Bitachon Mei’Hishtadlus Al Pi Halacha

Rabbi Twersky the Shabbat those of us that were here for Shabbos had the wonderful opportunity to be able to hear him. I'll just say that there are several rabbeim here who very much look up to Rabbi Twersky as a rebbe of theirs and have had the zchus of learning a lot of Torah and a lot of hadracha from Rabbi Twersky over the years. There's always something uniquely powerful and special about being able to host him here in our yeshiva so many great talmidim of our yeshiva have had the zchus and continue to have the zchus of learning by him and it's an enormous opportunity and we very much appreciate Rabbi Twersky for not just coming for Shabbos but for coming back again now for us to be able to hear Torah from him. So thanks so much rebbe and looking forward to the shiur. The halacha consists of many many details, individual discrete halachos. And obviously every one is indispensable, invaluable. But in addition to all the crucial and indispensable details of halacha, halacha also there are certain very basic and fundamental axioms, overarching principles. And some sugyas reveal not only again the many pivotal details of halacha but also will reveal one of those axioms, one of those overarching principles. And we're going to try to take a look briefly בעזרת השם בלי נדר at such a sugya or sugyos in the plural. In Parshat Shoftim כי תצא למלחמה על אויביך you're going to wage war וראית סוס ורכב עם רב ממך you see an overwhelming overpowering force that you're up against, much greater, much more numerous, much stronger than your forces. Lo Sira Meihem the Torah says not to be afraid כי השם אלוקיך עמך המעלך מארץ מצרים because Hakadosh Baruch Hu is on your side. והיה כקרבכם אל המלחמה ונגש הכהן ודבר אל העם when you approach the battlefield so the Kohen Mashuach Milchama speaks to the people.

ואמר אליהם שמע ישראל אתם קרבים היום למלחמה על אויביכם

you're about to engage in battle

אל ירך לבבכם אל תיראו ואל תחפזו ואל תערצו מפניהם

don't be timid, don't be afraid, don't be overwhelmed, don't be broken.

כי השם אלוקיכם ההולך עמכם להלחם לכם עם אויביכם להושיע אתכם

because regardless of what weaponry and what manpower the other side has, Hakadosh Baruch Hu is fighting on your side. Then the Torah concludes on the following note

והיה ככלות השוטרים לדבר אל העם ופקדו שרי צבאות בראש העם

after the Kohen Mashuach Milchama spoke so then the shotrim spoke from pasuk hey to chet and they list the various dispensations, right? מי האיש אשר בנה בית חדש Asher Eyras Isha Asher Nata Kerem et cetera. And then after the shotrim speak so then the commanding officers are appointed. So the Ramban comments as follows. On pasuk daled hey the Ramban comments v'ta'am. Ta'am in the Ramban usually doesn't mean reason the way we're accustomed to it means the substance, the substance. The ta'am of food isn't the reason of food, you know, the ta'am of the buffalo wings isn't the reason for the buffalo wings. It's not clear what the reason for the buffalo wings is, but the ta'am of the buffalo wings. So ta'am in the Ramban also means means the substance

וטעם כי השם אלוקיכם ההולך עמכם להלחם לכם עם אויביכם להושיע אתכם ישירם שלא ירך לבבם ולא יראו מן האויבים.

On the one hand they shouldn't they shouldn't be timid, they shouldn't be afraid. But on the other hand v'yomar the Torah also says that what should displace the fear, what should replace the fear is not

שלא יבטחו בזה בגבורתם לחשוב בלבם גיבורים אנחנו ואנשי חיל למלחמה.

Not that the Torah is telling them don't be afraid, trust in yourselves, trust in your skill, and your bravery, and your ingenuity. רק שישיבו לבם אל השם ויבטחו בישועתו. They should turn to Hakadosh Baruch Hu and they should trust in in His salvation. V'yachshevu, and then the Ramban quotes the pasuk that we know from pesukei d'zimra,

כי לא בגבורת הסוס יחפץ ולא בשוקי האיש ירצה, כי רוצה השם את יראיו את המיחלים לחסדו.

So it's quite clear that the Torah and the Ramban is is elaborating for us, the Torah frames milchama that Hakadosh Baruch Hu fights on our side, which is why there's no reason to fear and which is why we can be confident of prevailing. But then the Ramban notices how the parsha concludes. So after telling us nothing to worry about, trust in Hakadosh Baruch Hu, Hakadosh Baruch Hu is fighting for you, so seemingly, okay, so let's השם ילחם לכם ואתם תחרישון is how we would expect the parsha to end. Hakadosh Baruch Hu's fighting, you just be quiet. No, but but the Torah ends seemingly it's a non sequitur. Hakadosh Baruch Hu is fighting for you, don't worry about it. Hakadosh Baruch Hu's on your side, but then it says appoint the best commanding officers you can find. So how do you how does this all come together? Says the Ramban, וציווה ופקדו שרי צבאות בראש העם that they should appoint commanding officers, כי התורה תצווה בדרך הארץ. Halacha functions in the natural realm. On a natural plane. Our the mitzvos hatorah, our chiyuvim are to respond on the natural level. Not to retreat into some passive mode because of the supernatural dimension, but we're required, כי התורה תצווה בדרך הארץ, the Torah the Torah commands that we have to confront all situations. Ki hatorah tetzaveh, the the Ramban uses that meaning the Torah habitually. The Ramban's telling us a yesod, that's what we were alluding to before, that that applies not only to this parsha, we'll look at at least one other example together b'li neder im yirtzeh Hashem, but this is a major defining principle and characteristic of halacha. That כי התורה תצווה בדרך הארץ. The Torah demands of us, mitzvos hatorah are are pitched on the on the natural level. We function in the natural world, we don't again retreat into passivity invoking supernatural. Now, the Ramban continues,

כי התורה תצווה בדרך הארץ ותעשה הנסים עם יראיו בהסתר.

When we are active to the fullest on the natural level, so then Hakadosh Baruch Hu uses that to be able to perform nisim nistarim. Now what happens if if we don't do our share? And as it were, we look to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for a nes nigleh? So the Ramban says it's not forthcoming. ואין החפץ לפניו לשנות טבעו של עולם. Hakadosh Baruch Hu created a natural world and He doesn't, as it were, He doesn't like to override that. He doesn't like to kavyachol as it were to resort to the supernatural. ואין החפץ לפניו לשנות טבעו של עולם. At times it absolutely does happen, zulasi says the Ramban, כאשר אין שם דרך בהצלה אחרת. So it's a difficult but we're not going to get into that. There is no other avenue of hatzala. If anyone hasn't gone yet, they need to go right now. Anyone, anyone. zulasi says the Ramban באשר אין שם דרך בהצלה אחרת Hakadosh Baruch Hu will only again kiveyachol as it were Hakadosh Baruch Hu only resorts to a miracle. Hakadosh Baruch Hu is only willing, he's always able obviously, but he's only willing to resort to a miracle if either אין שם דרך בהצלה אחרת, there is no other path, alternately או להודיע שמו לצריו ולאויביו, or if Hakadosh Baruch Hu sees fit to teach the world that there's a Ribono Shel Olam כאשר היה בקריעת ים סוף as Hakadosh Baruch Hu willed to do on that occasion of Krias Yam Suf v'chayoitze bo. So which is it in terms of how do we prevail in milchama? So which is it? Is it the is it the chayalim or is it Hakadosh Baruch Hu? The answer is Hakadosh Baruch Hu insists that it be a partnership. It has to be that התורה תצווה בדרך ארץ. It has to be that that we on the natural level in the natural dimension do whatever we can. And then are we do we delude ourselves into thinking that that that will determine, that that will dictate the outcome? No, it doesn't at all. The outcome is going to be determined by Hakadosh Baruch Hu. But l'idach gisa is that effort absolutely indispensable? Says the Ramban, yes. And that's why on the one hand the Torah says השם אלוקיך עמך הנלחם לכם עם אויביכם. You have nothing to worry about. Don't worry. Don't analyze this in terms of in terms of odds.

כי השם אלוקיכם ההולך עמכם להילחם לכם עם אויביכם להושיע אתכם.

But you should know that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is holech imachem. He's not going out alone to the battlefield. He's going with you. He's holech imachem, which is why the parsha concludes with ופקדו שרי צבאות בראש העם. Ramban has earlier in his perush al haTorah also articulated this again fundamental principle, axiom of halacha. Ramban has an introductory paragraph to Parshas Vayishlach. Ramban writes as follows. Take a look at what he says. ונכתבה הפרשה הזאת להודיע. Why does the Torah record Yaakov Avinu's preparations for his encounter with Esav? What's it all about?

להודיע כי הציל הקדוש ברוך הוא את עבדו וגאלו מיד חזק ממנו

vayishlach malach vayatzileihu. Says the Ramban, you want to know what happened? So here's the here's the gist of it. I'll I'll distill it into a sentence. Hakadosh Baruch Hu saved his eved Yaakov גאלו מיד חזק ממנו. Yaakov again was up against, he was no match for Esav. But then toch k'dei dibur literally Ramban continues and says וללמדנו עוד שהוא הוא יעקב אבינו לא בטח בצדקתו. Yaakov Avinu didn't rely on his righteousness that that I'm so righteous I don't have to do anything. And look at these next four words rabbosai: והשתדל בהצלה בכל יכולתו. And he exerted himself. In modern Hebrew l'hishtadel means to try. In Rabbinic Hebrew it means to exert oneself. In modern Hebrew it's effort, in Rabbinic Hebrew it's exertion. והשתדל בהצלה בכל יכולתו and with every everything that he could muster, he he made effort, he exerted himself to save himself. ויש בה עוד רמז לדורות says the Ramban. Maybe you'll say okay this is a story called the Ma'aseh Avos, it's not so relevant. No. Says the Ramban ויש בה עוד רמז לדורות that the Torah in intends this as a paradigm for all generations

כי כל אשר אירע לאבינו עם עשו אחיו יארע לנו תמיד עם בני עשו,

right the Ramban following through on the Chazal that he had quoted earlier I think maybe the first time in Parshas Lech Lecha about how the lives of the Avos establish paradigms for subsequent Jewish history, and that's what the Ramban is alluding to here as well, and that's why

ויש בה עוד רמז לדורות כי כל אשר אירע לאבינו עם עשו אחיו

everything that happened to Yaakov Avinu with his brother Eisav יארע לנו תמיד עם בני עשו. That's going to be a constant refrain, it's going to be a constant phenomenon of Jewish history.

וראוי לנו לאחוז בדרכו של צדיק שנזמין עצמנו לשלושת הדברים שהזמין הוא את עצמו,

we have to prime ourselves to engage on the same three fronts that Yaakov Avinu did: litefila ledoron ulehatzala. You know diplomacy hasn't changed much in the past few thousand years, Yaakov Avinu sent shlucha to Eisav, and that's the way diplomacy still happens if you followed the news recently, same diplomacy, same methods haven't changed too much. לתפילה לדורון ולהצלה בדרך מלחמה ולברוח ולהינצל. So you have this same paradox, this same combination of elements. On the one hand the Ramban couldn't say more clearly, the Ramban couldn't be more unequivocal: where did the hatzala come from?

כי הציל הקדוש ברוך הוא את עבדו וגאלו מיד חזק ממנו וישלח מלאך ויצילהו.

And yet the Ramban says, but how did Yaakov Avinu react? Yaakov Avinu reacted that he השתדל בהצלה בכל יכולתו. He prepared to wage war, he was ready for war, he trained, he was ready for war, and verauy lanu throughout the generations to emulate that example. Another context in which you find this, again, it's so axiomatic to all of halacha. If without this one misreads all of halacha. Another example where this surfaces in halacha, so the Yerushalmi that reads as follows. Yerushalmi is talking about in a situation of pikuach nefesh. So in a situation of pikuach nefesh Yerushalmi says hazariiz meshubach. The hatzala guys who come running meshubach, right, that's praiseworthy the way that they react with such zerizus. vehanishal, if a rav in his community receives a shayla, it's Shabbos and someone's having chest pain, and he receives a shayla whether or not it's permissible, required, whatever the shayla is to transport the patient to the hospital on Shabbos, so then that means he's been derelict. That reflects unfavorably on him that he hasn't proactively taught these halachos that people should know them. vehashoel, what about the person who stops to ask? A person who has a family member or whatever rachmana litzlan and he stops to ask. Again, it's clearly the person's having chest pains or whatever the symptom which possibly indicates danger is, and the person stops to ask: is it mutter to transport the patient, is it mutter to be mechallel Shabbos for this patient? So look at what the Yerushalmi says rabosai: הרי זה שופך דמים. The simple reading of it is because that hesitation, that delay, can make the difference between life and death. If a person is rachmana litzlan having a heart attack, a few minutes earlier or a few minutes later to the ER can make the difference between life and death. So clearly if vehashoel הרי זה שופך דמים. So that means that we see what's happening on the natural human level as consequential. It's not some kind of charade, but it's absolute consequential. Again, does that mean it's going to be Kochi V'otzem Yadi of hatzala of the ER doctors? No, but it also means that that quick response is absolutely indispensable and is part of what makes the difference potentially between life and death. This Yerushalmi, the reason this Yerushalmi is so well known is because the Mechaber writes it l'halacha in Shulchan Aruch. מי שיש לו חולה שיש בו סכנה, the Mechaber writes here in shin-chaf-ches, מצוה לחלל עליו את השבת. Again, it's not just a dispensation, it's a mitzvah. והזריז הרי זה משובח והשואל הרי זה שופך דמים. And there's no, there's some sometimes in agadic contexts you have a chaf hadimyon. It's k'ilu, it's on some level, on some agadic level there's an equivalence. כל הכועס כאילו עובד עבודה זרה. He's not really oved avoda zara. Chazal don't say it's really tantamount to avoda zara, but you should know that if a person gets angry so he loses self-control, person loses self-control so then he's not going to be able to bear the ol malchus shamayim and ol mitzvos the way he should, so it's כאילו עובד עבודה זרה. But it's k'ilu. Chazal don't drop the k'ilu here. It's just הרי זה שופך דמים. And you don't have that disclaimer. But it's mamash הרי זה שופך דמים. Because of that largely, not exclusively, but largely bitachon in many and arguably most situations, bitachon is primarily a matter of attitude. The bitachon when confronted with a possible life-threatening illness, the bitachon when threatened with a national perilous situation of am rav imcha sworn to your destruction doesn't relieve us of the obligation to להשתדל בהצלה בכל יכולתו to be zariz. Where the bitachon fits in is in the attitude. The attitude, the recognition that with everything we do and its indispensability, ultimately the Ribbono Shel Olam once we do that, he decides. But it's indispensable. So the bitachon is primarily a question of attitude. Now there are cases where bitachon not only is the lens or the attitude but it actually determines the substance of what a person should do. And maybe we'll just take a few more minutes to look at a couple of examples of where bitachon again isn't just an attitude that accompanies the natural course of action but actually dictates a course of action. So let's see as follows. We're now on page two, the end is in sight. ואחר שיצא מבית הכנסת in the morning, after a person finishes davening, yeilech l'beis hamedrash. Optimally before the person goes to work in the morning he should have his kviyas ittim before he goes to work. ואחר שיצא מבית הכנסת, yeilech l'beis hamedrash and v'yikba eis lilmod. Right, so reflecting the famous Gemara in Shabbos with which you're familiar, that בשעה שמכניסין אדם לדין, there are what is it, six questions or something that a person is asked, and one of them is kavi'ata ittim laTorah. So kavi'ata ittim laTorah means not only did you learn Torah, it means not only did you learn Torah daily, but it means did you set aside specific times? Did you have times that were designated for talmud Torah? V'yikba eis lilmod. So let's say for argument's sake, obviously that choice of kviyas ittim needs to be done judiciously, it needs to be done in a calculated manner. So let's say a person knows that he needs to be in. He's gonna daven at the 6:00 minyan. He's gonna daven at a slow minyan, it won't finish until 6:25. And then after that, he'll, after that he'll have his his Kevias Ittim. Okay, he's gonna learn from 6:25 to 7:45. Maybe he doesn't have to go to work till later, he'll learn longer, maybe he can work at home, he doesn't have to allow time to commute, he'll learn longer. Okay, for argument's sake. Viyikba Es Limudo. Vetzarich says the Mechaber, sheyei, sheyei, וצריך שאותה עת יהא קבוע. That time that again that he carefully designated at a time when he anticipates that generally there won't be conflicts in terms of his learning.

צריך שאותה עת יהא קבוע שלא יעבירנו אף אם הוא סבור להרויח הרבה.

But even if then unexpectedly it'll happen that there's a business opportunity but the person can only meet him for a breakfast meeting at 7:00 in the morning. The guy says he wants to talk about a $10 million deal, but the only time he has to to meet is I can meet you for breakfast at 7:00, that's the only possible time. I'm catching a 9:00 flight and and I only this this discussion I'll only have in person. So it's either meet him for the 7:00 breakfast meeting with the possible possibility of gaining this $10 million contract, or the alternative is losing out seemingly, seemingly losing out on the contract but maintaining one's Kevias Ittim. Says the Mechaber:

וצריך שאותה עת יהא קבוע שלא יעבירנו אף אם הוא סבור להרויח הרבה.

Says the Mishnah Berurah, the Acharonim also earlier have quoted this Yerushalmi. Ve'ish kazei, such an individual who fulfills this seif in Shulchan Aruch, hu mibaalei amana. He's a person of faith, shemaamin uvoteach baHashem, he believes and trusts in Hakadosh Baruch Hu, שלא יחסר לו מזונותיו על ידי זה. So it's fascinating. The mindset is not that I have to be willing to make this sacrifice for my Kevias Ittim. The mindset, we'll see the the Mishnah Berurah's about to tell us he's quoting a Yerushalmi. The mindset is supposed to be: I'm not losing anything. I'm not losing a penny. שלא יחסר לו מזונותיו על ידי זה. Ukedeisa b'Yerushalmi, mai anshei amana? What's an example of anshei amana, people of faith, people who trust in Hashem? Kehada, like this this individual דהוו צופכני בפרגמטיא. He he owned he he traded in a certain a certain merchandise. הוו צווחין עם הקונים שיבאו סחורתו למכור. And and there was a caravan passing through and they were passing through for a very short amount of time and they wanted to buy a tremendous volume from from him. Dehavu amar, but it was during his Kevias Ittim. It was during that 6:25 to 7:45 slot. Dehavu amar, and he said: לית אנא מבטל ענתי. No, Kevias Ittim means that that nothing short of pikuach nefesh interferes with that designated time. מה דחמי למיתי מיתי. What what I should get, I'm gonna get. I'm not gonna lose a penny by sticking to my my Kevias Ittim at 7:00 in the morning. וזה לשון הקרבן העדה, right, one of the meforshim in the Yerushalmi.

הוי אומר איני מבטל השעה שקבעתי ללמוד התורה בשביל הרווחת ממון אם ראוי שיבא לי ריוח יבא הוא מעצמו מהקדוש ברוך הוא.

If I'm supposed to get this money, I'm making my hishtadlus. I go to work every day. My store is open from 9:00 to whenever during regular business hours. I'm making my hishtadlus and this is my Kevias Ittim.

אם ראוי שיבא לי ריוח יבא הוא מעצמו מהקדוש ברוך הוא.

this windfall is supposed to come my way, it will come. אף לאחר שאגמור קביעות לימודי. After I finish my kevius itim. So here's an example again where bitachon is clearly not just attitude, but bitachon dictates the course of action. Just to give one or two final examples, Chovos HaLevavos has as follows.

ונאמר על אחד מן הפרושים. כי הלך אל ארץ רחוקה לבקש הטרף בתחלת פרישותו.

A very devout individual, I don't know, he must have been in the the export-import business, so he he would travel, I don't know, maybe to the Far East or something, and and he'd get merchandise, and then he'd bring it back and then he'd sell it at a at a profit. ופגע אדם אחד מעובדי כוכבים בעיר אשר הלך אליה. And and he encountered and fell into conversation with an oved avoda zara.

אמר לו הפרוש כמה אתם כמה אתם בתכלית העורון ומעוט התבונה בעבודתכם לכוכבים.

You're you're so blind in your religious life and and belief. Amar lo ha'amgushi, so the oved avoda zara responds, uma ata oved? Right, interesting choice of words, right? Not mi ata oved but ma ata oved, and and what are you the oved avoda zara says what are you what are you worship?

אמר לו הפרוש אני עובד הבורא היכול המכלכל האחד המטיב שאין כמהו.

I I serve Hakadosh Baruch Hu, the Borei Olam, the omnipotent, the one who supports and sustains life and provides us with parnassa. There's no one like Him. פעלך סותר את דבריך. He says, you talk the talk but you don't walk the walk. The way you you act contradicts the way you speak. Amar haparoosh vehayach? How so?

אמר לו אלו היה מה שאמרת אמת היה מטריפך בעירך כמו שהטריפך הנה ולא היית טורח לבוא אל ארץ רחוקה כזאת. ונפסקה טענת הפרוש ושב לארצו וקיבל הפרישות מן העת ההיא ולא יצא מעירו אחר כך.

So he said, you're risking life and limb to in in pre-modern times a a transatlantic journey well was was perilous. So many so many people were lost were lost at sea. So do you really believe that your Ribbono Shel Olam who's kol yachol need you to do that as your hishtadlus for parnassa? So the obviously the Chovos HaLevavos's application is anachronistic bazman hazeh. It's it's no big deal to, you know, a transatlantic a transatlantic flight. But there are analogous situations. Let's say bazman hazeh, let's say you have a person he's rachmana litzlan currently unemployed, and and he's he's sending out his resume looking for a job. And then the the offer that comes is an offer from some far-flung place where there's no Jewish community. There's no infrastructure, there's no nothing. There's no shul, there's no chinuch for children, there's no mikva, there's no nothing. But he has no job. He has no job. There's no paycheck coming in. That would be an analogue to what the Chovos HaLevavos is saying that here, again, bitachon is not only attitude but here bitachon also determines a course of action. Mista'ama one can say with a reasonable confidence that the hishtadlus the Ribbono Shel Olam wants, התורה ציוותה בדרך הארץ, is not for the person to put himself in such a spiritually vulnerable position to go live and try to raise a family in a place where there's, again, no shul, no chinuch, no no no nothing. And finally, the Chovos HaLevavos listing here in perek chamishi of Shaar HaBitachon differences between the person who approaches his job out of bitachon as opposed to a person who would approach his job or his effort to to earn a living with or without bitachon. Hachamishi, the fifth difference is, says says the Chovos HaLevavos:

כי הבוטח באלקים הוא מתעסק בטובות העולם להכין מהם צידה לאחריתו וסיפוק לבית מועדו ומה שיסבור לו בו הצלת תורתו ועולמו מתעסק בו ומה שיהיה בו שום הפסד בתורתו ומביא להמרות הבורא אינו מתעסק בו. איננו מתעסק בו שלא יביא לעצמו מדווה תחת הארוכה ומי שאינו בוטח באלוקים בוטח על הסיבות ותנוח דעתו עליהם.

If a person thinks that his effort to make a living, that is the sole factor and there's no other component, no other element, that's the sole factor to earning a living, there are all kinds of temptations and temptations that people give into. Temptations to cheat in business, temptations to cheat on taxes. Look, if I, if I pad the bill, the client's not going to know the difference. How does he know how many hours, how many hours we worked on his case? If I, if I pad the bill, it's an extra two thousand dollars, it's going to help pay for this expense and that expense that I don't really know how I'm going to pay for it otherwise. Everyone cheats on taxes, so I'll also cheat on taxes. If a person thinks that it's he and he alone that determines, so there are real temptations in life, real, real temptations in life. If a person approaches it with the mindset of bitachon then it does spill over here into action. There's no, there's no temptation. There's no temptation. Anything I do, התורה ציותה בדרך ארץ ותעשה נסים עם יראיו וחסידיו. Anything I do, I realize for it to succeed, it's indispensable and because of that absolutely necessary, but it's not sufficient. I need Hakadosh Baruch Hu to sign off. He's going to sign off on my cheating in business? He's going to sign off on my cheating in taxes? That's the way He's going to give me money and otherwise He wouldn't give me the money. So again, here that's what the Rabbeinu Bachya is illustrating. Here again, again it begins as a mindset, but it's a mindset which also will translate into the course of action. Thank you very much.