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Translator's Introduction

Part A: Letters

   1.
"A guide for all the troops under your influence..."

2.
"Endeavors to create a medium within the natural order
do not contradict the concept of bitachon..."

3.
"One should not be too dejected or doubtful,
for this, too, is exploited by the [Evil] Inclination."

4.
"I do not know where you stand
with regard to bitachon."

5.
"If this blessing is sometimes delayed..."

6.
"In words that are appropriate to her present state of mind..."

7.
"One must have appropriate vessels to accommodate all these blessings."

8.
"Consider: Is G-d really in need of your worry...?
Or will He succeed in finding good solutions even without your worrying?"

9.
"I saw in a little book - it's called the Tanach..."

10.
"...a weakness in your trust, and
the remedy for this is to study Shaar HaBitachon."

11.
"And when a person is strong in his trust...,
he then sees [the result] with his fleshly eyes."

12.
"People study, and study - but when it comes to practical application, where's the trust?"

13.
"Just as He has a say in the big world,
He certainly has a say likewise in our little personal world."

14.
"This very thought - as to what will happen if,
G-d forbid, a misfortune occurs - is itself a misfortune."

15.
"Medical matters are not your Divinely-ordained mission in this world."

16.
"The income that G-d fixed for you [on Rosh HaShanah], which I am sure is generous,
no one can lessen and certainly no one can take away."

17.
"If you occasionally feel that this certain trust is wavering...,
you should avert your attention from this weakness, for it is no doubt only imagined."

18.
"Since you place your trust in G-d in questions of materiality and your livelihood,
surely that trust should be firm when it comes to one's children and their conduct!"

19.
"Several well-known incidents testify that
with staunch bitachon one can accomplish whatever is needed."

20.
"David HaMelech says, 'I will fear no evil, for You are with me.'
And 'for You are with me' relates to every single Jew."

21.
"Even when one does not see how this operates within the realm of nature,
G-d will carry out His [Will]."

22.
"It is disappointing and painful to encounter certain dispensable expressions in your letter.
Why do you do this?"

23.
"If a person thinks that his livelihood is meager,
he should donate more tzedakah than previously.
In that way he shows G-d that his charitable needs are greater than heretofore...,
and He will then provide a greater income."

24.
"At the same time, one must create a vessel on the natural plane
and follow the doctor's orders."

25.
"A man's trust is the measuring-stick..."

26.
"The tzitz was worn on the forehead,
and thus represents a trust that transcends mortal reason."

27.
"Not merely pushing through one day after another..."

28.
"You are already wealthy but do not know it."

29.
"One should not initiate - and introduce into the world - depressing lines of thought."

30.
"Especially in the present month of Elul, the month of Divine mercy,
each of you - or you together with your wife - should talk for at least a few minutes
on the subject of trusting in G-d."

31.
"It seems to me that this is the only organization within the precincts of Lubavitch
that is conducted in this way."

32.
"In the course of the year one only does accounting that will certainly not weaken
one's avodah, and - obviously - that will leave no room for the faintest trace of despair."

33.
A descent ought to arouse... greater powers of faith and trust,
whose external manifestation is a courageous spirit
and a lack of emotional reaction to an unpleasant phenomenon."

34.
"When you are firm in your trust and actually perceive the situation [as a trial],
the trial will cease to exist, and you will return to your former standing."

35.
"The Splitting of the Red Sea was actualized by [Nachshon's] strong trust and faith in G-d.
From this we learn the approach to be followed in finding one's match."

36.
"As I read there, you are worried about your children's health,
and you conclude by asking what you can do apart from weeping and lamenting.
First of all, one should stop weeping etc."

37.
"There is a well-known teaching of the Sages that
'a son can bring merit upon his father' - and upon his mother, too."

38.
"This is 'something concerning which none of us knows' - determining a specific time,
and not later, by which G-d, Who makes matches, should do so."

39.
"These days of Pesach are days of faith and trust,
when the Jews of those times went out with their wives and children
to a wilderness of venomous serpents and scorpions, relying only on a word from G-d."

40.
"Divine Providence applies in particular...
to a person whose position enables him to influence a certain circle.
After all, 'even the superintendent of the local irrigation well is appointed in Heaven.' "

41.
"We have seen it proved in practice that the greater a man's trust,
and the more he looks toward his future with joy,
the faster do these things materialize."

42.
"Let him take G-d as a partner, by pledging to contribute for tzedakah
a little more than a tenth of the profit, and preferably close to a fifth. His Partner will then undoubtedly bring him blessings and success."

43.
"The end of your letter, about your lack of joy, contradicts the beginning of your letter."

44.
"One states as a fact, and regards as certain (G-d forbid),
that in a month's time his father's health will not be as it ought to be?!"

45.
"The instances in which doctors are mistaken in such matters are innumerable."

46.
"And G-d, Who since the Six Days of Creation has been 'arranging matrimonial matches,'
will no doubt make available to you, too, the match that will be suitable for you,
materially and spiritually in unison."

47.
"You ask whether the gates of Heaven have been closed (G-d forbid)
and why the way of the worthless prospers."

48.
"There can be nothing that is not good,
for in that place no one has any dominion apart from G-d alone."

49.
"This [mood] itself will increase the good tidings."

50.
"And may G-d grant that my trust in the ultimate victory of good and truth will be vindicated -
even with regard to political parties."

51.
"Despairing, and seeking miracles especially for one's battles with the [Evil] Inclination -
these are simply the wiles and the incitement initiated by the [Evil] Inclination."

52.
"It is self-understood that one cannot point out to G-d on the calendar
that this must happen at the time that appears right to oneself."

53.
"Bitachon is the conduit through which one receives outstanding success from Above."

54.
"They're cutting him up! He's groaning in pain,
but he can't free himself from these kidnappers and murderers!"

55.
"You write that it appears to you that your lot does not bring you success, and so forth.
Avert your attention from all of that, because it is not true."

56.
"When there is a full measure of firm trust - without learned debates or explanations -
that He is 'my light and my salvation,' then 'whom shall I fear?' "

57.
"With regard to the temporary inadequacy in your income,
it is a pity that you are taking it so hard."

58.
"In the spirit of lechat'chilah ariber, it could be suggested
that rejoicing over the improvement in one's health
should be advanced ahead of time, even though the improvement is not yet manifest."

59.
"When there arrives a moment that is not as one would have liked it to be..."

60.
"If so, what room is left for worry?"

61.
"It is my unequivocal opinion that [involvement in the Chabad institution in your locality]
is also the conduit through which the local members of the chassidic brotherhood
will receive their material livelihood."

62.
"I hope, too, that you will participate in the farbrengens...,
which heal and strengthen and raise the spirits of those who are downfallen
and of those whose hearts are bruised."

63.
"When a person is weighing in his mind what he should decide and how he should act,
at that time, too, G-d is watching over him and helping him."

64.
"When one realizes that this is only a test, it utterly ceases to exist,
and what is revealed is the inner meaning of that phrase: 'For the L-rd your G-d is elevating you' - over all the obstacles that veil and obscure [His Countenance]."

65.
"If people had made a habit of sharing [their] good news and writing about it frequently,
they would have had less - or no - need to set up bonds of communication by writing about things that are the opposite of good news."

66.
"When a soldier sets out to the battlefield,
he strides forth to the joyful rhythm of a triumphal march."

67.
"And as it becomes increasingly engraved in one's understanding
that one is standing before the King of kings,
...there will be a corresponding decrease in one's anxiety
about what others will say about the manner of one's speech."

68.
Through the Zohar, G-d opened up a new wellspring that provides a profounder
G-dly understanding, and faith, and trust.

69.
"Repentance, too, must be done out of a firm trust in G-d, and not (G-d forbid) out of despair."

70.
"You write that you would like to have more children, but that there is a financial question."

71.
"There were a few reasons for my not answering your previous letters.
One of them was that I wanted to see how Divine Providence
would guide you in the course of the summer."

72.
"My intent [in writing of Divine Providence] is not to act as defense counsel (G-d forbid)
for the above-mentioned [medical] situation."

73.
"The stronger and more disproportionate is one's trust,
the more disproportionately will one's trust be manifestly vindicated -
by the bestowal of G-d's blessings, both material and spiritual."

74.
All the above [regarding responses to the Gulf War] relates to action.
As to how one should feel, I have made my position clear on several occasions.

75.
"You will then have less time to think the opposite of the directive to think only good."

76.
"You see miracles..., yet you insist on seeking out depressing subjects."

77.
"You have been promised that G-d is your guardian."

Part B: Talks

"A Weighty Task Indeed"
A Thought from the Rebbe Rashab

"When there is still a straw to hang on to"
A Thought from the Rebbe Rayatz

In Good Hands
100 Letters and Talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
on Bitachon: Trusting in G-d
Part A: Letters
73.
"The stronger and more disproportionate is one's trust,
the more disproportionately will one's trust be manifestly vindicated -
by the bestowal of G-d's blessings, both material and spiritual."
Compiled and Translated by Uri Kaploun

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  72.
"My intent [in writing of Divine Providence] is not to act as defense counsel (G-d forbid)
for the above-mentioned [medical] situation."
Search this book:
74.
All the above [regarding responses to the Gulf War] relates to action.
As to how one should feel, I have made my position clear on several occasions.  

By the Grace of G-d
The Days of Selichos,[394] 5734 [1974]
Brooklyn, N.Y.

To the sons and daughters of Israel
Wherever they may be:[395]
May G-d's blessings for life be with you.

Greetings and Blessings!

[...] The[396] question arises: How can every Jew be expected to attain such a level,[397] and to do so not only truthfully but happily as well? This question is accentuated when one realizes that on the one hand, the Divine dwelling place among the nether beings[398] is to be built in a world that is spiritually lowly[399] and that is physical and materialistic, in a world in which Jews are - physically - "the least among the nations"[400]; and on the other hand, this task is demanded of every Jew, placed as he is in a predicament in which his indispensable needs (such as eating, drinking, sleeping and working) occupy a great part of his time and exertion, leaving little time for holy and spiritual matters. How, then, can a Jew be expected to attain such a level?

The answer to this question, which can be understood by every man and woman, lies in the attribute of bitachon, placing one's trust in G-d. This attribute is fundamental[401] to the Torah, which is called Toras chayim ("the Torah of Life"). And since in the Holy Tongue the word "Torah" is cognate with horaah (which means "teaching" or "instruction"),[402] the phrase Toras chayim signifies "a guidepost for one's daily life."

The attribute of bitachon is also highlighted in the psalm that is read twice daily throughout Elul, the month of self-preparation for the new year, and also at the beginning of the year, during most of the month of Tishrei: "A Psalm of David. G-d is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?"[403]

This trust in G-d, this utter reliance on His help, which David HaMelech expresses here on behalf of every Jew, embraces both the material and the spiritual aspects of one's life. It extends to the highest reaches of one's Divine service. This may be seen in the later verses of the above psalm, culminating in the final verse: "Place your hope in G-d; be strong and let your heart be valiant, and place your hope in G-d."[404]

Having trust in G-d means that one feels a certainty and a conviction that G-d will help overcome all of life's difficulties, whether material or spiritual,[405] since He is "my light and my salvation." Every man and woman will certainly be able to fulfill their mission[406] in This World - and with joy, great joy - when they consider that it is G-d Himself Who chose them to be His emissary in the world, to build Him "a dwelling place among the nether beings." Moreover, they have G-d's assurance that as they carry out His mission, He is their light, help, and strength.

One's joy in executing this mission is heightened when one recalls that G-d grants His help in the spirit of the verse,[407] "I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine" - and His love is extraordinary, G-dly.

This love, as our Sages teach, becomes mainly manifest in the period from Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur.[408]

At this time, therefore, and indeed throughout the year, this love ought to elicit in response a boundless love for G-d, a love that finds expression in the verses,[409] "Whom [else] have I in Heaven? And aside from You, I desire nothing on earth. My life and my heart expire [to You, G-d]."

These verses, too, focus on one's love for G-d and one's trust in Him, both in spiritual matters ("in Heaven") and in material matters ("on earth").

Every Jew's innate trust in G-d is a heritage bequeathed to him by our Patriarchs. Of them it is written,[410] "Our forefathers trusted in You; they trusted and You saved them."[411] All that is required is that one should allow this trust to surface and materialize, enabling it to permeate every detail of one's daily life.

There is a principle taught by the Sages, of blessed memory: "By the same measure with which a man measures, his due is meted out to him."[412] Accordingly, the stronger and more disproportionate is one's trust,[413] the more disproportionately will one's trust be manifestly vindicated and fulfilled[414] - by the bestowal of G-d's blessings, both material and spiritual.

May G-d grant that all the above - fulfilling the G-d-given mission of building Him a dwelling place down here below, placing one's trust in Him, and receiving His material and spiritual blessings - be true of every Jew in the fullest measure.

And this in turn will hasten the fulfillment of the most comprehensive blessing for the entire House of Israel - the true and complete Redemption through our Righteous Mashiach.

With blessings that you be inscribed and sealed for a good and a sweet year, in both material and spiritual matters together,

[...]

   

Notes:

  1. (Back to text) I.e., late in the month of Elul, in the days before Rosh HaShanah during which the regular morning service is preceded by Selichos, the penitential prayers.

  2. (Back to text) The Rebbe would often cast a specific spotlight on a significant forthcoming date in the Jewish calendar by issuing a michtav klali. This was an open letter whose inspirational message, always addressed as above "to the sons and daughters of Israel wherever they may be," was published in a variety of languages and media.

    The foregoing passage translates the latter part of such a letter.

  3. (Back to text) Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 9, pp. 491-493.

  4. (Back to text) The preceding paragraphs had explained that the task of every Jew on Rosh HaShanah is to crown G-d as King of the Universe, to stand before Him in awe, to rejoice as one builds Him a dwelling place in This World, and so on.

  5. (Back to text) In the original, dirah betachtonim (Midrash Tanchuma, Parshas Naso, sec. 16).

  6. (Back to text) Cf. Tanya, ch. 36: "There is none lower than it." See also op. cit., end of ch. 6, citing Etz Chayim.

  7. (Back to text) Devarim 7:7.

  8. (Back to text) See Chovos HaLevavos, Shaar HaBitachon.

  9. (Back to text) Cf. Zohar III, 53b.

  10. (Back to text) See Tehillim 27:1ff.

  11. (Back to text) Loc. cit., v. 14; see also Berachos 32b.

  12. (Back to text) See: Sukkah 52b; Tanya, ch. 13b.

  13. (Back to text) See Or Torah (by the Maggid of Mezritch) on Tehillim, s.v. Baruch HaGever, p. 80d.

  14. (Back to text) Shir HaShirim 6:3.

  15. (Back to text) See Bayis Chadash on the Tur, Orach Chayim 581, s.v. VeHaaviru. As pointed out in the writings of the AriZal, et al., the initial letters of the phrase אני לדודי ודודי לי ("I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine") spell the word אלול (Elul). In the same phrase, moreover, the numerical value of the four final letters yud totals 40, alluding to the 40 days from Rosh Chodesh Elul to Yom Kippur.

  16. (Back to text) Tehillim 73:25-26. See also: the concluding passages of both the first and second maamar beginning Mosh'cheini, 5630 (1870); Sefer HaMitzvos: Derech Mitzvosecha by the Tzemach Tzedek, s.v. Shoresh Mitzvas HaTefillah, end of ch. 40.

  17. (Back to text) Tehillim 22:5.

  18. (Back to text) Cf. Keser Shem Tov, sec. 230 (and see also Or Torah, by the Maggid of Mezritch, on Tehillim, p. 68c), on the verse, "And he who places his trust in G-d, lovingkindness will surround him" (Tehillim 32:10). On these words the Baal Shem Tov teaches: "Whatever place a man thinks of, there he cleaves [...]. And when he places his trust in [G-d's] Chessed, there his soul cleaves, and G-d's lovingkindness will surround him. One should constantly conceal oneself completely in the Divine Name."

  19. (Back to text) Sotah 1:7. It will be noted that Chovos HaLevavos, Shaar HaBitachon enumerates ten distinct levels of trust. See also: Biurei Zohar, Parshas Vaeira; Or HaTorah by the Tzemach Tzedek on Yeshayahu, p. 207ff.

  20. (Back to text) I.e., the more it is out of proportion to seeming reality.

  21. (Back to text) Cf. Or HaMeir, Parshas Behaalos'cha.


  72.
"My intent [in writing of Divine Providence] is not to act as defense counsel (G-d forbid)
for the above-mentioned [medical] situation."
Search this book:
74.
All the above [regarding responses to the Gulf War] relates to action.
As to how one should feel, I have made my position clear on several occasions.  
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