Daily Dose of
Bitachon: The Power of "Yesh Li Kol"
Welcome to the
Daily Dose of Bitachon. We are continuing the topic of the difference between
the approach of Yaakov and the approach of Eisav.
Yaakov's
approach is "Yesh li kol"—I have everything. The
opposite of this is "V'chol zeh einenu shoveh li"—all this
is worthless to me. As we discussed, the negative theme of the month of
Tammuz is "this is all worthless to me," and Yaakov Avinu is the
polar opposite.
Yaakov Avinu:
The Father of Bitachon
Seforim say
that Yaakov Avinu represents the ultimate level of bitachon (trust in
God) among the Avot. As it says in Tehillim:
"Yaancha Hashem
b'yom tzarah, yesgavecha shem Elohei Yaakov"
(Hashem should answer you at a time of difficulty; you should be strengthened
by the God of Yaakov).
Yaakov Avinu is
singled out because he went through intense challenges—with Eisav, Lavan,
Dinah, and Yosef—and survived them all through his bitachon. He is the
father of bitachon.
He is also the
archetype of one who is mistapek b'muat—happy with just a little bit.
When you have true bitachon, you realize everything is from Hashem, so
you can be genuinely happy with the smallest amount.
- Yaakov
only asked Hashem for the essentials: beged lilvosh, lechem leechol
(garments to wear, bread to eat).
- He stated,
"Katonti mikol hachasadim" (I have been diminished by all
the kindness You have given me). Yaakov Avinu views everything as
an undeserved kindness, and that is precisely how he ends up having
everything.
- When he
responds to Eisav, he says, "Ki chanani Elokim" (God was
gracious to me). The word chanan comes from the language of matnat
chinam (a free gift).
If you realize
that everything is a gift and that you don't inherently deserve anything, then
you feel like you have everything.
Rav Shach's
Insight: How to Have Everything
I'd like to
share a beautiful thought in the name of Rav Shach, who asks a powerful
question on the Mishnah:
"Eizehu ashre?
Hasameach b'chelko" (Who is wealthy? The one who is
happy with his lot).
Rav Shach asks:
How can anyone naturally be happy with their lot? The nature of a person is "yesh
lo maneh, rotzeh matayim"—if you have a hundred, you want two hundred.
He answers that
the one who is sameach b'chelko is someone who views himself as owning
absolutely nothing. If you have a hundred, you feel you need two hundred. But
if you have zero, you need zero.
How does a
person achieve a state of having nothing? By realizing that everything belongs
to HaKadosh Baruch Hu and is merely on loan. Once you realize you own nothing,
you can appreciate everything as a gift.
The Symbolism
of the Kosher Animal
The Vilna Gaon
shares a fascinating thought regarding why a kosher animal must chew its cud.
Chewing the cud symbolizes being happy with what one already has. To chew the
cud means to ruminate.
The kosher
animal ruminates and ruminates on what it has already consumed; it is not
constantly looking for what it lacks. It's like the concept taught by Rabbi
Avigdor Miller: re-chewing and appreciating the apple, over and over again. It
is the art of appreciating what you have, rather than looking for what you
don't have.
In contrast,
non-kosher animals are predators. They are never satisfied and are always
hunting for more.
Tamim Tihyeh:
Simplicity and Completeness
The Torah
states, "Lo nachash b'Yaakov" (There is no magic/serpent
activity in Yaakov). As we mentioned yesterday, the nachash (snake)
symbolizes Eisav. The snake is the voice that says, "I don't have
anything; Chava, you don't have anything."
The Torah
forbids nichush (superstition and predicting the future through
sorcery). Instead of acting like the nations who rely on these practices, we
are commanded: "Tamim tihyeh im Hashem Elokecha" (Be
whole/simple with Hashem your God).
Our Sages note
the connection: Yaakov is described as an "ish tam yoshev ohalim"
(a wholesome man, dwelling in tents). He is the ultimate example of being tam—complete.
Because he is complete, he doesn't need to look outside or try to predict the
future. Tamim tihyeh means to walk simply with God, but it also means to
be complete with God. If you know you have everything you need right now, you
have no reason to look to future-tellers.
Amalek, Haman,
and the Power of "Li"
The force of
Haman is the force of Amalek. The Torah says of Amalek, "Asher karcha
b'derech." While this means he cooled you down, karcha also
comes from the word mikreh (coincidence). Amalek claims that everything
is a coincidence. Similarly, by Haman, the Megillah uses the phrase "Asher
karahu" (what happened to him). Haman viewed everything as random
chance, not directed by God.
If nothing is
directed by God, you naturally fall into the trap of, "This is all
worthless to me." As we mentioned yesterday, Haman said, "V'chol
zeh einenu shoveh li." He completely missed the concept of "li"—the
realization that God does everything specifically for me.
- We say in
the morning blessings: "She'asah li kol tzarki" (Who has
provided for me all my needs). God provides exactly what I need,
directly to me.
- This is
also the core message of Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus): "Ba'avur
zeh asah Hashem li" (Because of this, Hashem did for me
when I left Egypt). God deals with us individually.
- Hashem
speaks in the singular form: "Asher hotzeiticha" (I took you
[singular] out of Egypt).
The rasha
(wicked person) in the Haggadah is a kofer b'ikar (denier of the
foundation) because he rejects this concept. He says, "What is this
service to you?"—excluding himself. Therefore, we tell him: "Li
v'lo lo" (For me, and not for him). You are not part of this mindset
because you don't understand the li.
The Connection
Between Pesach and Tisha B'Av
It is a
well-known calendar fact that the first night of Pesach always falls out on the
exact same night of the week as Tisha B'Av. This is one of the reasons we place
a roasted egg on the Seder plate—it symbolizes mourning, connecting the joy of
the Seder to the solemnity of Tisha B'Av.
While the
simple connection is that we lost on Tisha B'Av what we originally gained at
Yetziat Mitzrayim, we can suggest a deeper connection based on yesterday's
discussion: The spiritual struggle between Yaakov and Eisav's ministering angel
took place on the night of Tisha B'Av.
Furthermore,
the commentaries point out that when Yaakov Avinu slept at Beit El and had his
powerful dream of the ladder, that night was also Tisha B'Av. The Torah says he
took twelve stones and placed them around his head, and they miraculously fused
into one single rock because the stones quarreled, each wanting the tzaddik
to rest his head on them.
On Tisha B'Av,
there is a custom to sleep with a stone under one's head instead of a pillow.
Yaakov Avinu initiated this tikun (rectification). By bringing the
separate stones representing the separate tribes together into one, he
rectified the spiritual root of Tisha B'Av. Yaakov takes Tisha B'Av—the day
associated with the vulnerability to Eisav—and elevates it back to a day of "Ba'avur
zeh asah Hashem li."
Conclusion
To sum up our
theme: The negative energy of the month of Tammuz is thinking like Eisav,
Haman, and the snake—the mindset of constant lack and dissatisfaction. The
counter-force to this is the approach of Yaakov Avinu. It is the understanding
that we truly have everything, that God has graced us completely, and that we
can "chew our cud," remain whole, and recognize that everything we
have is exactly what we need.
