Chapter One of Shaar Bitachon:
After 107 classes of introduction, we start Chapter One:
אך מהות הבטחון
What is the essence of Bitachon?
מנוחת נפש הבוטח
The Hovot HaLevavot says it in 3 words: Menuchat Nefesh HaBoteach
There is no English word to define it.
Serenity or peace of mind come close, but literally it means
Your Nefesh has Menucha
Your soul is resting.
You’re relaxed, but not just in your mind.
We have within ourselves three basic dimensions:
1- The brain, which is our intellect -our neshama
2-The heart, which is our emotion, our spirit/ruach
3-And our deeper gut - which is our nefesh- it’s the lowest base soul.
It’s the part that reacts automatically, without thinking. When someone cuts you off and you shout, that’s your nefesh. It’s almost the animal in you.
This part, the nefesh, is the least at peace. It’s the part of you that smells pizza and wants to walk right into the pizza store. The nefesh is all over the place.
Menuchat HaNefesh is the ultimate peace. It means that everything is at peace, not just intellectually or emotionally. It’s sitting on a beach, sipping a drink, after you’ve cashed out your business, married off your tenth child and can sit and reminisce with your spouse. To get there- that’s Menuchat Nefesh.
Haman had it for a brief moment. Before he saw Mordechai, he had
טוב לב. It was all great. But it didn’t last. All his peace became worthless when he saw Mordechai and said:
וכל זה אינני שוה לי
The Baal Bitachon, on the other hand, has this at all times. It’s the definition of Bitachon.
It’s our end goal. We just have to learn how to get there.
The great rabbis we read about that were able to make kiddush with a steady hand, not spilling a drop, while bombs were falling all around them; that’s Bitachon.
How do we reach that? The Hovot HaLevavot says we can get there because we know there’s someone we’re relying on.
Of course, that Someone is Hashem, but the Hovot HaLevavot doesn’t actually mention G-d right away.
First, in the following two chapters, he will define what reliance is.
He says:
שיהיה לבו סמוך על מי שבטח עליו
My heart is leaning on the one I trust in.
Why?
שיעשה הטוב והנכון לו בענין אשר יבטח עליו
Because this Entity will do what’s good and proper for me, in whatever I rely on him for.
So for example, it’s the person I know will pick up my kids, make my grocery order etc. I don’t get frazzled because I can count on Him. When the holiday is coming, I don’t worry because I have Hashem. He takes care of everything. I am always calm.
The Baal Bitachon knows that
כפי יכלתו ודעתו במה שמפיק טובתו
He does the best of his abilities
I rely on him in all areas.
This is the mind set of Baal Bitachon.
It’s a long journey to get there. But that’s where we want to go.