As part of Midreshet Adina’s amazing lineup of virtual shiurim, Mrs. Dina Schoonmaker taught an inspiring series of shiurim on Chovos HaL’vavos. The following is from her shiur on Tuesday morning, October 28.
She shared that Rabbeinu Bachya wrote this sefer since there were many s’farim on duties of the body. However, what was required of the heart was lacking. He shared that there is a hidden internal reality of what we should think and work on. Bitachon is not just emotional; it’s understanding how Hashem relates to the world. He wrote about what a Jew does inside. We have to work on our frame of mind and where we are in our thoughts. There are many translations of this sefer. It was first written in Arabic.
We must trust Hashem if we want to know how to worship Hashem. Bitachon gives a way to live life in this world. The reward of learning bitachon is bitachon. Having bitachon affects the quality of your life in this world. Bitachon is the basis of what we need to live in our world today.
The main advantage of learning bitachon is that you gain serenity. A servant has to trust his master. The concept of relying on something is a basic human requirement. If people are not relying on Hashem, then they are relying on something else like money, or status, etc.
Yirmiyahu taught that “my nation left the source of living waters. They went to dig wells of bad water.” The idea is: Blessed is the person who puts trust in Hashem and doesn’t turn to people who are not reliable; cursed is the person who turns away from Hashem and trusts in people.
She noted that a study after the Yom Kippur War showed soldiers who were religious had less PTSD. Religious soldiers felt Hashem’s support.
The sister of bitachon is m’nuchas ha’nefesh. If a person doesn’t rely on Hashem but on himself, then he is working for nothing. His strength will become weaker. His strategies won’t live up to his expectations of them.
Hashem sometimes traps people with their own intelligence. In our generation, whom do we trust? For many of us, it’s ourselves, our systems of education, etc. You have to reach the level of 100 percent bitachon. Your job is to keep increasing bitachon so there is no need for worry.
If bitachon leads to serenity, then the opposite is true. When you rely on your methods, you are more anxious. It’s also important not to rely on talents. Your main asset is your connection to Hashem. You know you can’t rely on your own assets. Our talents are a gift from Hashem to help make the world a better place. We must always acknowledge that Hashem gave us our talents and He can take them away.
If a person has bitachon, then Hashem promises he won’t have to depend on others. He won’t have to flatter them or be afraid of them.
Mrs. Schoonmaker explained that the idea is that when you have bitachon, you are resilient and you won’t be intimidated by people.
The community is grateful to Midreshes Adina for all the wonderful shiurim.
By Susie Garber
