A Burdensome Responsibility
One Shabbat, I spoke in the Beit Hakeneset about the middah of bitachon in Hashem. I said that it is crucial for us to constantly feel Hashem walking beside us. Our problems are His. All that we must do is cast our bundle upon Him and trust that He will bring salvation, as the pasuk states (Tehillim 55:23), “Cast upon Hashem your burden and He will sustain you; He will not allow the righteous to stumble.”
A few days later, I met a Jew who had been beset by a certain problem. I asked him how he was doing and if he had settled his quandary.
He replied that, Baruch Hashem, he had no more problems. When I asked how he had resolved his issue, he replied, “Honored Rav, didn’t you tell us this past Shabbat that all of our problems are really Hashem’s? That being the case, I spoke to Him candidly and said, ‘Ribbono shel Olam, my problem is really Yours. Please solve it in the best way possible.’ I have complete faith that Hashem will settle my problem quickly and easily. As far as I am concerned, the matter is over and done with.”
- Maran HaGaon Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman, shlita, Yeshivat Torat Chaim, Ashdod
I encouraged this man in the matter of trust in Hashem. I added that Chazal tell us that when a Jew does not feel well, Hashem, as it were, suffers with him. This is the meaning of the verse (ibid. 91:15) “I am with him in distress.” When we internalize this message, we increase our bitachon, and we merit salvation.
