The Gemarah in Masechet Ketubot tells us, “The handiwork of Sadikim is greater than that of the Heaven and earth.”
That means that Hashem is more impressed with, and has a greater appreciation for what we do, than what He does.
He was referring, there, to the building of the Mishkan versus creation of the world. But exactly what does it mean that Hashem is more impressed by our handiwork than His own handiwork?
Rav Shmuel Berenbaum explains it with the following:
Imagine that you wanted to show someone the Seven Wonders of the World. What would you show them? Niagara Falls? The Swiss Alps? The magnificent stalagmite caves? These are all beautiful creations that Hashem made. Yet Rav Birnbaum says that there is a Midrash that discusses when Shaul HaMelech spoke to a sorcerer and brought Shmuel HaNavi down, to ask him about the outcome of the war against the Pelishtim. Shmuel HaNavi told Shaul, “Tomorrow you will be with me.”
In other words, he would go to war and he would not make it.
So Shaul HaMelech went to war knowing that he would die. But he did not avoid G-d’s judgement, and he even brought his children with him. The Midrash says, about this event, “G-d called the Angels and told them-Look at the creature that I created in My world.”
Normally, when a person goes to a party, he is careful not to take his children because he might be afraid of an Eyin Hara. But here, he was going to war and he knew he would die, yet he took his children, and he accepted God’s judgment happily.
Rav Berenbaum says that we see from this that when Hashem wants to show off his world, he shows the human being that he is impressed by. Why? Because, of course G-d’s creations are magnificent. That’s not a Hiddush. He doesn’t have to show that to the angels. The angels know that already. But when there is a human being, of flesh and blood, that overcomes his nature, that overcomes his desire, or that overcomes his love for life and for his children, that is something that is truly magnificent. And Hashem is impressed by that. So when He gave the angels a tour of the world, that is what He showed them. How magnificent!
That is what it means that the handiwork of man is greater than the handiwork of God. And this refers to everything that we do- all of our great deeds.
What does this have to do with Bitachon?
Rav Yechezkel Levenstein, in his sefer Ohr Yechezkel (Darkei Avodah), brings this Midrash down and points out what G-d was specifically impressed by. It was that Shaul accepted God‘s judgment with happiness. That is what Hashem was impressed by. And he says that when somebody accepts Hashem’s judgment, that is a tremendous Kapara/ atonement, and it brings a person to Olam Haba.
Therefore, Rav Haskel says that we should look into ourselves, and ask ourselves whether we want Hashem’s direction and guidance in our lives, or do we just want what we want? Do we accept Mishpat Hashem/ Hashem’s decree? Do we realize that everything in the world that happens to us is Mishpat Hashem?
Like the text of the 13 Ikarim that many have…
אני מאמין באמונה שלימה
I believe with complete belief
שהבורא יתברך שמו
That God Almighty
הוא בורא
He is the Creator
ומנהיג
And the Director
לכל הברואים
Of all His creations
והוא לבדו עשה
And He made
עושה
Is making
ויעשה
And will be making
לכל המעשים
Everything
Everything that happens, or will happen, is just the Will of God.
Therefore, of course, we have the right to rely on Hashem and we have the right to request things, or ask to try and change things.
But when it doesn’t happen, or if someone finds out, like Shaul HaMelech did, that something is not going according to his desire or will, does he accept it? If he does, Hashem says, “Wow! Look at this person! Look at how he accepts My judgment!”
So when we work on our Emunah and Bitachon, and reach the level of accepting God’s will, against our will, when it doesn’t make us happy or comfortable, that’s a sight that Hashem brings the angels down to see.
We can connect to this Midrash to a Zohar that say that on the night of the Seder, God brings His angels to listen to us tell over the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim. Why? What are we doing? We are in Galut now. We are not free people.
But we are gathering together, talking about our Emunah and Bitachon and hoping for a better future. We accept the situation that we are in now, and still believe in God.
“In every generation they are out to get us, Hashem saves us.”
When Hashem sees that Emunah and Bitachon, against all odds, that is what He is impressed by, and that is what He shows off to the angels.
May we all be zoche to be those creatures that God is truly proud of.