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Today we'll discuss two other Torah sources for the Mitzvah of Bitachon. As we mentioned, the opening words of the Bet Halevi are that Bitachon is a Mitzvat Aseh/Positive Command, and it's sourced many places. He doesn't tell us what they are. The source for the negative command, as we mentioned from Rabbenu Yonah, is, Don’t be afraid when you go to war, which he applies to other situations.
Rabbenu Avraham, the Rambam's son, in his commentary on the Torah in Devarim, brings down the pasuk of the manna, where it says that one of the things that we have to remember is how God afflicted us. He let us be hungry and He fed us the manna that ‘you or forefathers did not know.’ We survived for 40 years in the desert in order that you should know that man does not live on bread alone. According to many, that is a daily requirement, and in many siddurim it says to remember the manna every single day.
The lesson of the manna is that God provides in all types of ways, regardless of how much or how little we do. Ultimately, you get what Hashem decided you're supposed to get. Those 40 years in the desert were to train us in Bitachon and we're supposed to remember it. We're supposed to continuously have Bitachon and rely on Hashem.
This is one of the sources for Bitachon- the manna attitude. And athough we don't see the manna in an open miracle today, we have it in a hidden way.
The second source that we'll discuss today is Rav Yitzhak M’Korvil, known as the Samak, which is an acronym for his Sefer Mitzvot Hakatzar/ the short version of the Mitzvot, his list of 613 Mitzvot. The first mitzvah he counts is Anochi Hashem Elokecha, Asher Hotzeticha M’Eretz Mitzrayim/ I am Hashem your God that took you out of Egypt.
He's bothered by a famous question, Why does it say ‘I am Hashem your God that took you out of Egypt,’ and not, “I am Hashem your God Who created you?”
He explains that it's not just a Mitzvah to believe in God as the Creator of the world, but to believe in God as your God, who, when you have a problem, takes you out of the problem. So God told us, ‘I am Hashem your God that took you out of Egypt, and just like I took you out then, I will do it in the future. Rely on Me that I can do that again, in any situation that you're in.
So built into the first commandment that we heard at Har Sinai is this concept of Bitachon.
He goes on to answer a question. The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat 31A discusses that after 120 years, when a man is brought to Bet Din shel Maala/ the Court Above, they're going to ask him various questions.
-Did you deal honestly in business?
-Did you involve yourself in procreation?
- Did you set aside time for learning? One of the questions is, Sipita L’Yeshua/Did you look forward to God's salvation?
As we'll see later on in the Bet Halevi, this doesn't just mean looking forward to God's salvation of the Jewish people at large, in a global sense, but also- Did you look forward to God's salvation in your own individual challenges and problems? Peole wonder, how could this be one of the six questions that we’ll be asked, if we were never told about it? Where does it say that I have to look forward to Hashem’s salvation?
The answer is, built into that first Mitzvah of I am Hashem, your God, that took you out of Egypt, is, ‘I took you out then and I will continue to take care of you. Therefore, rely on Me. I’m telling you what I have done for you, and implied in that is I that I will continue to do it in the future as well- count on Me for that.’
That is our second source for the positive commandment of Bitachon.
It becomes quite evident why remembering Yetziat Mitzrayim every single day is so important- because it’s the fundamental, not just that God created the world and God runs the world, but that God took care of us and saved us in our time of need and will continue to do so.
Have a wonderful day.
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