We have been discussing how the Baal Bitachon looks to nature and gets hizuk.
The Hovot HaLevavot next mentions two words:
והדגים במים
The fish in the sea. Where do the fish get their food?
We go back to science class today to study symbiotic relationships- these are a type of interaction between two species which are beneficial to both. In other words: Different creatures help each other.
One example of symbiosis is the Moray eel and its companion the cleaner shrimp. As they swim along together, the shrimp removes dead skin and parasites from the eel, even within the eel’s mouth. This provides food for shrimp, and a good healthy cleaning for the eel. They both benefit.
Another example is the clown fish and the sea anemone.
The sea anemone is a poisonous sea creature that resembles a plant full of swaying tentacles. Any animal or fish that swims into it is paralyzed and eaten- except the clown fish. The clown fish cleans the sea anemone, and the sea anemone protects the clown fish from predators. G-d made it that they help each other.
In these symbiotic relationships very often the fish that the smaller animal is feeding off of is a killer. For example, as mentioned above, Hashem worked it out that the cleaner shrimp’s food is found between the teeth of the eel. If not for this mutual relationship, the eel would probably eat the shrimp. The only creature he lets in is the one that’s his dentist. How does he know?
נפלאות הבורא-The wonders of Hashem!
Hashem instilled in these creatures the instincts to get along in these symbiotic relationships.
Another point about fish that Baalei Mussar teach is that one might expect that as large fish chase their prey, if one were to cut open a large fish, he’d see the smaller fish lying in the belly head to head, tail to tail, since it pursues it’s prey in that direction. However, lo and behold, the majority of the fish found in the bellies of most fish seem to have entered head first, as if they swam right into the mouth of the fish. So we see, Hashem clearly sent them in. It wasn’t the prey they were chasing that they ate but the food Hashem sent them.
In all of this science, we see how it relates to our Bitachon: If G-d gave food to the cleaner shrimp in wondrous ways, with these symbiotic relationships, can’t he take care of us?
These symbiotic relationships were set up by Hashem in nature to take care of these animals. And Hashem can also take care of us.
Additionally, we must realize symbiosis is not only found in animals. Our recent Chavrutah night at the Yad Yosef Torah Center is a beautiful example of symbiosis. Each partner learns and gains from the other.
As we learn: מתלמידה יותר מקולם. I gain more from my students than anyone else.
We feed off of each other. No one should feel they’re the second tier guy in the chevrutah. In our religion we all gain from each other.