We have spent many lessons discussing the first benefit of bitachon, which is: if you don’t rely on G-d and you rely on others instead, you’re placed in their hands- you’re limited by their limitations. If, instead of relying on Hashem you rely yourself, you’re limiting yourself. You may not enjoy what you have and it won’t be to its fullest potential.
The second benefit of relying on Hashem is that, as the Hovot HaLevavot tells us:
שהבוטח באלהים תביאנו הבטחתו עליו שלא יעבוד זולתו, ושלא יקוה לאיש, ולא ייחל לבני אדם, ולא יעבדם להתרצות אליהם, ולא יחניף להם, ולא יסכים עמהם בבלתי עבודת האלהים:
The one that relies on G-d won’t have to serve other people, hope to other people or flatter others, and they don’t have to agree with others if they’re in the wrong.
The one who relies on Hashem is not afraid of people, and does what he has to do.
Rabbi Ashear tells the story of a man who had been working at a company for many years and knew a lot about his fellow co-workers. His boss would constantly try to get him to “spill the beans” about the other employees. The boss wanted to hear gossip. The man understood that this type of talk was not permitted under the laws of Lashon Hara, so time and again, he refused to say anything of the sort to his boss.
The boss began harassing him because of this. One day he even locked the worker out of his office, but the worker didn’t give in.
After a few months of butting heads, the boss entered this worker’s office with a smile, relating that he just been transferred to a different division in the company. He needed an honest and dependable person to assume new responsibilities. He was appointing this worker, because he had proven himself in that he responded to a higher authority. The boss felt he could trust him. This worker, who wasn’t afraid of standing up to his superior when he was clear about right and wrong, ended up with a raise and promotion.
He was shown first hand that when you’re not afraid of anyone but Hashem, Hashem protects you.
This is a benefit of Bitachon.
Throughout life one of the greatest impediments for people trying to serve G-d properly or do the right thing is peer pressure. People worry about what others will say, or think “how can I get married, find a job etc if I don’t—-”
On the other hand, someone who has Bitachon is relieved from those pressures.
There’s a story about a man from the Yad Yosef Torah Center of Brooklyn that clearly illustrates this point. This man we’ll call him Joe, had an appointment with a Walmart buyer during the Omer, so he didn’t shave. En route to Walmart, he came across an acquaintance from his community, we’ll call him Abe, who looked at Joe with his unkempt beard and asked why he hadn’t shaved. Abe wondered about how someone could go into Walmart headquarters looking like that.
Joe replied that he was following the Halacha and it would be fine.
Sure enough, Joe got to meet with the buyer first. The buyer gave him a funny look and asked about the beard. Joe replied that he was following a religious law that forbade shaving at that time of year. The buyer replied that, having respect for religion, he could understand that, and they went on with their meeting.
Next up for an appointment was clean-shaven Abe, who, upon entering the meeting was asked, “Aren’t you an Orthodox Jew? Where’s your beard?”
Abe had shaved in order to impress the buyer and fit in, but the flattery didn’t work. It backfired.
When you do the right thing and you rely on Hashem, you have nothing to worry about. That’s another benefit and power of Bitachon.