The Obligation of Both Hishtadlus and Bitachon

And an important element of our mesora is understanding what the proper balance is between ishtadlus on the one hand and bitachon on the other. Ramchal writes in perek tes in Mesillas Yesharim,

דע כי יש יראה ויש יראה. יש יראה ראויה ויש יראה שוטה. יש בטחון ויש הוללות.

He explains:

כי הנה האדון ברוך הוא עשה את האדם בעל שכל נכון וסברה נכוחה.

Hakadosh Baruch Hu endowed us with intelligence,

שינהג עצמו על דרך טוב וישמר מן הדברים המזיקים אשר נבראו לנו לשמשם.

And with that intelligence, a person is supposed to conduct himself the right way and take appropriate precautions from what's potentially injurious.

ומי שירצה שלא ינהג עצמו בדרך החכמה ויפקיר עצמו לסכנות,

a person who won't act wisely and will just abandon himself to sakana, maybe it'll be in the name of bitachon, maybe it'll be in the name of not falling prey to kochi ve'otzem yadi. So says Ramchal, הנה אין זה בטחון אלא הוללות. That's not bitachon, it's frivolity, it's foolishness.

והנה הוא חוטא במה שהוא עושה נגד רצון הבורא יתברך שמו שרוצה שישמור האדם את עצמו.

Venimtza that he's in a compounded state of sakana,

שמלבד הסכנה המוטבעת בדבר אשר הוא עלול אליהם מפני חסרון שמירתו,

besides the sakana to which he has exposed himself by not taking the necessary precautions, whether it's in a normal situation, whether it's an extreme situation, a pandemic rachmana litzlan. So besides the sakana to which the person is now susceptible because of his chesron shemira,

הנה הוא מתחייב בנפשו בקום עשה בחטא אשר הוא חוטא ונמצא החטא עצמו מביא עליו עונש.

So it's a compounded sakana, a natural sakana and a spiritual sakana due to the cheit. Let's perhaps look at a couple of more marei mekomos and then try to articulate what the principle is, what the balance is. The Ramban writes at the beginning of Parshas Vayishlach, nishsova haparsha hazos, the encounter between Yaakov Avinu and Eisav,

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

So the Ramban describes the hatzala in supernatural terms, right? Everything is attributable to Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

הציל הקדוש ברוך הוא את עבדו וגאלו מיד חזק ממנו,

meaning naturally it didn't make sense, Eisav was the more powerful force, Eisav... Had his army. Vayishlach malach vayatzilehu. But then the Ramban continues, u-le-lamdenu od, but the same parsha is also included in the Torah to teach us shehu that he Yaakov Avinu lo batach betzidkaso, he didn't rely on his righteousness והשתדל בהצלה בכל יכולתו and he exerted himself with everything at his disposal to the best of his ability to save himself. ויש בו עוד רמז לדורות and there's a teaching here for all generations

כי כל אשר אירע לאבינו עם עשו יארע לנו תמיד עם בני עשו.

The lives of the Avos reflected and established patterns for future Jewish history. So whatever happened to Yaakov Avinu in his encounter with Esav will happen constantly, it will recur in our encounter with bnei Esav וראוי לנו לאחוז בדרכו של צדיק and we should adopt the approach of the tzaddik of Yaakov Avinu שנזמין עצמנו לשלושה הדברים שהזמין הוא את עצמו that we should prime ourselves to act in three different arenas as he did: litfila u-ledoron to try to resolve things diplomatically if possible u-lehatzala k'derech milchama or also to prepare ourselves for war if that's necessary. So the juxtaposition is remarkable. The Ramban begins by depicting the hatzala in supernatural terms and then says toch k'dei dibbur that the other limud from the parsha is that one is not allowed to rely on the supernatural and that as Yaakov Avinu did one has to fully exert himself on the natural level. In Parshas Shoftim the Ramban explains when the Torah gives us a lav not to be afraid of the enemy who's poised to attack with an overpowering force

כי השם אלוקיך ההולך עמכם להילחם לכם עם אויביכם להושיע אתכם יסירם שלא יירך לבבם ולא ייראו מן האויבים

they shouldn't become timid and they shouldn't be afraid of their enemies ויאמר שלא יבטחו בזה בגבורתם they shouldn't be trusting in their own prowess in their own military might

לחשוב בלבם גיבורים אנחנו ואנשי חיל למלחמה רק שישיבו לבם אל השם ויבטחו בישועתו.

So the yeshua will come not from our military might. The yeshua will come from Hakodesh Baruch Hu. And yet the Ramban then says the parsha concludes, the parsha that again that emphasizes

כי השם אלוקיך ההולך עמכם להילחם לכם עם אויביכם להושיע אתכם,

that same parsha concludes with the commandment of ופקדו שרי צבאות בראש העם. They should appoint commanding officers for each division within the army

כי התורה תצווה בדרך הארץ. ותעשה הנסים עם יראיו בהסתר.

Mitzvos hatorah operate on the natural plane. The nissim that Hakadosh Baruch Hu does are nissim nistarim which requires that we act on the natural plane, on the natural level. ואין החפץ לפניו לשנות טבעו של עולם. Hakadosh Baruch Hu does not want to override nature. Hakadosh Baruch Hu doesn't want to resort to supernatural miracles. Maybe just one more like mareh makom, one more mareh makom, two mareh mekomos. The Chinuch in talking about the issur of lo sikom explains that משורשי המצוה שידע האדם ויתן אל לבו, a person should know and internalize

כי כל אשר יקרהו מטוב עד רע הוא סיבה שתבוא עליו מאת השם יתברך ומיד האדם מיד איש אחיו לא יהיה דבר בלתי רצון השם יתברך על כן כשיצרהו או יכאיבהו אדם ידע בנפשו כי עונותיו גרמו והשם יתברך גזר עליו בכך ולא ישית מחשבתו לנקום ממנו כי הוא אינו סיבת רעתו כי העון הוא המסובב.

The Chinuch says the reason for lo sikom is not that it's bad middos, it is, he agrees with that, but the reason for lo sikom is that theologically it's a major error. The impetus for revenge is to get even, right? Don't get mad, get even. The impetus for revenge is to get even, but that implies that the source and the ultimate cause of what happened to me is the other person, and that's not true. Hakadosh Baruch Hu would have intervened with his bechira and interfered with his bechira were it not ordained that this should befall me.

שידע האדם ויתן אל לבו כי כל אשר יקרהו מטוב עד רע הוא סיבה שתבוא עליו מאת השם יתברך.

Okay, so the Chinuch clearly subscribes to a very comprehensive view of hashgacha pratis. Okay, kiyaduah, it's a parsha in the Rishonim. Now, the same Sefer Hachinuch when he comments on the mitzvah of asias ma'akeh, to build a guardrail around a flat rooftop,

משורשי המצוה לפי שאף על פי שהשם יתברך משגיח בפרטי בני אדם ויודע כל מעשיהם וכל אשר יקרה להם טוב ורע בגזרתו ובמצותו לפי זכותם או חיובם.

Again, so he reviews this view of comprehensive hashgacha pratis.

אף על פי כן צריך האדם לשמור עצמו מן המקרים הנהוגים בעולם.

But that doesn't mean that a person is supposed to be passive. It doesn't mean that a person goes through life only with a Sefer Tehillim. כי הקל ברא עולמו ובנאו על יסודות עמודי הטבע. Hakadosh Baruch Hu created this world and the foundation that he provided for the world is nature. Hakadosh Baruch Hu created teva. Whatever one's understanding of hashgacha pratis is, even if it's as comprehensive and individualized as that which the Sefer Hachinuch presents, but that in no way negates or impinges kihu zeh on the reality that there's a natural world and there's a natural order that Hakadosh Baruch Hu created which represents and expresses ratzon Hashem. And Hakadosh Baruch Hu decreed in creating this natural world, this natural order, sheyehei ha'esh sorefet, fire burns, on the other hand, vehamayim mechabin halehava, and water will extinguish a flame.

וכמו כן יחייב הטבע שאם תיפול אבן גדולה על ראש איש שתרוצץ את מוחו,

that a large stone falls on a person's skull, rachmana litzlan, it'll crush the skull. או אם ייפול האדם מראש הגג גבוה לארץ שימות, if a person will fall off a high roof to the earth, he'll die from the impact, from the trauma.

והוא ברוך הוא חונן גופות בני אדם ויפח באפיו נשמת חיים בעלת דעת לשמור הגוף מכל פגע,

and Hakadosh Baruch Hu again, speaking anachronistically echoing what Ramchal says, Hakadosh Baruch Hu favored us with intelligence, with the intelligence לשמור הגוף מכל פגע to safeguard ourselves. ונתן שניהם הנפש וגוף בתוך גלגל היסודות, the nefesh, the soul, from the highest place, Hakadosh Baruch Hu placed within the natural order and it's subjected to the rule of natural law. כי כן חייבה חכמתו. Why? I don't know why. That's obviously not an appropriate question. כי כן חייבה חכמתו. That's what חכמת הקדוש ברוך הוא mandates. וציוהו לשמור מן המקרה, and therefore we're commanded to take initiative on the natural level, כי הטבע שהוא מסור בידו, because again, we are given to the rule of teva. הטבע שהוא, the person, מסור בידו יעשה פעולתו עליו אם לא יישמר ממנו, and then the Chinuch compares it. ve'amru zichronam livracha, I'm skipping a few lines.

ועל כן תצונו התורה לשמור משכנותינו ומקומותינו לבל יקרנו מוות בפשיעותנו,

and that's why the Torah says that we have to safeguard our dwelling places, that there shouldn't be neglect on our part. ולא נסכן נפשותינו על סמך הנס, Bitachon is not an answer to sakana. ולא נסכן נפשותינו על סמך הנס, ve'amru zichronam livracha, Chazal say

שכל הסומך על הנס אין עושין לו נס. ועל הדרך הזה,

continues the Chinuch,

תראה רוב ענייני הכתובים בכל מקום, כי גם בהילחם ישראל מלחמת מצווה על פי השם,

it's engaging in a mitzvah. Hakadosh Baruch Hu commands it, nevertheless, היו עורכין מלחמתן ומזיינין עצמן, so they would strategize and they would arm themselves, they'd make sure that they had the best arms, ועושין כל עניינם כאילו יסמכו בדרכי הטבע לגמרי. They have to conduct themselves as though things are going to be determined on the natural level, ke'ilu, as though, vechein ra'uy la'asot. And then the Chinuch has a remarkable conclusion to this paragraph, ואשר לא יחלוק על האמת מרוע לב יודע בזה. This is uncontestable. ואשר לא יחלוק על האמת מרוע לב יודע בזה. Hakadosh Baruch Hu created an existence which is at least an existence of two dimensions. Hakadosh Baruch Hu created that the world exists in a natural dimension, in a physical dimension, and simultaneously it exists in a supernatural and metaphysical dimension. And the mashal is this, imagine you have some system, whether it's lights or any system, and in order to activate the system, you have to flip two switches. You flip one switch, it doesn't work. You have to flip two switches. So since kein chiyuva chachmaso that Hakadosh Baruch Hu created not only a spiritual world, but Hakadosh Baruch Hu created a natural world, so we're mechuyav to, and even though again ultimately, ultimately the ultimate cause and effect is on the spiritual level, but that notwithstanding we're equally obligated in doron and milchama as we are in tefillah. The fact that the ultimate cause and effect will be determined on the spiritual level, on the metaphysical level, the Nefesh Hachaim quotes a medrash in Sha'ar Aleph, it's reflected in one of the kinos from Rabbi Elazar Kalir that we say Tisha B'Av that describes Nevuchadnetzar and Titus destroying the Beis Hamikdash with the imagery of kimcha techina tachanta. You are grinding up flour which has already been ground. And what that means is that the בית המקדש של מטה was only destroyed after our avonos, rachmana litzlan, destroyed the בית המקדש של מעלה. But both dimensions exist and we're obligated to act in both dimensions. And since אין חפץ לפניו לשנות טבע של עולם, if we only act in the spiritual dimension, so then that's flipping one of the two switches and that's what Ramchal says, יש בטחון ויש הוללות. It's not bitachon, it's hollelus because we're obligated to act on the natural level as well. And the Ramban says this is a defining feature of Torah,

כי התורה תצווה בדרך הארץ ותעשה הנסים עם יראיו הסתר.

The Rambam writes in Perek Beis of Hilchos Shabbos when he's talking about the din of Shabbos being דחויה אצל סכנת נפשות כשאר כל המצוות. So the Rambam writes ואסור להתמהמה בחילול שבת לחולה שיש בו סכנה shene'emar אשר יעשה אותם האדם וחי בהם ולא שימות בהם. It's assur to take Shabbos into account at all. If there's a חולה שיש בו סכנה, you can't cheshbon at all that it's Shabbos.

הא למדת שאין משפטי התורה נקמה בעולם אלא רחמים וחסד ושלום בעולם.

The Yerushalmi, the lashon haYerushalmi the Shulchan Aruch quotes that in a case of pikuach nefesh, השואל הרי זה שופך דמים. If a person clearly knows that it's at least a safek sakana and he stops to ask a shayla, הרי זה שופך דמים. Because maybe that minute in which it takes to ask the shayla will make the difference between life and death for the choleh. There were two switches and we have to operate both switches. And if there's a חולה שיש בו סכנה, even safek sakanah, so it's not enough to daven, not enough to make a misheberach, but it's assur to delay chilul Shabbos, because since Hakadosh Baruch Hu created a natural world also, so things are also determined on the natural level. But the Rav has an extraordinary, extraordinary, again he calls it just kedarkoh, once he points it out, so it's obviously, it's meforash. The Rambam says the din of pikuach nefesh clearly is something that sheds light on kol hatorah kulah. And if a person is mezalzel the din of pikuach nefesh, he distorts kol hatorah kulah. הלא למדת שדין פיקוח נפש teaches

שאין משפטי התורה נקמה בעולם אלא רחמים וחסד ושלום בעולם.

This again fundamental, fundamental notion of the two dimensions of reality of Hakadosh Baruch Hu's briyah and our obligation to operate and to function in both dimensions is something which is the fundamental to kol hatorah kulah. It's reflected in dinei pikuach nefesh, it's reflected in dinei milchamah, it's reflected in shemirah misakanah, asiyas ma'akeh. If a person thinks that the natural level alone determines, so avada, that distorts Torah. And that does cross over the line into a belief into kochi ve'otzem yadi. But if a person believes that bitachon means that we should be passive and that making hishtadlus is kochi ve'otzem yadi, so that also distorts Torah. And we have to recognize that both dimensions exist. Hakadosh Baruch Hu created, there is tivo shel olam in the Ramban's phrase. There is that

הקדוש ברוך הוא ברא עולמו ובנאו על יסודי עמודי הטבע

and that's mechayev us to act and recognize not only the ultimate spiritual dimension but also to recognize the natural dimension as well.