Pesach is definitely the “head of the year” when it comes to observing minhagim-Jewish customs. In general, there are many customs which are observed by myriads of communities in every aspect of Jewish life. Other minhagim are kept by certain sects of Yidden. Still more minhagim are passed down in families from generation to generation
Bitachon in Hashem is not a tool that merely assists a Yid in times of difficulty; rather it should affect every facet of a Yid’s life. For once one is imbued and permeated with the notion that Hashem is the primary existence and that the messages that the world gives us are only illusions, one’s weltanschauung will certainly be wholesomely altered
The Rebbe has often taught that all the concepts in one Parsha are intrinsically related. Even though there may sometimes seem to be more of a connection between the beginning of the Parsha to the end of the previous Parsha, or from the end of the current Parsha to the beginning of the next Parsha, nonetheless, whichever ideas are included in one Parsha must be deeply connected, no matter how disparate those concepts may seem.
When living with constant Bitachon in Hashem, not only is observing Torah and Mitzvos in practice a given but there will be internal feelings towards Yiddishkait as well. Just because one fulfills all the Mitzvos, not necessarily is there conviction and passion in his actions. It may be a result of habit, tradition, laziness to change, or just lack of enthusiasm.
To always be happy (one of the indicators of Bitachon) can be challenging at times. Constant progression is a common human trait, whether in Torah study, business, mivtzaim projects or the like. No one wants to be at a standstill; people generally wish to grow and move up and ahead
Parshas VaYakhel contains Bitachon instructions for how to go about one’s work week, which has a domino effect on one’s Shabbos observance as well.
Among the directives that the Rebbe gave us in the area of strengthening Bitachon in Hashem was the instruction to study abundant Chassidus. There were those who the Rebbe instructed to study Shaar HaBitachon, some were directed to learn Chapter 23 in T ’hillim, others were advised to contemplate the content of the beginning of Chapter 41 in Tanya, and still others were told to meditate on the concept of Hashem’s Hashgacha Pratis and of Hashem’s kindness
The story of the building of the Mishkan contains a lot of guidance for us in the area of Bitachon, as we know that the point of building the Mishkan was that the G-dliness that came down during Mattan Torah should remain in this world permanently. Having an abode (for Hashem) among us, whether in the form of a unique edifice or in the figure of a great tzaddik, assists us in living in a way that Hashem is a reality in our lives, not something abstract.
Discussions about Bitachon most often revolve around techniques to strengthen Bitachon, how to apply Bitachon to various situations, and examples of people who excelled in this lofty midda. Often however, there exist basic and fundamental hindrances to practicing Bitachon in Hashem properly.
Chassidus explains that all Mitzvos are the Ratzon-Will of Hashem1. As such, it is understood that Mitzvos don’t need to be logical. If they were manmade they would need to be logical, but since Mitzvos stem from a source completely beyond any sphere of understanding, Hashem’s Will, they transcend logic. Nonetheless, Mitzvos do have some reasons and explanations that relate to us, a logic based species. However, it is vital to be aware that these explanations are only auxiliary to what the Mitzvos truly are
The existence of the entire Jewish nation is in grave danger. The Yidden are trapped with the sea before them and the Egyptians in hot pursuit right behind them. With good intentions, the Yidden offer different ideas on how to proceed
You can have a ton of zeros, but it only matters if there is a different digit in front of all those zeros.
The worst and most destructive temperament to Bitachon is fear. One who is fearful of what the future holds is clearly not practicing Bitachon in Hashem. When exercising trust and reliance in Hashem, one’s entire attention is focused on Hashem’s omnipotence, to the exclusion of any other existence, and when doing so there is no existing factor that can cause fear.
May 1, 2016