The Danger of Lacking Bitachon

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

In Parashas Shelach, the Jewish nation sent spies to scout Eretz Yisrael. Moshe instructed the spies to see if the people were strong or weak, if the land was fertile or barren, and how difficult it would be to conquer. The spies returned, reporting that the land was beautiful, flowing with milk and honey. They displayed the awe-inspiring fruits of the land. However, they added, “The nations are mighty, and their cities have unassailable fortifications.” They reported that the Jews did not stand a chance of conquering Eretz Yisrael.

The spies were punished severely for this report, dying gruesome deaths. What did they do wrong, though? They were sent to report what they saw, and this was what they saw! Why should they be punished for fulfilling their mission?

The Ramban explains that the problem wasn’t what they said, but rather how they said it. It was true that conquering the land would be difficult. However, concluding that they had no chance of victory was a denial of Hashem’s omnipotence. This statement impacted heavily on the nation, weakening the bitachon (trust in Hashem) of the common people. This warranted severe punishment.

Rav Chanoch Leibowitz comments that we see from the Ramban’s explanation how great an impact a statement can have on others. Saying that the nation was unable to conquer the land diminished the level of bitachon that the Jews possessed. We must be cautious and aware of the potential effect our words may have on others. A single word can affect years of work on bitachon! The Tiferes Yisrael (Avos 3) says that when we converse with others, our primary goal should be to bring about closeness to Hashem. Certainly, we must ensure that our words don’t achieve the opposite, G-d forbid.

HaRav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, the Steipler Gaon, writes in Chayei Olam that the purpose of his sefer is to clarify principles of emunah (faith in and knowledge of Hashem) and disprove heretical ideas. Still, at times he omitted certain issues, because addressing them would require explaining them first. Exposing a person to heretical ideas, even for the purpose of discrediting them, can cause great harm. Even those who are not struggling with emunah can be shaken by a thought of heresy. Rav Kanievsky writes that one newspaper article can impact a person’s emunah for years. He adds that the primary reason that the youth have difficulties with emunah is that they are not aware of how fragile it is, and are not careful enough to guard it properly.

Unfortunately, it is also possible to negatively influence ourselves. The Michtav M’Eliyahu says that we can weaken our own bitachon by putting in excessive effort to succeed in worldly matters. This can cause us to lose sight of the omnipotence of the Creator Who runs the world. He cites the Ramban, who says that though sending the spies seemed like the normal effort required to conquer the land, it was actually the nation’s first mistake. Hashem had done great miracles for them in Egypt and the desert, and He told them that they would conquer Eretz Yisrael. What were they worried about? Hashem was clearly with them every step of the way! Despite this, they chose not to rely on Him, but rather on military strategy. The act of sending the spies was the start of their drop in bitachon.

The Michtav M’Eliyahu acknowledges that we have an obligation to make appropriate efforts. Still, we must never deny our utter reliance on Hashem. If we focus too heavily on the effort, we may unwittingly lose some of our bitachon. We must constantly assess whether we are still putting our faith in Hashem, or in our own efforts instead.

The world requires us to exert ourselves to survive. This creates a risk of being too involved in these endeavors. Hashem has given us the tool that we need to succeed, though: davening! The Ramchal (Derech Hashem 4:5) teaches that davening to Hashem is the true method for obtaining success. We should view our davening as the primary effort, and other activities as secondary. Starting off our day davening to Hashem for everything we need will help us remember that anything that happens is in His Hands. No one has the power to help or hurt us without His allowing it. Whether we want to learn well or close a business deal, the most important effort we can make is davening! This outlook will enable us to be constantly aware of our dependence on Hashem.

The Chazon Ish writes that we can greatly strengthen our relationship with Hashem by training ourselves to daven for things whenever we feel any lack or need. We can take a moment before starting any task to ask Hashem to assist us, and thank Him for every gift that comes our way. This will increase our dependence on Him, and also prevent us from getting caught up in our own efforts.

My father would constantly work to make sure that his bitachon in Hashem wasn’t slipping. After he passed away, we discovered many letters that he had written to himself. A note that made a deep impression on me was a rebuke that he gave to himself for being afraid: “How can you be afraid when Hashem is with you?” Thus, he affirmed his complete reliance on Hashem.

May we be zocheh to build our bitachon in Hashem!

NEW! HOT OFF THE PRESS! Rabbi Krieger’s “Gedolei Yisroel on the Parashah & Yamim Tovim” is now available from the Yeshiva office. Coming soon to a Jewish Bookstore near you. We will let you know when it is available to order online.