Introduction - Part 2: Tranquility

In the next few paragraphs, the author will illustrate how only a person who relies on G‑d can be truly free of worry and have a peaceful state of mind:

Tranquility of the soul as a result of his reliance on G‑d. Trust in G‑d has its own inherent benefit. The Baal Shem Tov teaches that a person must pray for his trust to be strengthened, because when G‑d desires to punish, He begins by removing that person’s trust in Him ( Keter Shem Tov 382).

This can be understood in light of a statement by Rabbi Shmuel, fourth Lubavitcher Rebbe, known as the Rebbe Maharash: A Jew is never deficient in sustenance; rather, he is deficient in his trust of G‑d. There is an abundance of sustenance prepared for every Jew; however, if a person is deficient in trust, the sustenance does not reach him ( Torat Shmuel 5626, p. 168).

The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that bitachon is like a faucet: When we have it, the faucet is open and our blessings pour through. However, when we lack it, the faucet is closed ( Torat Menachem, vol. 9, p. 124).

A servant is bound to place his trust in his master. The first benefit of bitachon with regards to religious life is a state of tranquility, which allows us to dedicate ourselves to the service of G‑d. The author explains this with the parable of a servant who must rely on his master to take care of all his needs and is only concerned with his responsibility to his master. In a similar vein, as servants of G‑d, we trust that G‑d will take care of our needs, and we therefore only concern ourselves with fulfilling our duties toward Him.

If a person does not place his trust in G‑d to take care of him, he is, de facto, placing his trust in an entity other than G‑d.

An entity other than G‑d. There are those who, instead of trusting in G‑d, place trust in themselves and their own abilities, in other people—i.e. “professionals”—or in the constellations, waiting for their lucky star to strike ( Pat Lechem ; Tov Halevanon ). All this is contrary to the tranquility achieved by placing trust in G‑d alone.

From a letter of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: “You have two options: Until you see the fulfillment of the blessing, you can go about anxious that perhaps, Heaven forbid, the blessing will not be fulfilled. Even after the blessing is fulfilled, you will continue to worry: Why did I have to waste so much energy worrying for nothing? Alternatively, you can be strong in your trust and faith in Gd—that He will lead you on the proper path and fulfill all the blessings with which you have been bestowed. Afterwards, when you see the fulfillment of the blessings, you can tell yourself: See how well I handled myself by not worrying about matters over which there was no need for concern!” ( Igrot Kodesh of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, vol. 4, p. 255).

The author will now quote five verses that show how: 1) a person who doesn’t rely on G‑d must be relying on some other entity; 2) by doing so, he causes G‑d to remove His Divine Providence from him.

If a person places his trust in something other than G‑d, then G‑d removes His Divine Providence from him, etc. In Moreh Nevuchim (III:51), Rambam explains that when we are separated from G‑d, He is also separated from us, leaving us exposed to any evil that might befall us. This is the meaning of the verse, And I will hide my face from them, and they shall be consumed, and many evils and troubles shall befall them. On that day they will say: Are these evils not befalling us because our G‑d is not among us? (Deuteronomy 31:17). It is clear that we are the cause of Divine concealment, and that the partition that separates us from Him is of our own making.

Kli Yakar explains the meaning of the verse, If you treat my commandments with indifference, then I will treat you with indifference in my vengeance (Leviticus 26:23-24), in a similar vein. G‑d is saying that His response to the Jewish people’s indifference will be His own indifference. In other words, the removal of G‑d’s Providence from a person who trusts in others rather than G‑d is not a punishment but a natural consequence.

A person’s existence is dependent on G‑d’s Providence and kindness. When he chooses not to acknowledge this and places his trust in something other than G‑d, then G‑d, so to speak, responds in kind: “If you do not acknowledge this reality and you do not need Me, then I will indeed remove My Providence from you, and your destiny will be in that which you place your trust.”

This does not mean that G‑d truly removes His Providence from the person; rather, He obfuscates His involvement.

Although everything in the world comes from G‑d, there are two layers of Divine Providence:

1) Inner Providence. In this greater layer, G‑d’s involvement is not hidden in natural phenomena, and His “fingerprints” are quite apparent. The person can detect a supernatural force guiding his life.

2) External Providence. In this lower layer, G‑d is also the ultimate source (because everything comes from G‑d). However, this is concealed by natural entrapments. The person cannot detect that G‑d is involved, and he feels as if he is leading his own destiny—“a life of his own”—subject to the whims of nature. This is because he has chosen to put his trust in fickle elements rather than in G‑d Himself ( Likkutei Sichot, vol. 31, p. 171 ff. ; vol. 18, p. 199).

This verse implies that a person who does not place his trust in G‑d is automatically placing his trust in an entity other than G‑d. Secondly, it implies that just as the broken cistern does not hold water, he will eventually lose the blessings. This is a source for the concept advanced by the author that G‑d’s Divine Providence is removed from those who don’t rely on him.

For My people have committed two evils. This verse points to the double folly of turning away from trusting in G‑d, Who is the source of everything. A person who fails to place his trust in Him is essentially leaving the wellspring—the source of the water in the cisterns—and instead placing his trust in something other than G‑d. Those “others” are mere “vessels” through which G‑d provides to His people and are, without G‑d’s provision, broken cisterns (Tov Halevanon ).

G‑d. The water in the verse refers to the good things that are bestowed upon us. G‑d is referred to as the source of living water, because the good that comes directly from G‑d is like living water, which 1) comes directly from the source, and 2) is not subject to any interruption.

This is in contrast to the water that is found in broken cisterns, which refers to the good that comes to a person as a result of relying on any entity other than G‑d.

Just like the water that is to be found in the broken cisterns 1) does not come from its source, and 2) cannot be contained by the cis- tern, so, too, the good that the person receives from entities other than G‑d 1) does not come directly from its source—G‑d—and 2) will also eventually cease to exist.

This verse refers to the time when the Jews worshipped the golden calf, substituting G‑d for the image of a grass-eating ox. In subsequent verses it states that G‑d was ready to destroy the Jewish nation as a punishment, were it not for the fact that Moses interceded on their behalf.

Here, too, we see that as a result of the Jews substituting G‑d with another entity, G‑d was ready to remove His Providence and destroy them.

This verse assures that if we have trust in G‑d we will be protected by Him, but it also implies that if we lack trust we will not be protected.

The verse praises the person who relies on G‑d rather than turning to others. In this verse we also see that there is a straightforward choice—either rely on G‑d or on another entity; there is no middle ground.

This verse teaches us that bad things befall a person who relies on other people rather than on G‑d, supporting the author’s original statement that G‑d removes His Divine Providence from those who do not trust in Him.