3The mind that leans [on You], You will guard in perfect peace, for it trusts in You.21

4Trust in Hashem forever and ever, for in Kah, Hashem, is the Rock of [both] worlds.52

7Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem, and Hashem will be his security.16

8He will be like a tree planted by water, which sends out its roots along a stream. It will not notice when the heat comes, and its leaves will stay fresh; in a year of drought it will not worry, and it will not stop bearing fruit.2

6I lay down and slept; I woke up, for Hashem supports me.3

7I will not be afraid of the tens of thousands of people who have set themselves against me on every side.2

6Offer offerings of righteousness, and trust in Hashem.1

9In peace, together, I will lie down and sleep; for You, Hashem, make me dwell alone, in security.

7Wait for Hashem, and wait expectantly for Him; do not compete with one whose way prospers, with a man who carries out schemes.2

2G-d is our refuge and strength, a help in troubles, very easily found.3

3Therefore we will not be afraid when the earth is changed [from calm to quaking], and when the mountains topple into the depths of the sea.4

4[The sea’s] waters roar and churn up mud; the mountains quake at His majesty, Selah.2

8Hashem, Master of Legions, is with us; the G-d of Yaakov is our stronghold, Selah.2

23Cast your burden on Hashem, and He will carry [it for] you; He will never let the tzaddik stumble.46

7He will not be afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in Hashem.52

8His heart leans [on Hashem]; he will not be afraid, until he sees [the downfall of] his enemies.4

1A song of ascents. Those who trust in Hashem are like Har Tziyon, which is never moved; it stays in place forever.4

1A song of ascents, by David. Hashem, my heart was not proud, and my eyes were not raised [in arrogance]; I did not involve myself in things too great and too wondrous for me.4

2I have truly calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; my soul within me is like a weaned child.5

3Let Yisrael hope to Hashem, from now and forever.3

25For I feared a fear and it came upon me, and what I dreaded has come to me.1

25Hashem is good to those who hope to Him, to the soul that seeks Him.12

26It is good [for a person] to hope and wait silently for the salvation of Hashem.1

9And Nechemyah, who was the Tirshasa, and Ezra the kohen, the scribe, and the Levi’im who made the people understand, said to all the people, “This day is holy to Hashem your G-d; do not mourn and do not weep”; for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Torah.

10He said to them, “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our L-rd; and do not be sad, for the joy of Hashem is your stronghold.”

Rava said: However you expound this pasuk, from its beginning to its end or from its end to its beginning, it can be expounded. From its beginning to its end: “He will not be afraid of bad news.” Why? Because “his heart is firm, trusting in Hashem.” From its end to its beginning: “His heart is firm, trusting in Hashem”; [therefore] “he will not be afraid of bad news.”1

Yehudah bar Nasan was walking along behind Rav Hamnuna, and he sighed. [Rav Hamnuna] said to him, “That man wants to bring suffering upon himself, as it is written, ‘For I feared a fear and it came upon me, and what I dreaded has come to me’ (Iyov 3:25).” [He said to him,] “But is it not written, ‘Fortunate is the man who is always afraid’?” [He answered,] “That one is written about words of Torah.”

On trust in G-d alone.

Its benefits for him in matters of Torah are these:

One of them is tranquility of the soul, and trusting in his G-d as a servant must trust in his master. For if a person does not trust in G-d, he will trust in something else; and whoever trusts in something other than Hashem, G-d removes His providence from him and leaves him in the hands of the one he trusted.1

He will be like the one of whom it is said, “For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the source of living waters, to dig for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns” (Yirmiyahu 2:13). And it says, “They exchanged their glory for the image of an ox that eats grass” (Tehillim 106:20). And the pasuk says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem, and Hashem will be his security” (Yirmiyahu 17:7). And it says, “Fortunate is the man who has made Hashem his trust, and has not turned to the arrogant or to those who stray after lies” (Tehillim 40:5). And it says, “Cursed is the man who trusts in people, and makes flesh [and blood] his strength, and whose heart turns away from Hashem” (Yirmiyahu 17:5).2

In the tranquility of his soul, the ease of his heart and how little he worries over his worldly affairs, he will be like the alchemist, the one who knows how to turn silver into gold, and copper and tin into silver, through wisdom and work.

And more: one who trusts in G-d has an advantage over him in ten things.

The first of them: the alchemist needs special materials for his work, without which nothing can be completed for him, and he does not find them at every time and in every place. But one who trusts in G-d, his livelihood is assured to him through any of the means of the world, as the pasuk says, “In order to make you know that man does not live by bread alone, etc.” (Devarim 8:3). For no means is beyond Him at any time or in any place, as you know from the matter of Eliyahu with the ravens, and with the widow, and the cake baked on hot stones and the jug of water; and the matter of Ovadyahu with the prophets, who said, “I hid a hundred men of the prophets of Hashem, fifty men to a cave, and I fed them bread and water” (Melachim I 18:13). And it says, “Young lions are in want and go hungry, but those who seek Hashem will not lack any good” (Tehillim 34:11), and it says, “Fear Hashem, His holy ones, for those who fear Him have no lack” (Tehillim 34:10).

But the main thing, through which bitachon comes about in the one who trusts, and without which bitachon is not found, is that his heart be confident in the one he trusts, that he will keep what he said and do what he undertook; and that he will intend good for him even in what he did not promise him and did not undertake to do, doing it as a free gift and a kindness.2

The first: one who trusts in G-d accepts His judgment in all his affairs, and thanks Him for the good and for the bad, as [Iyov] said, “Hashem gave and Hashem took; may the Name of Hashem be blessed” (Iyov 1:21), and as it is written, “I will sing of kindness and judgment” (Tehillim 101:1). Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said, “If kindness, I will sing; if judgment, I will sing” (Berachos 60b), and they said, “A person must bless [Hashem] for the bad just as he blesses for the good” (Mishnah Berachos 9:5).

One who does not trust in G-d takes pride in the good, as it says, “For the wicked man boasts of his heart’s desire, etc.” (Tehillim 10:3), and rages at G-d over the bad, as it says, “When he is hungry, he will rage and curse his king, etc.” (Yeshayahu 8:21).

The second: one who trusts in G-d has a tranquil soul and a calm heart in the face of [Hashem’s] decrees, because he knows that the Creator directs them for his good, in this world and in the next, as David, alav hashalom, said, “Wait silently for G-d alone, my soul, for my hope is from Him” (Tehillim 62:6). One who does not trust in G-d is in constant distress and long worry, and grief and sadness never leave him, in good times and in bad. In good times, because he is not content with what he has, and he strives to add to it, to gain more and to gather in. In bad times, because he loathes it, and it goes against his desire, his nature and his inclinations. And so the wise man said, “All the days of the poor man are bad, etc.” (Mishlei 15:15).

The third: one who trusts in G-d, even when he works through means, does not rely on them in his heart, and does not expect benefit or harm from them without the will of G-d. He works through them only as a way of serving the Creator, who commanded [man] to work in the world, to settle it and build it up. If benefit comes to him, or harm is turned away through them, he thanks G-d alone for it. He does not come to love them or cherish them more, and his soul does not rest on them more; rather, his trust in G-d grows stronger, and his heart leans on Him, not on the means. And if the means do not help him, he knows that his livelihood will come to him when Hashem wills, through whatever way He wills. He does not come to despise them because of this, and he does not stop working through them as a way of serving the Creator.

One who does not trust in G-d works through the means because he trusts in them, that they will benefit him and keep harm away from him. If they benefit him, he praises them and praises his own effort in them, and he chooses them and turns to nothing else. If they do not benefit him, he abandons them, despises them, and loses all interest in them, as the pasuk says, “Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his trawl” (Chavakuk 1:16).

The fourth: when one who trusts in G-d has something left over beyond his food, he spends it on what fulfills the will of the Creator, with a generous spirit and a good heart, as it says, “For everything is from You, etc.” (Divrei HaYamim I 29:14).

One who does not trust in G-d does not think the world and everything in it is enough for his livelihood and his needs. He holds on to his money and will not pay out of it what he owes the Creator and what he owes people; and he does not notice it until his money is lost and left to someone else, as the wise man said, “There is one who scatters and gains more, and one who holds back more than is right, only to come to want” (Mishlei 11:24).

The fifth: one who trusts in G-d works through the means of this world in order to prepare from them provisions for his end and supplies for his eternal home. Whatever he sees clearly will keep his Torah and his world safe, he works at; and whatever would bring some loss to his Torah, or lead him to rebel against the Creator, he does not work at, so as not to bring sickness upon himself in place of healing.

One who does not trust in G-d trusts in the means, and his mind rests on them. He keeps away from none of them, works through the praiseworthy and the shameful alike, and does not think about where his affairs will end, as the wise man said of them, “A wise man fears and turns away from evil, [but a fool is reckless and confident]” (Mishlei 14:16).

The sixth: one who trusts in G-d is loved by every kind of people, and they are at ease with him, because they are sure he will not harm them, and their hearts are at peace with him; they do not fear him for their wives or their money. He too feels safe from them, because he knows that his benefit and his harm are not in the hand of any created being or in its power. Therefore he does not fear their harm, just as he does not hope for their benefit. And since he feels safe from them and they feel safe from him, he loves them and they love him, as it is written, “One who trusts in Hashem will be surrounded by kindness” (Tehillim 32:10).

One who does not trust in G-d has no friend, because he always covets what others have and envies them. He thinks that every good that comes to them has been taken from him, that their livelihood has been taken from his, and that whatever he desires and is denied is because of them, and it is in their power to get it for him. And if some harm or misfortune strikes him, in his money or his children, he thinks it is from them, and that it is in their power to remove the harm and turn the evil away from him. Once these ideas are settled in his soul, he comes because of them to despise people, to speak against them, to curse them and to hate them; and he is despised in both worlds and disgraced in both dwellings, as the pasuk says, “The crooked of heart will not find good” (Mishlei 17:20).

The seventh: one who trusts in G-d does not grieve when something he asked for is withheld from him, or when someone he loves is taken from him. He does not store up what he has, and he does not concern himself with more than his food for the day. For he does not think about what will be tomorrow, since he does not know when his end will come; and he trusts in G-d to lengthen his days and to provide his food and sustenance in them. He does not rejoice over the future, and he does not grieve over it, as the pasuk says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day will bring” (Mishlei 27:1); and Ben Sira said, “Do not worry about tomorrow’s trouble, for you do not know what a day will bring. Tomorrow will come and he is gone, and he will have grieved over a world that is not his” (Sanhedrin 100b). Rather, his worry and his grief are over where he falls short in what he owes the Creator, and he works to make up whatever he can of it, outwardly and inwardly, because he thinks about his death and the coming of the day he is gathered in. His fear that death will come to him suddenly adds to his effort and his zeal to prepare provisions for his end, and he pays no mind to what he lays up for this world. This is what [Chazal] said, “Repent one day before your death” (Avos 2:10), and they explained, “Let him repent today, for he may die tomorrow; and so all his days are spent in teshuvah” (Shabbos 153a), as it is written, “Let your garments be white at all times” (Koheles 9:8).

One who does not trust in G-d grieves greatly over the misfortunes of the world that keep coming upon him, over the loss of those he loves, and over the requests that are withheld from him. He lays up much of the world’s wealth, as if he were sure he would never pass on, and the fear of death has left him, as if his days would never end and his life never be finished. He does not remember his end; he busies himself with his world, and does not look into the matter of his Torah, his provisions and his eternal home. His confidence that he will live long in the world makes his desire for its affairs long, and his desire for the affairs of his end short.

When someone rebukes him and teaches him, and says to him, “How long will you keep from thinking about your provisions and the matters of your eternal home?”

he says, “Until I have enough for my livelihood and my needs, and for all who are with me, my wife and children, to the end of our days. [Then] my soul will rest from the worries of the world, and I will turn to paying what I owe the Creator and thinking about the means of preparing provisions for the appointed day.”

Bereishis

15:6He believed in Hashem: he did not ask Him for a sign about this; but about the inheritance of the land he did ask Him for a sign, and said to Him, “How will I know?” (Bereishis 15:8).

15:6And He counted it for him as righteousness: HaKadosh Baruch Hu counted it for Avram as merit and as righteousness, for the faith with which he believed in Him.

32:11I have become small because of all the kindnesses: my merits have grown fewer because of the kindnesses and the faithfulness You have shown me. Therefore I am afraid: perhaps since You made Your promise to me I have become soiled with sin, and it will cause me to be handed over to Esav (Shabbos 32a).

32:11And all the faithfulness: the truth of Your words, that You have kept for me all the promises You made me.

32:11For with my staff: I had with me no silver, no gold and no cattle, only my staff alone. A Midrash Aggadah: he put his staff into the Yarden, and the Yarden split.

Devarim

20:1When you go out to war: the pasuk set going out to war next to this [passage] to tell you that one who is missing a limb does not go out to war (see Sifri). Another explanation: to tell you that if you have carried out just judgment, you are assured that if you go out to war, you will win; and so David says, “I have done justice and righteousness; do not leave me to my oppressors” (Tehillim 119:121) (Tanchuma).

20:1Against your enemy: let them be enemies in your eyes; do not have mercy on them, for they will not have mercy on you.

20:1Horse and chariot: in My eyes they are all like one horse. And so it says, “And you will strike Midian like one man” (Shoftim 6:16); and so it says, “For Pharaoh’s horse came” (Shemos 15:19) (see Sifri).

20:1A people more numerous than you: in your eyes it is numerous, but in My eyes it is not numerous (ibid.).

20:2When you draw near to battle: close to your going out from the border, from the boundary of your land.

20:2The kohen will come forward: the one anointed for this, who is called the “Anointed for War.”

20:2And speak to the people: in the holy tongue (Sotah 42a).

20:3Hear, Yisrael: even if you have no merit but Krias Shema alone, you are worthy that He should save you.

20:3Against your enemies: these are not your brothers; if you fall into their hands, they will not have mercy on you. This is not like the war of Yehudah with Yisrael, of which it says, “And the men who were named rose up and took hold of the captives, and from the spoil they clothed all who were naked among them; they dressed them and gave them shoes, gave them food and drink, and anointed them, and led all the weak ones on donkeys, and brought them to Yericho, the city of palms, to their brothers; and they returned to Shomron” (Divrei HaYamim II 28:15). Rather, you are going against your enemies; therefore strengthen yourselves for the battle (Sifri; Sotah 42a).

20:3Do not let your heart grow faint; do not be afraid, do not panic, and do not be terrified: four warnings, corresponding to four things that the kings of the nations do. They clash their shields, banging them against each other to make a noise, so that those facing them will panic and flee; they stamp with their horses and make them neigh, to make heard the sound of their horses’ hooves; they shout with their voices; and they blow shofars and all kinds of instruments that make a noise.

20:3Do not let your heart grow faint: from the neighing of the horses.

20:3Do not be afraid: of the clashing of the shields.

20:3Do not panic: at the sound of the horns.

20:3And do not be terrified: at the sound of the shouting (ibid.).

20:4For Hashem your G-d, etc.: they come with the victory of flesh and blood, and you come with the victory of the Omnipresent. The Pelishtim came with the victory of Golyas; what was his end? He fell, and they fell with him.

20:4The One who goes with you: this is the camp of the Aron (Sotah 42a).

32:4The Rock: His work is perfect: although He is mighty, when He brings punishment on those who transgress His will, He does not bring it in a flood, but with justice, for “His work is perfect.”

32:4A faithful G-d: to pay the righteous [the reward of] their righteousness in the World to Come; and although He delays their reward, in the end He makes His words come true.

32:4Who does no wrong: even to the wicked He pays the reward of their righteousness in this world (see Sifri).

32:4He is righteous and upright: all declare His judgment upon them to be just, and [say that] so it is proper and fair for them. “Righteous,” from the mouths of the creatures; “and He is upright,” and it is fitting to declare Him just.

Yeshayahu

12:2For the strength and praise of Kah, Hashem: the strength and the praise of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, that was my salvation.

12:2Kah, Hashem: until now His Name was divided, and with the downfall of Amalek it became whole. And so it says, “For a hand is on the throne of Kah” (Shemos 17:16): the throne is not whole and the Name is not whole until there is war for Hashem against Amalek.

26:3The mind: that was leaning on HaKadosh Baruch Hu and relying on Him firmly, and did not move from its faith because of any terror or suffering.

26:3You will guard: that there be peace; for it trusted in You, therefore it is fitting for You to guard it.

26:4For in Kah, Hashem: for one may rely on Him, for He is the Awesome One, Hashem, the crag and the Rock, the refuge of the worlds.

Yirmiyahu

17:5Who trusts in people: in his plowing and his harvest, saying, “I will sow in the seventh year and eat.”

17:5And whose heart turns away from Hashem: [from Hashem,] who promised him, “I will command My blessing for you” (Vayikra 25:21). So I have heard.

17:6A salty land: a land that is salty and will not be inhabited.

17:8It will not notice: the tree, when the heat comes.

Tehillim

3:6I lay down and slept: my heart was closed up with worry and fear.

3:6I woke up: from my worry, for I trusted that Hashem supports me.

22:9One who turns over to Hashem: גול is like לגולל, to roll: a person should roll his load and his burden onto his Creator, so that He will rescue him.

31:25Be strong, and let your heart take courage: as you saw what He did for me, to save me, because I hoped to Him.

37:3Trust in Hashem: and do not say, “If I do not rob and steal, or if I give tzedakah to the poor, how will I support myself?”

37:3And do good: and then you will live in the land for long days.

37:3And be nourished by faith: you will eat and support yourself from the reward of the faith with which you believed in HaKadosh Baruch Hu, to rely on Him and to do good.

37:4Take delight [relying] on Hashem: take delight in luxuries, relying on the support of HaKadosh Baruch Hu.

37:5Turn your way over to Hashem: roll all your needs onto Him.

40:5And to those who stray after lies: who turn aside from the straight path after falsehood.

46:3When the earth is changed: in the time to come, on the day of which it is said, “And the earth will wear out like a garment” (Yeshayahu 51:6). The sons of Korach saw a miracle done for them: everything around them was swallowed up, and they stood in the air; and they said to Yisrael, with ruach hakodesh, that a miracle like this will be done for them in the time to come.

46:4The mountains quake at His majesty: [the majesty] of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, who is mentioned at the beginning of the psalm.

55:23Your burden: your load. Ruach hakodesh answers him so.

55:23He will carry [it for] you: He will bear your load.

112:7His heart is firm: his heart is faithful to his Creator.

112:8His heart leans: leaning on HaKadosh Baruch Hu and trusting in Him.

115:11You who fear Hashem: these are the converts.

125:1A song of ascents. Those who trust in Hashem: will not be moved, like Har Tziyon, which is never moved; for as Yerushalayim has mountains around it, so HaKadosh Baruch Hu is around His people.

131:1Hashem, my heart was not proud, etc.: I did not conduct myself with lordship; I did not do great things, pleasures, buildings and plantings, like what my son did. Here I am before You like one who has no hands and feet, like a lifeless lump lying before You.

131:2I have calmed and quieted: my soul [resting] upon You like a גמול, who is set upon his mother; a גמול is a child that nurses at the breast.

131:2My soul within me is like a weaned child: my soul within me, before You, is like one who nurses at his mother’s breasts.

146:5Fortunate: is one whose help is the G-d of Yaakov, [Yaakov,] whom HaKadosh Baruch Hu promised, “Here I am with you, and I will guard you, and I will bring you back” (Bereishis 28:15). And why is he fortunate? Because He “makes heaven and earth, the sea” (Tehillim 146:6); and since everything is His, it is in His power to guard him at sea and on land. But a king of flesh and blood, if he guards him on land, he cannot guard him at sea.

Mishlei

3:5Trust in Hashem: and spend your money to seek a teacher for yourself, to learn from him; and do not rely on your own understanding.

3:26For Hashem will be your confidence: your trust. Another explanation: in the things in which you are a כסיל, a fool. So I found in the Yerushalmi.

16:20And one who trusts in Hashem is fortunate: when he weighs his ways and sees in [his way] a mitzvah that carries danger or a loss of money, and he trusts in HaKadosh Baruch Hu and does the good.

29:25A person’s fear sets a trap: it is inverted: a trap of sin gives a person fear. Another explanation: as it sounds: because a person is stingy and fears that if he gives tzedakah he will come to need people, this fear sets a trap for him. And the first is more pleasing to me.

Iyov

13:15Even if He kills me: surely, even if He kills me, I do not separate from Him, and I will always hope to Him; therefore there is no rebellion or sin in my words.

13:15Only my ways: and my traits, by which I have conducted myself.

13:15Clarify before Him: to know what He finds sinful in me.

Eichah

3:26It is good to hope and wait silently: the vav of ויחיל is extra, like the vav of “Ayah and Anah” (Bereishis 36:24). It is good that a person hope, and be silent, and look forward to the salvations of Hashem.

Koheles

9:11The swift do not win the race: his swiftness did not stand by Asahel once his appointed time had come.

9:11The mighty do not win the battle: his might did not stand by Avner once his day had come.

9:11Also, bread does not come to the wise: such as me, whose bread for one day was sixty kor of fine flour, etc. (Melachim I 5:2); and now “this is my portion from all my toil” (Koheles 2:10): my staff and my jug.

9:11Wealth does not come to those with understanding: such as Iyov at first, “And his livestock was…” (Iyov 1:3); when his hour came, he said, “Have pity on me, you my friends” (Iyov 19:21).

9:11Favor does not come to those who know much: for there was no one in Yisrael who knew and understood more than Moshe, yet he did not find favor in his prayer to enter the land.

9:11For a time and mishap: as it sounds. Another explanation: a time will come upon them; and [so] pleading and supplication should be habitual with them, so that they will not come to these things.

3:6I lay down and slept: I lay down in security and slept in peace, like a man who has no fear.

3:6I woke up: and I am not alarmed, like a man who sleeps in the midst of trouble, who is alarmed when he wakes; for while he sleeps he sees bad dreams, as he thinks in his heart out of his fear. And why do I trust in You so much? Because I know

3:6that Hashem supports me: for so I saw in a dream. And in the derash (Midrash Shocher Tov, on this place): “I lay down” from prophecy, “and slept” from ruach hakodesh; “I woke up” through Chushai HaArki; “for Hashem supports me” through Nasan the prophet. That is to say: ruach hakodesh departed from David because of the sadness and the fear that were in him, and ruach hakodesh rests only amid joy (Shabbos 30b; Pesachim 117a). When he saw Chushai HaArki he was glad, for he knew that he would undo for him the counsel of Achitofel; and he awoke, and ruach hakodesh rested on him, and he said, “for Hashem supports me” through Nasan the prophet, who had said to him, “Hashem too has removed your sin; you will not die” (Shmuel II 12:13).

3:7I will not be afraid of the tens of thousands of people: for all Yisrael were with Avshalom, except for those who were with David in Yerushalayim, who went out with him, and those who gathered to him afterward.

22:9One who turns over to Hashem: gol is a descriptive word, on the pattern of “hot bread” (Shmuel I 21:7) and “a stronghold to the upright” (Mishlei 10:29). Its meaning is: one who turns his ways, his requests and his prayers to Hashem.

22:9He will rescue him; He will save him, for He desires him: for Hashem desires him and hears his prayer, as in “If Hashem desires us” (Bamidbar 14:8). Or its meaning is: for the man desires G-d, as in “For he has desired Me, and I will rescue him” (Tehillim 91:14). That is: this we have seen and heard many times, that one who turns his ways and his prayer to G-d, He rescues him; if so, why do You not save us, when our eyes are turned to You?

31:25Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all who hope to Hashem: be strong, all who hope to Hashem, for He will give your heart courage.

32:10The wicked have many pains: who trusts in the greatness of his wealth, and did not look to G-d and did not understand. Through his iniquities and his sins many pains come to him, and there is no one to save him from them.

32:10But one who trusts in Hashem: but one who trusts in Hashem, and understands that he has no support besides Him, must return from his sins and from the things that kept [good] from him, and understand that good and bad come to him from G-d according to his deeds, and trust in Him alone.

32:10Will be surrounded by kindness: the reverse of the wicked, whom many pains surround.

37:3Trust in Hashem and do good; live in the land and be nourished by faith: its meaning is reversed: “Do good” and “trust in Hashem”; “be nourished by faith” and “live in the land”; for the reward comes after the good deed. One may also explain the whole pasuk as about the good deed. In this pasuk he spoke of the three faculties of a person for good and for bad, which are the heart, the hand and the mouth. “Trust in Hashem” is the service of the heart: that he trust in Hashem with all his heart, and understand that He is the One who helps and the One who makes stumble; not like “the evildoers,” “the doers of wrong,” who trust only in their wealth and their strength, as he said earlier, in the psalm before it, “There is no fear of G-d before his eyes” (Tehillim 36:2). “And do good” is the deed of the hand: that he give tzedakah and do the mitzvos of G-d. “Live in the land and shepherd faithfulness”: in every place you live, teach the many to serve Hashem, as Avraham did, as it says, “And Avram called there in the name of Hashem” (Bereishis 13:4): he taught the many the way of Hashem. One who teaches people shepherds them, as it says, “and they will shepherd you with knowledge and understanding” (Yirmiyahu 3:15), and as it says, “The lips of a tzaddik shepherd many” (Mishlei 10:21). And this is the main service of G-d with the mouth. For what a person needs for himself in the service of G-d, may He be blessed, with the mouth, such as declaring the Oneness of the Name, and the prayers and the praises, their main part is the heart, and even if he does not bring them out with his mouth he has fulfilled his obligation; but teaching others is impossible except with the mouth.

37:4Delight in Hashem, and He will give you what your heart asks for: if you do what I have commanded you, you will delight in Hashem; that is, you will find delight in Him in all that you desire, and He will give you what your heart asks for. The command form comes here in place of the future, as in “and die on the mountain” (Devarim 32:50), meaning “you will die,” and “and set your nest in the rock” (Bamidbar 24:21), meaning “you will set.” Or the meaning of “delight” is: that you rejoice in your service of Hashem and take pleasure in it, and He will fulfill your desire.

37:5Turn your way over to Hashem: cast all your needs, and roll them, upon Him

37:5Trust in Him: and not in another

37:5And He will do [what you need]: for He will do and complete everything.

37:34Hope to Hashem: he says to the one who listens to his reproof: If you trust in Hashem,

37:34And keep His way: and you keep His way, not turning aside from anything He commanded you,

37:34And He will raise you up to inherit the land; you will see the wicked cut off: for the wicked have no standing and no endurance; and I have seen this; therefore listen to me.

40:5Fortunate is the man who has made Hashem his trust: for in Hashem alone he has made his trust,

40:5And has not turned to the arrogant or to those who stray after lies: he has not turned to men of strength and pride, and he has not turned to people who “stray after lies,” that is, who lean toward the way of lies, like the diviners, and do not trust in the G-d of truth.

46:2G-d: when the troubles come, which are the birth pangs of Mashiach, He will be a refuge and help for us.

46:2Very: for the help will be great, when one nation such as Yisrael is saved from many peoples.

46:3Therefore [we will not be afraid]: this is a parable for the mighty wars that will be among the nations; and so “its waters roar and churn up mud”: all of it is a parable for the great wars and the great troubles.

55:23Cast: David said this of himself and of all the tzaddikim: Cast your burden upon Hashem, for He will bear you; and do not fear people, for if you trust in Him He will support you; for “He will never let the tzaddik stumble”: He will never let him stumble.

62:9Trust: he said to those in exile: Trust in Him at all times, that He will bring you the redemption. “At all times”: even though the time of exile grows long and the time of redemption has not come, trust in Him at all times; that is, [you,] the people of G-d.

62:9Pour out your hearts before Him: in complete teshuvah, and the redeemer will come to you.

62:9For G-d is our refuge: and His refuge will not be a false refuge, as the refuge of people is; therefore he says after it:

84:13Hashem, Master of Legions: fortunate is the one who trusts in You, and whose heart does not despair through the length of the exile, and who trusts in You that You will bring us out of the exile and build Your Beis HaMikdash, and bring him to the place the souls have longed for.

112:7Of bad news: the reverse of the wicked man, of whom it is said, “A sound of terrors is in his ears” (Iyov 15:21). But the tzaddik will not fear: if he hears bad news about his children or his relatives who are in another land, or if he hears that enemies are coming upon him, he will not fear; for “his heart is firm, trusting in Hashem.” He does not trust in his wealth, or in the greatness of his strength, or in many friends and relatives, but in Hashem alone he places his trust; therefore he will not fear.

112:8Leans: leaning [on Hashem]; therefore he does not fear any man, and he goes in security at all times.

112:8Until he sees [the downfall of] his enemies: the harm that he wishes to see come upon them.

115:9But “Yisrael, trust in Hashem”: not like those who trust in idols; but you, trust in Hashem, for you will see in all the generations that have passed that He was the help of Yisrael and their shield. And he said “trust” to Yisrael as a whole.

115:10House of Aharon: these are the kohanim and the levi’im. He spoke to them on their own, because they are close to Hashem and stand before Him always: he said that they should trust in Him, for their service before Him will help them.

115:11You who fear Hashem: these are the wise, who seclude themselves in the house of Hashem to learn, and occupy themselves with wisdom, to know Hashem; for they know from their wisdom that there is no one besides Him in whom it is fitting to trust. And some explain: those who fear Hashem in every nation.

125:1Which is never moved: like Har Tziyon, which will not be moved; for it will stay forever when the exile returns: it will not be moved and will never be destroyed, but will stay forever. And the meaning of “stays” is: it will stand forever and endure; and so “But You are holy, enthroned” (Tehillim 22:4), enduring forever; and so “You, Hashem, are enthroned forever” (Eichah 5:19).

131:1A song: David said this about himself, and he said this matter among these Songs of Ascents, which are about the exile. That is: as he conducted himself, so Yisrael should conduct themselves in exile, in lowliness, and through this Hashem will have mercy on them, for Hashem is exalted and sees the lowly (Tehillim 138:6). Therefore he said at the end of the psalm, “Let Yisrael hope to Hashem.” He said, “my heart was not proud” in private, “and my eyes were not raised [in arrogance]” in public.

131:1In things too great and too wondrous for me: in matters of G-d, I did not boast that I could grasp and know the matters and the secrets that are too wondrous for me, according to my understanding; but I went into them little by little, with fear, lest I break through to look into what my understanding cannot reach, and my mind be confused by it.

131:2Truly: in the usage of the language, im lo is in the manner of an oath: that is, if it was not so, let such and such come upon me. So he said: if I did not make my soul still and quiet like a weaned child, let such and such come upon me. And the meaning of “I made still and quiet” is: I set myself [so].

131:2Like a weaned child with his mother: like the infant who is weaned from his mother’s breasts, who begins a little to grasp the matter of his growing up, and walks a little at a time, and still does not rely on himself but on his mother, who leads him and trains him a little. So I set my soul and silenced it, so that in hidden and wondrous matters it would not rely on its own understanding, but would rely on the teachers and on the tradition, which is the mother. And he added further to strengthen the matter, and said:

131:2My soul within me is like a weaned child: like the weaned child, so I set my soul within me, that I would not rely on my own understanding.

131:3Let [Yisrael] hope: with these middos, conducting yourself with lowliness in private and in public, your heart not lifted up to rise into wondrous things, hope to Hashem, and He will grant your hope, from now and forever.

146:3Do not trust: in the way that Yirmiyahu said, “and whose heart turns away from Hashem” (Yirmiyahu 17:5). Rather, if he trusts in a man, let him make G-d, may He be blessed, the main thing, who puts it into the heart of the generous man to help him. He said the matter twice in different words: “who has no power to save”; for if not by the will of G-d, it is not in a man’s hand to save his fellow from his trouble. For salvation is Hashem’s alone, and He brings it about through people, as He brought about the salvation from the exile of Bavel through Koresh; and so in the future He will bring about the redemption of Yisrael through the kings of the nations, whose spirit He will rouse to send them, as it is written, “And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to Hashem” (Yeshayahu 66:20). And this will be because Yisrael trusted in G-d alone, may He be blessed, in their exile.

146:4His spirit leaves: and how can a man have salvation, when he does not rule over his own spirit, to hold his spirit back? For his spirit leaves suddenly, and he returns to his earth, and what he thought to do he cannot do; for his spirit that kept him standing has left; and on the day of his death “his plans are lost,” that is, his thoughts.

146:5Fortunate is the one whose help is the G-d of Yaakov: he mentioned Yaakov Avinu, for he trusted in G-d. His brother was plotting to kill him and he fled from him, and he trusted in his heart that He would give him the needs of his living, although he was going to [Lavan]; for G-d had spoken to him, and [he asked that He] give him bread to eat and clothing to wear. And so Yisrael, his children, who trusted in Him: He brought them out of exile. And he said the matter twice in different words.

147:11Desires: but what does He desire? Those who fear Him, who hope for His kindness, and do not trust in the strength of the horse or in the might of man.

The answer to this is: hope for something about which the one who hopes is in doubt whether it will come or not troubles the soul to think thoughts in order to attain it. But hope for something that a person is sure will come, like hoping for the light of morning, does not trouble the soul; rather, it gladdens it, as it pictures the good that is sought and trusts that it will come. In this way a person’s hope to Hashem should be, when he trusts in Him with complete trust that He will fulfill his hope without doubt, since the ability is in His hand and no one can hold back His hand; not like one who hopes for something about which he doubts whether it will come or not. This hope strengthens the heart and gladdens it. The pasuk says, “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all who hope to Hashem” (Tehillim 31:25): hope to Him not only does not weaken the heart, but strengthens it. For one who hopes to Hashem, may He be blessed, when his heart leans and rests on Hashem, the Holy One of Yisrael, in truth, that He will fulfill his request, gains courage, and his strength grows. This is what the pasuk says, “Youths will tire, etc. ... but those who hope to Hashem will renew their strength” (Yeshayahu 40:30–31). That is: even the youths, whose way is not to tire and grow weary, and the young men, whose way is to renew their strength, all of them will stumble, and tire, and grow weary; but those who hope to Hashem will renew their strength and increase their might. And because they increase their might they are able to hope; and because the hope is to Hashem, may He be blessed, who is everlasting, it grows stronger still; so that the two repay one another: hope is the cause of strength, and strength is the cause of hope.

To this the Psalmist alluded, saying, “Hope to Hashem; be strong, and let your heart take courage, etc.” (Tehillim 27:14). He made clear that hope is the cause of strength, and strength is a cause to hope more. And about this hope the prophet warned, saying, “Keep kindness and justice, and hope to your G-d always”; for hope and expectation to Hashem, may He be blessed, is something higher than all the praises with which a person can praise Hashem, may He be blessed. The Psalmist said, “But I will always hope, and I will add to all Your praise” (Tehillim 71:14).

One of the wise said: I find no sign of worry at all in people of lofty soul. One who worries about this world, to gain something of it, is very contemptible; and it is not found at all among people who trust in Hashem and believe in Him.

Worry and sorrow wear out the heart, and they are a sickness of the body. The worst worry of all is [the worry of one] who chases after sins, and when he does not find all his heart desires, then he worries and is pained. One who worries about this world is very far from Torah, mitzvos and prayer. Therefore let him take great care to correct this middah and remove it from himself. There is no need to say much about how bad it is, for all the good things that come from joy are the opposite of worry.

Yeshayahu

12:2See, G-d is my salvation: since the G-d of my salvation is with me, I will dwell securely and will no longer be afraid.

12:2For the strength, etc.: the strength and the praise of the Omnipresent became my salvation; that is, the salvation came in order to show His might, and so that I would sing His praise.

26:3The mind that leans: the thought that was leaning on G-d, peace will guard it, so that it will not tremble; and he doubled the word “peace” to strengthen the matter.

26:3For it trusts in You: that is, so it is fitting, since it trusted in You.

26:4Trust in Hashem: as though they urge one another on and say, “Trust in Hashem forever,” for on Him depends the strength of this world and of the World to Come, and everything comes from Him.

Yirmiyahu

17:5Who trusts in people: that is, and they will not find help from flesh and blood, for “cursed is the man, etc.”

17:5And makes: and places his strength and his trust in flesh and blood, and turns his heart away from trusting in Hashem.

17:6He will be: one who trusts in people will be like a lone tree growing in the desert.

17:6And he will not see: he does not see when good comes to the world, which is the rains; that is, the rains will not fall on him.

17:6He will live in the parched places: he lives there in the dry places, from the great heat in the wilderness.

17:6A salty land: a land whose soil is salty and which is not inhabited; and it is the same matter doubled in other words.

17:7And Hashem will be his security: that is, as he trusts in Him, so will He be his trust and his help.

17:8He will be like a tree planted: he will be filled with good, like a tree planted by the water, whose roots spread out by streams of water.

17:8It will not notice: that is, it will not feel it when heat and scorching wind come, since it is planted by the water, which keeps it moist.

17:8Its leaves will stay fresh: the leaves on it will be moist.

17:8In a year of drought: in a year when the rains are held back, it will not worry; that is, it will do it no harm.

17:8It will not stop: it will not cease growing fruit. That is: so will it be with one who trusts in Hashem: he will lack nothing, and he will not worry over the troubles that stir in the world.

Tehillim

3:6I lay down: when I lie down and fall into a deep sleep from great anguish,

3:6I woke up: that is, I relieved my anguish, remembering that Hashem supports me.

3:7I will not be afraid: for this reason I will not be afraid of the great number of people who are with Avshalom, who have set their faces to fight me.

13:6As for me: always, when I trusted in Your kindness, my heart rejoiced in the salvation that came from You.

13:6I will sing: now too, I will sing to Hashem when He deals kindly with me.

22:9One who turns over: but one who rolls and turns his trust over to Hashem, He rescues him.

22:9For He is pleased with him: with one who trusts in Him as he should.

31:25Be strong: all who hope to Hashem, be strong and make your hearts courageous, and be confident; for surely you will see that there is hope.

32:10The wicked have many pains, etc.: for the wicked man who kicks against suffering, many pains come upon him; but one who trusts in Hashem, and understands that they are for his good, for through them sin is scoured away, and does not kick against them, kindness from Hashem surrounds him, for He removes them from him, and he is left clean of sin.

37:3Trust in Hashem: therefore do not mingle with them; rather, trust in Hashem and do good, and then you will live in the land for long days.

37:3And be nourished by faith: you will be fed and sustained by the faith with which you believed in Hashem, and did not act like the wicked, to rob and to cheat.

37:4Take delight [relying] on Hashem: you will enjoy luxuries, relying on the support of Hashem, and He will give you what your heart asks; that is, He will supply what you lack, even in luxuries.

37:5Turn over to Hashem: roll your need onto Hashem and trust in Him, and He will do what you need.

37:34Hope to Hashem: that He will rescue you from the hand of the wicked.

37:34And keep His way: without doing to them as they do.

40:5Fortunate: and they will say, “Fortunate, etc.”

40:5And has not turned: to trust in them.

40:5And those who stray after lies: who incline after thoughts of vanity and falsehood.

46:2A help in troubles: He is a help to us in a time of trouble, and is very easily found by us whenever we call to Him.

46:3When the earth is changed: when the earth changes from calm to quaking, and when the mountains move to fall into the depths of the sea; and it is a parable for the downfall of Gog.

46:4Roar: the waters of the sea roar with their many waves and cast up mire and mud, and the mountains quake continually at the majesty of Hashem; and of all this we will not be afraid.

46:8Hashem, Master of Legions: because Hashem will be with us, and the G-d of Yaakov is our stronghold forever, and He will not let those who love Him be frightened.

55:23Cast: David said to his soul: Cast your load on Hashem, and so it will be, for He will carry your load. That is: trust in Him that He will lighten your load from you; and so it will be, for He will never leave the tzaddik to stumble.

62:9[My] people: you, the children of my people, trust in Him at all times.

62:9Pour out your hearts before Him: in prayer, for He has always been a refuge for us.

112:7Of bad news: when bad news is heard in the world, he will not be afraid of it, and his heart will be firm, trusting in Hashem that the evil will not touch him.

112:8His heart leans: so much will his heart lean on Hashem, and he will not be afraid, until he can turn his mind to look at the evil that comes upon his enemies; for when a person is in fear, he does not turn his mind to see vengeance on his enemies.

115:9Yisrael: but Yisrael trusts in Hashem, for He has always been their help and their shield; that is, He is to them like a shield to the one who wears it.

115:11You who fear Hashem: these are the pious of the nations of the world.

125:1Those who trust in Hashem: those who trust in Hashem are like Har Tziyon, which does not shift from its place, and stays on its base forever.

131:1My heart was not proud: in the thoughts of my heart I was not proud.

131:1And my eyes were not raised: in deed, to rule over others too much, raising the eyes upward in the way of the arrogant.

131:1I did not involve myself in great things: I did not do great and wondrous things in fine buildings and tall towers, to display greatness and honor beyond me; that is, beyond what is needed and fitting for me.

131:2Truly: אם לא is a form of oath, as if one says, “If I did not do so, let such a punishment come upon me”; he hinted at it and did not say it.

131:2I have calmed and quieted: I likened my soul to an infant weaned from his mother’s breasts, whose whole trust is on his mother; so is all my trust in Hashem.

131:2My soul within me is like a weaned child: the soul that is upon me and within me is like the weaned infant; and he doubled the matter to show that it was constant.

131:3Let Yisrael hope: that is, learn from me and do the same, you too, and hope to Hashem from now and forever.

146:3Who has no power to save: who has no salvation in his hand.

146:4His spirit leaves: for when the spirit of life leaves him, he returns to the ground from which he was taken; and on that day all his thoughts are lost, for he is no longer there to carry them out. If so, what is trust in him [worth]?

146:5His hope: the word “fortunate” serves for both, to say: fortunate is the one whose hope is in Hashem.

147:11Desires: Hashem desires only those who fear Him; and he goes on to explain that they are those who hope for His kindness, and do not trust in themselves, in the strength of the leg or in the might of the horse; for one who trusts in these removes the fear of Hashem from before him.

Mishlei

3:5Do not rely: do not think, “I will certainly succeed, since the thing was done with understanding”; for everything is in the hand of Hashem, and not in the hand of man’s understanding.

3:6In all your ways: in all your affairs, know Hashem; that is, set your mind to do your deeds so that they bring some benefit toward fulfilling the word of Hashem; and then He will lead you on a straight path, and you will succeed in it.

3:26Your confidence: in that in which you trust and hope to Him; and He will guard your foot from being trapped.

29:25A person’s fear: the fear a person feels when a bad event comes upon him will add yet another trap for him, for since his heart is not with him, he is likely to stumble over a small thing. But one who trusts in Hashem, and does not fear too much, will grow strong even against the event that has already struck him.

Iyov

13:15Even if He kills me: that is: do not think that my crying out shows that, because I think my hope is lost, the fear of Hashem has left me on that account; it is not so. For even if He kills me, I will still hope to Him, to delight my soul in spiritual pleasure; and why, then, would fear [of Him] leave me? And all my words are not to defy Him; I only wish to clarify my ways before Him, to weigh them.

Koheles

9:11I saw again: I saw again in the world that running did not help the swift, for they did not escape the pursuer by their flight.

9:11The mighty do not win the battle: might did not help the mighty to win the battle.

9:11Bread does not come to the wise: wisdom did not help the wise to obtain the bread they eat.

9:11Wealth does not come to those with understanding: understanding did not help those with understanding to obtain wealth.

9:11Favor does not come to those who know much: knowledge did not help those who know much and varied knowledge to find favor through it in people’s eyes.

9:11For a time and mishap: a bad time and the blow of death come upon them all, the swift and the mighty, etc.

A person could have sat idle and the decree would still be fulfilled, were it not that a penalty was first laid upon all mankind: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat bread” (Bereishis 3:19). Therefore a person is obligated to make some effort for the sake of his livelihood, for so the Supreme King decreed.

It is like a tax that the whole human race pays, from which there is no escape. Therefore [Chazal] said (Sifrei): I might think [one will see a sign of blessing] even when sitting idle; therefore the pasuk says, “In all the work of your hand that you do” (Devarim 28:20).

But it is not that the effort is what helps; rather, the effort is required. Once he has made the effort, he has fulfilled his obligation, and there is already room for the blessing of Heaven to rest on him, and he need not spend his days in toil and effort. This is what David HaMelech, alav hashalom, said, “For not from the east or from the west, and not [from the desert, does greatness come]; for G-d is the Judge, [He lowers one and raises another]” (Tehillim 75:7–8). And Shlomo HaMelech, alav hashalom, said, “Do not toil to become rich; hold back, out of your own understanding” (Mishlei 23:4).

Rather, the true way is the way of the early chassidim: they made their Torah primary and their work secondary, and both endured in their hands. For once a person has done some work, from then on he has only to trust in his Maker and not to grieve over any worldly matter. Then his mind will remain free, and his heart ready for true chassidus and wholehearted service.

“But one who trusts in Hashem will be surrounded by kindness” (Tehillim 32:10). And when it is the opposite, that he is always afraid of the attribute of judgment and of punishment, then he attaches himself to the judgments, and harm may come to him, Heaven forbid; as it says, “And what they dread I will bring upon them” (Yeshayahu 66:4). For wherever a person thinks, there he is attached: if he thinks of judgment, he is attached to judgment; and when he trusts in kindness, there his soul will cleave, and the kindness will surround him. And let him always hide himself entirely in Hashem.

Because of what it holds: that is, in bitachon in Hashem, may He be blessed, there are great benefits, both in matters of Torah, meaning: if a person wishes to conduct himself and walk in the way of the Torah and to act with chassidus, it will be easy for him because of his trust in Him, may He be blessed; and so too one who pursues the world and wishes to enjoy this world, it will also be easy for him to attain it because of his good trust, as he goes on to explain.

For [My people] have committed two evils, etc.: Rashi explained: Had they exchanged the object of their reverence for something like it, there would be one evil here; but now that they have forsaken Me, the source of living waters, to go after idol worship, which is like pits of gathered water that are broken and cracked, whose waters are swallowed up in their cracks, there are two evils. End of his words. And the end of the passage is: “Your own evil will chastise you, and your backslidings will rebuke you; know and see that it is bad and bitter that you have forsaken Hashem” (Yirmiyahu 2:19). This is a proof that Hashem removes His providence from him and leaves him in the hand, etc.

They exchanged their glory, etc.: “He said He would destroy them, were it not for Moshe His chosen one, etc.” (Tehillim 106:23).

And has not turned to the arrogant (rehavim): From the way the author uses this word in this sefer, it seems that he takes it in its plain sense: all the matters of this world’s possessions and desires are called rehavim. For so he wrote in Shaar HaPerishus, ch. 2, “and the rehavim of trade, which do harm, occupying their hearts with what their rehavim bring forth”; and in Shaar Ahavas Hashem, ch. 7, “and they ceased longing for the world and its rehavim.” And it seems that this is the meaning of the pesukim, such as “and their rahav is toil and iniquity” (Tehillim 90:10), and likewise “go, humble yourself, and rehav your fellow” (Mishlei 6:3), and others; while the derash may still be expounded.

And makes flesh his strength: Rashi explained [“his arm”] as “his helper,” and Targum Yonasan renders it “his trust.”

And his understanding of what brings about his good: and also that the one in whom they trust knows what is good for this person who trusts.

But the main thing, etc., and if it is missing, etc.: if this thing is lacking, they do not trust in him.

Is that [his heart] be, etc.: that is, not only that he keeps what he promised him, but also that he will do good things for him although he did not promise him and was not obligated to him, only out of his kindness and goodness. For otherwise his heart would always trouble him, lest he is not worthy of those good things, and he would stop trusting in him.

Blessed is the man, etc.: First he brings a proof that [the one who trusts] is blessed and accepted before Him, may He be blessed. After this he brings a proof for what he said, that one who does not trust in Him, may He be blessed, certainly trusts in something else, from the pasuk “Fortunate is the man, etc.”; for from the positive you hear the negative. Since [he is praised] for having made Hashem his trust and not turned to the arrogant, etc., then if he has not made Hashem his trust, he certainly turns to the arrogant and to those who stray after lies. After this he brings a proof that it is a bad and bitter thing, and that it falls under “Cursed [is the man].”

But the main thing, etc.… and if it is missing: meaning, if that thing is lacking, bitachon will not be found; it is that his heart be, etc.

That he will keep what he said: this is in a matter that needs no action, like Lavan’s promise to Yaakov Avinu that whatever the sheep bore speckled and spotted would be his wages. All the sheep were in Yaakov’s hands, and Lavan needed to do nothing but keep his word and not hold it back from him. And of what requires action he said, “and do what he undertook,” which is also a term of promise, as in “If you have become a guarantor for your fellow” (Mishlei 6:1).

And that he will intend good for him, etc.: that he will think about him, to do good for him even in what he did not stipulate, etc., and he will do this as a gift and a kindness. Here too he said, “in what he did not stipulate to him and did not undertake to do,” corresponding to the two kinds mentioned above.

13:6As for me, I trusted in Your kindness; my heart will rejoice: the meaning of gil, rejoicing, is gladness over a good thing one never hoped for, and good news that comes suddenly. Accordingly he says: although “I trusted in Your kindness,” so that the salvation is nothing new to me, since I trusted in it, still “my heart will rejoice in Your salvation,” like one glad over a thing he did not hope for. For I trusted only in Your kindness, that You would do it for me out of kindness, not as reward, for I am not worthy of it; and now “I will sing to Hashem, for He has dealt kindly with me” as reward: in His goodness He counted it for me as though I were worthy of it through my deeds; and this is a new gladness, which I did not hope for.

20:2–6He will answer you: (verse 2) He explains that there are several differences between the salvation of Hashem and the salvation of a man. (1) That “Hashem will answer you” Himself, not through a messenger. (2) That He will not delay in saving him, but will answer him at once, “on the day of trouble.” (3) “The Name of the G-d of Yaakov will set you on high”: His Name alone, called upon you, will make you something lofty and very strong. (verse 3) “He will send your help from the Sanctuary”: (4) that He will not save you through help from the kings of the nations; only from your own holiness will the salvation come, and Tziyon will be only a support to the salvation. That is, your men who go out from Tziyon to war will be only a support, for the main help will come through the holiness of your deeds. (verse 4) “He will remember”: (5) one who is saved by a man of flesh and blood, and brings him a gift so that he will save him, is paid no reward by him for the gift he brought him, for the gift is spent in exchange for the salvation; but Hashem “will remember all your offerings,” to pay you reward for them, and will remember the richness of your burnt offerings. (verse 5) “He will grant”: (6) even the way by which you are saved will be according to the counsel you yourself gave, and according to the desire of your heart; not like flesh and blood, who saves according to his own counsel and according to the wish of the heart of the one who saves. (verse 6) “We will sing for joy”: (7) for one who is saved by a man of flesh and blood, it is no glory to him, and he will not sing for joy to glory in it, for it shows the weakness of his strength; but one who is saved by Hashem will sing for joy and glory “in your salvation,” for by this “we raise our banner in the Name of our G-d,” and all the peoples of the earth will see that the Name of Hashem is called upon our banner, and they will fear us (Devarim 28:10). (8) That along with saving you from this trouble of yours, He will also “fulfill all your requests,” in other matters too; as he said, “This poor man called, and Hashem heard, and saved him from all his troubles” (Tehillim 34:7).

20:10Hashem, save: this pasuk gives the subject of the whole psalm: on the day we call, the King will answer us, “Hashem, save”: when we called in tefillah for King David, King David answered [us], saying, “Hashem, save!” That is: I do not trust in an army or in strength, but only in the salvation of Hashem; for so it was, that Hashem alone saved him.

22:5–6Surely “our fathers trusted in You,” and by this they gained two things. (1) “They trusted”: through this they were secure, and found rest in their soul from the greatness of their trust. (2) “And You rescued them”: through this they were truly saved. “To You”: he explains these two benefits that they gained from the trust. (1) The goal they gained from the trust (corresponding to what it says, “and You rescued them”): for “they cried out to You and were saved.” And this goal is higher than [that of] one who trusts in flesh, which will not save at every time; but they were saved every time they cried out. A man of flesh and blood is not always near to the one who trusts [in him], but You, every time they cried out, were at their side to hear their cry. (2) The worth of the trust in itself (corresponding to what it says, “they trusted”): for “they trusted in You and were not put to shame.” For one who trusts in flesh is ashamed of the trust, in that he lowers himself to a man of flesh and blood like himself; but their trust in You was an honor to them.

25:2My G-d: (in the matter of his bodily needs) in all my affairs, “I have trusted in You,” and therefore I ask, “do not let me be put to shame”; as though the goal of his request were not to obtain his needs, but only to obtain [the fulfillment of] the trust: that he not be ashamed of his trust in Hashem when it proves a failing spring to him. And for the sake of this goal I ask, “do not let my enemies rejoice over me,” for by this would come a desecration of Hashem’s Name.

25:3Also: by this it will come about “that also none who hope to You will be put to shame,” which is not so if my trust is not fulfilled; and so too, through this, “those who betray without cause will be put to shame.” According to this, the goal for me is not obtaining the thing trusted for, but only the upholding of the trust itself, so that the honor of Hashem will grow.

27:14Hope: according to what he said, that in the merit of the emunah with which he believed in Hashem’s promise he was saved from his enemies, for he hoped to Hashem that he would again see the goodness of Hashem (Tehillim 27:13); accordingly he says, and commands, “to hope to Hashem.” And he explains that hope to Hashem differs from hope to a man of flesh and blood in two things. (1) In hope to another, surely “drawn-out hope makes the heart sick” (Mishlei 13:12); but through hoping to Hashem, “be strong, and let your heart take courage”: it gives strength and courage of heart. (2) In hoping to another, the hope is not a goal in itself; the goal of the hoping is only that he find what he seeks. And if so, the goal of the hoping is that he no longer hope: that is, that he attain what he hoped for and no longer need to hope. But hoping to Hashem is a goal in itself, so much so that the goal of the hoping is that his heart grow strong and he hope again. Of this it says, “Hope, be strong, and hope to Hashem.”

31:25Be strong: and if so, “be strong, and let your heart take courage, all who hope to Hashem,” for your hope will not return empty.

32:10Many: only “to the wicked” are there “many pains”: many things are pains to him. The wicked man is pained when he falls ill, when he is hungry, and so in all kinds of suffering. But “one who trusts in Hashem” is not pained in all these, for these pains are, for him, “kindness [that] will surround him”: they are for his protection, as [the bridle is] for the wild beast, that it not turn from the way and not come near to harm him. Therefore “be glad in Hashem and rejoice,” you “tzaddikim,” and you “upright in heart, sing for joy” (Tehillim 32:11), for all that He does is for your good and your success.

37:4Delight in Hashem: let your delight be a matter of the soul, in Hashem; unlike the evildoers, whose soul is grieved, for the one who could restore their soul is far from them. (5) The evildoers never find what their heart asks for: one who has a hundred wants two hundred. But one who trusts in Hashem, “He will give you what your heart asks for.”

37:5Turn over: (6) One who does not trust does not know the means and the ways by which he will find his food, and he must seek many ways; but you, “turn over to Hashem” even “your way, and trust in Him that He will do it,” and will prepare also the way by which you will reach your destination.

37:7–8Wait: he adds that even at a time when you do not find your livelihood and your food, even so do not compete; only “wait for Hashem, and wait expectantly for Him”: make yourself one who waits expectantly and hopes for Him. “Do not compete,” even then, “with one whose way prospers.” That is: there is a wicked man whose way prospers by fortune, and there is one who prospers because he makes schemes and deep plans, and by this obtains his affairs and his needs. Even so, do not compete; only “refrain from anger”: although success is far from you, have no anger over this against Hashem. And also “forsake wrath,” which is the inner anger in the heart. “And do not compete” in any way, for your competing will be “only to do evil” to you. For it is better for you to be poor and trusting than to be rich and not trusting; for “the end of a matter is better than its beginning” (Koheles 7:8), and then the difference will be seen between the evildoers and those who trust in Hashem.

37:34Hope: after he has explained the matters of the one who trusts, and the benefit of bitachon for both worlds; and since sometimes the tzaddik does not succeed in this world, so that He may do good to him in his end, and he not be kept from the happiness of the World to Come, he says, “Hope to Hashem,” for everything is for your good. “And keep His way”: wait on His way, for it will lead you to the lands of eternal life, to a life better than these. And if you did not inherit the lower, lowly land, “He will raise you up to inherit” another “land,” which stands at the height of the world: the land of eternal life, where “you will see the wicked cut off,” how their soul is cut off from among their people in the World to Come.

40:4He put a new song in my mouth: for the song that people sing to Hashem over a natural salvation is an old song, since nature was created and has stood from long ago; but a miraculous salvation is a new deed, and the song they sing over it is a new song. And he explains: “a song of praise to our G-d”: for the Name G-d, when it comes joined to Yisrael [as “our G-d”], points to His hashgachah pratis, and to the closeness and the bond He has with those who fear Him and think of His Name. “Many will see and be in awe”: that is, through His saving me by a miracle they will gain three things. (1) From the course of nature they would learn only to give honor to His Name as the Creator of all; but awe takes hold in the soul only when one knows that it is in His power to change nature and to do all that He wishes, for then they will be in awe of His punishment and His reward. Of this he said, “they will see and be in awe.” (2) The recognition by which they recognize Him through His deeds, ordered according to nature, only the wise, who investigate by reason and study, will attain; but through the miracle “many will see,” for this they will see with the eye, not with the mind alone. And also, “many will see”: even the common people, who are not learned, will see the miracle with their own eyes and recognize the power of Hashem. (3) The course of nature does not bring them to trust in Him; on the contrary, through it they strive to choose natural means by which they will succeed and be helped, and they trust in the means they prepare. But when they see that the eye of Hashem is on those who fear Him, by a miracle, they “will trust in Hashem,” and not in nature, in their strength, in the might of their hand, or in their wisdom.

40:5Fortunate: the fortune of the man is if he “has made Hashem his trust.” That is: there is one who trusts in Hashem that He will save him through natural means. Such a man, although he trusts in Hashem, Hashem is not his trust; that is, the thing through which he hopes to attain what he trusts for is not Hashem. For he trusts in Hashem that He will save him through his business or his effort, and that is his trust, through which he hopes for help from Hashem; so Hashem is not his trust. Not so the man who makes no effort at all, but makes Hashem also his trust; that is, that He will choose for him also the means of his salvation (as it says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem, and Hashem will be his trust” (Yirmiyahu 17:7), as I explained there). “And has not turned to the arrogant”: that is, that with his trust in Hashem to fulfill his request, he does not turn to [its coming] through natural means, or through people, who are “arrogant, and stray after lies.” Arrogance is raising one’s spirit beyond one’s strength, and a lie is a thing that does not last; and these are the two lacks in trust in man: there is no substance in them, and no endurance, as is said in many places.

46:2G-d [is] for us: that is, our trust in Hashem has three levels. (1) That He is “our refuge and strength.” (2) That He is not only a refuge in a time of peace, for He is also “a help in troubles,” in a time of trouble. (3) That one need not search for Him much and wait for His help, for He is “very easily found,” and near to those who call Him.

46:3Therefore we will not be afraid when the earth is changed: from its place; and at the time when “the mountains topple into the depths of the sea”; although “its waters roar and churn up mud,” the waters of the river that he will mention soon, and although the mountains quake at the river’s swelling, with all this we will not be afraid.

52:10And I am like “a flourishing olive tree,” which is rooted in one place: so I am rooted “in the house of G-d”; not like Doeg, who sat then, detained in the house of Hashem, while his root was planted in a place of impurity. And just as the olive tree is always flourishing and its leaf does not wither, so “I trust in G-d’s kindness forever and ever.” For the good that comes to a person by way of his deeds and his merits is not sure to last forever, for it will change as his deeds change; but the good that comes from G-d’s kindness, not by judgment according to good deeds, will last forever, for the kindness of Hashem does not change. And David received his kingship by way of kindness, as will be explained at length in chapter 89.

62:9Trust in Him, people: you, the people, trust in Hashem; for trust in Hashem has an advantage over trust in anything else. (1) One who trusts in something else, in people and the like, cannot trust in it at all times, for in a bad time it cannot save him; but in Hashem “trust at all times.” (2) In trusting people, you cannot reveal to them all the hidden things of your heart, for there are things one is ashamed to reveal to people; but before Hashem “pour out your hearts,” revealing all the hidden things of the heart. (3) “G-d is our refuge”: in a man one only trusts, but in Hashem one finds refuge, as it says, “It is better to take refuge in Hashem than to trust in man” (Tehillim 118:8), as I explained there. “Selah”: the end of the matter.

112:7Of bad news: even if he hears bad news, “he will not be afraid.” It could be that he would fear, either because his heart is not firm, and he fears because of his sins or his bad ways, in which he wronged people and they will take revenge on him; but he, “his heart is firm.” Or that he fears the mishaps of the times and the evil of the stars; but he is “trusting in Hashem” that He will change his fortune for the good.

112:8Leans: and if he fears his enemies, that they will do him harm, in this too “his heart leans; he will not be afraid,” for his heart leans on his righteousness; so much so that not only will he not fear that they will do him harm, but he will even “see” his vengeance “on his enemies.”

115:10–11House of Aharon: (verses 10–11) He explains that the greater the trust and the level of the one who trusts, the greater the help and the protection. So the House of Aharon, whose level and trust are greater than the House of Yisrael’s, “He is their help and their shield” with a particular help, beyond the House of Yisrael. And so those who fear Hashem, whose level is greater than the House of Aharon’s, since they serve by their own choice in a greater holiness: their help will be greater in particular.

118:8–9It is better: (verses 8–9) From this it is clear “that it is good to take refuge in Hashem.” That is: one who trusts in a man trusts in him, and has still not found refuge in him, for taking refuge means that he already shelters in his shade. But trust in Hashem is itself refuge, for in his trust he already finds in Him a refuge and strength. And of this it says, “that it is better to take refuge in Hashem than to trust in man,” since in a man there is only trust, not refuge. And he explains that trust in a man is not good for two reasons. (1) Because there is doubt whether he will do what is asked of him; and this is in an ordinary man. And even if he trusts in noblemen, since it is the nobleman’s way to give freely and to help, even so “it is better to take refuge in Hashem” also than trust “in noblemen,” for the second reason: although the nobleman would freely help him, it may be that it is not in his power to help.

125:1A song of ascents: he explains that reason requires that kindness surround the one who trusts in Hashem. “Those who trust in Hashem” must find in Him a refuge and strength, and they are like “Har Tziyon, which is never moved,” since it is set firm on the mountains and hills around it, “and it stays in place forever.”

131:1A song of ascents: he explains how he relies on Hashem in all his affairs. “Hashem, my heart was not proud”: pride of heart means going past the limit in one’s wants and longings, whether in amount or in kind. For example, one who wants to be like one of the angels on high goes past the limit of longing in kind; one who wants strength beyond the limit goes past the limit of longing in amount. “And my eyes were not raised”: raised eyes mean going past the limit in the reasoning mind, if he thinks his grasp is without limit, and judges with his mind in divine matters, which are above the mind of man. These two stand for the practical mind and the reasoning mind: the practical mind has its source in the heart, and the reasoning mind has its source in the eyes, since the foundation of all understanding is the examination and the experience a person gains through the senses. And he added that also in bringing things into action, “I did not involve myself in things too great and too wondrous for me”: great in amount, and wondrous in kind.

131:2Truly: that is, he likens himself in all his affairs to a child weaned from milk. Just as the weaned child places all his trust on his mother, that she will sustain him and lead him, so “I have made my soul like a weaned child with his mother”: I trusted only in Hashem, who grants understanding in matters of thought, and who leads me in matters of action. And just as the weaned child does not rely on himself at all, and knows that his strength is too short to do anything, so “my soul within me is like a weaned child”: for I know that on my own I am weak-handed and without strength. For this he said it twice, “I have made [like]” and “quieted,” and he explains: “I have made” my soul like a weaned child with his mother, and “quieted” [it] like the weaned child within me; that is, my soul is silent, like the weaned child who is silent and has no word on his tongue without his mother. And he explains who the mother is:

131:3Let Yisrael hope to Hashem, who teaches them and leads them as a mother her children; and not like a weaned child, who looks to his mother only in his childhood, for Yisrael will hope to Him “from now and forever.”

146:3Do not trust in noblemen: accordingly he commands not to trust in noblemen. Although the way and the wish of the nobleman is to do good, still one should not trust in him, for two reasons. (1) “In a human being, who has no power to save”: since he is a human being, the power to save is not his, for his strength is not in himself, and it may be that he cannot save. (2) That even if he can save, surely

146:4His spirit leaves: it may be that his spirit will leave him and the body return to its earth, as it says, “And the dust returns to the earth, and the spirit returns, etc.” (Koheles 12:7); and on that day surely “his plans are lost.” And trust must be in something everlasting, not in something that ceases. But

146:5Fortunate is the one whose help is the G-d of Yaakov: for Yaakov trusted in Hashem, who said to him, “Here I am with you, and I will guard you wherever you go” (Bereishis 28:15). And then “his hope” and his trust are “in Hashem,” and He has salvation.

147:11Desires: only “Hashem desires those who fear Him,” who make no effort at all; only they “hope for His kindness,” that He will provide them their food out of His great kindness.

Many have asked about this Midrash: why does it begin by saying, “this is Yosef”? Its simple explanation is as follows.

The Torah does permit a person hishtadlus, effort, for his physical needs, as the pasuk says, “And [Hashem] will bless you in all that you do” (Devarim 15:18). And it is written, “And you will gather in your grain and your wine” (Devarim 11:14), and Rabbi Yishmael said in Maseches Berachos (35b), “Conduct yourself with them in the way of the world.”

The heart of the matter is this: the principle for a Jew is that his heart should be calm and trusting in Hashem. The reason the Torah permitted hishtadlus is that not every person can reach the level of complete bitachon. Therefore hishtadlus was permitted, to help him reach the level of one who trusts. Every person needs to take up some work or business, so that it will be easier for him to trust in Hashem.

We find this throughout the Torah: sometimes it permits something so that it can help a person reach the level that is sought. As [Chazal] said, “A person should always engage in Torah and mitzvos even not lishmah, for through doing them not lishmah he will come to do them lishmah” (Pesachim 50b). Not lishmah was permitted so that it would help him arrive at lishmah.

Accordingly, the right amount of hishtadlus is not the same for everyone; each person according to his level. One who can come to trust with a little work, if he exerts himself beyond what he needs for that, it is already counted against him as a sin against the middah of bitachon, for he chased after hishtadlus and did not trust.

But one whose bitachon is still weaker than his friend’s may work more than his friend, until he too can calm his spirit and his heart to trust in Hashem. For the essence of bitachon is calming one’s spirit and heart, to cast one’s burden upon Hashem (Tehillim 55:23).

“We wash our clothes and cut our hair on Erev Rosh Hashanah”: to show that we trust in His kindness, that He will bring our judgment out in our favor. Even so, on Rosh Hashanah one should not wear embroidered or silk garments as on other Yamim Tovim, so that the fear of the judgment will be upon him; rather, he should wear fine white garments (Taz, in the name of the Maharshal). And see the Magen Avraham, siman 597, that where it is not the custom to wear white, at least he should not wear such distinguished clothes.