, I recently spoke to a successful businessman that told me that in his company, before they make any deals or deal with any challenges, all the workers know to say pesukei bitachon; they say a pasuk three times and concentrate on it and they have many stories of success.
The list that we originally used is based on Rav Yosef Zundel of Salant, in the order of Tanach.
There’s another list, brought down in the Sefer Taharat HaKodesh, by the Maharal, that goes in alphabetical order, which he says is easier to memorize.
So this is going to be our new series, for however long it lasts.
A pasuk a day keeps your depression away!
We will start with tehilim perek מ pasuk ה
(40,5)
אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי הַגֶּ֗בֶר אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣ם יְ֭הֹוָה מִבְטַח֑וֹ וְֽלֹא־פָנָ֥ה אֶל־רְ֝הָבִ֗ים וְשָׂטֵ֥י כָזָֽב
Fortunate is the one that places Hashem as his reliance. He does not turn to the arrogant, and to people that are liars.
The Sefer Avudarham, one of the Rishonim’s commentary on Tefila, finds in all our prayers sources in Navi. Our siddur was written by the Anshei Knesset Hagedola, and they based it a lot on pesukim, and he tells us the sources. The blessing that we say every day of Mishan UMivtach L’Sadikim, which is the blessing of bitachon, ends with the words Mivtach L’Sadikim which comes from this pasuk in tehilim,
אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣ם יְ֭הֹוָה מִבְטַח֑וֹ
from the one who places Hashem as his reliance.
The Kli Yakar ( Bereshit 41,41) is bothered by a question. Why does it say that he places Hashem as his reliance? He relies on Hashem, not he places Hashem as his reliance.
He explains by saying that normally in the way of the world, when a person has a certain quality that is above his friend, he is not interested in someone that's lower than him. He doesn't even talk about him. He's so high and lofty. That is the claim of the philosophers that said that God, due to his great high and exalted position, doesn't look down at this world to anything below the celestial beings.
But it says, quoting Chana, “Don't speak and say that God is high, high.
No that's a mistake. Take that out of your lexicon. God knows exactly what's going on, and He's involved down here making everything happen. And therefore Hashem dwells down in the low people.”
How did Hashem show this? In our Torah, there's an interesting concept called the milui, which means the fullness of a letter. It’s a way to spell the letter. For example, an Alef is spelled Alef, Lamed, Peh
Like ABCD is spelled Ay, Bee, Cee, Dee. There's a numerical value to it. Alef א ל פ has value of 91.
The letter Bet ב is 412, and so on.
The letters that have the smallest value are:
Yud יוד -13
Heh הא 11 and
Vav וו 12
And these smallest numerical values of our 22 letter alphabet are the three letters that God used to create His name. Because the rule is, as the Gemara in Masechet Megila says, wherever you find Hashem's greatness, you find His humility.
So God in His greatness chose the yud and the heh and the vav, and the hey, (which we don't say together) the smallest of letters. Hashem wanted to show that in His name is going to be the proof to dispel that God does not humble Himself. God comes down and lowers Himself. And that's why we say יְ֭הֹוָה מִבְטַח֑וֹ
Not in God, but Hashem’s name itself is what gives me the ability to rely on Him.
That is pasuk number one on the hit parade.
אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי הַגֶּ֗בֶר אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣ם יְ֭הֹוָה מִבְטַח֑וֹ
Fortunate is the one makes Hashem his reliance.
He makes Hashem his reliance because he realizes that Hashem is humble.
It’s interesting that the contrast of the pasuk says,
וְֽלֹא־פָנָ֥ה אֶל־רְ֝הָבִ֗ים וְשָׂטֵ֥י כָזָֽב
He did not turn to the Rehavim-
which refers to arrogant people and people that are liars. That's why this pasuk is a claim against Yosef. Why are you turning to ask the Wine Steward, who's arrogant?
But according to this Kli Yakar, it's beautiful that we contrast God's humility to the arrogance of the other people that we want to rely on. The people that are arrogant aren’t going to help you. They don't care about you. They're high and lofty, they're above you.
So, to give us hizuk, we say,
אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי הַגֶּ֗בֶר אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣ם יְ֭הֹוָה מִבְטַח֑וֹ
Realize you can rely on Hashem. It's not beneath Him to take care of your problems. And the other options, the other people that you might turn to, are people that are high and lofty.
Have a wonderful day.