<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: -webkit-monospace; "><div>R' Micha wrote:</div>"But to return to the question... If anyone has pragmatic advice for developing bitachon, please chime in."</span><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace">First, in a general sense "bitachon" is what the Torah is all about. A Jew has to have a lot of trust in God in order to perform all the mitzvos. So you already have more bitachon than you realize. A relationship with HKB"H must have a parameter of bitachon. [Na'aseh v'nishma]. R' Avram, the son of the Rambam, as well as the Chazon Ish point out that there is a baseline of bitachon and then there are levels that go beyond. The baseline is that everything is in the hands of HaShem. We have trust, knowledge and conviction that there are no accidents in this world. There are no coincidences. HaShem controls everything. That is the basic and most fundamental concept of bitachon. The Chazon Ish explains that even that realization has a very consoling and soothing benefit. It would be much more scary if we believed in random occurrences and accidents. Everything would be chaotic. He points out that there is a design, there is a controller, hashgacha. Much of it we have no comprehension; we may even be angry, but it offers some peace of mind in a soul that is otherwise in turmoil.</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace">Also, on a higher level, we cannot forget that God feels our every pain and sorrow. So therefore, there is something intuitive that gives us more bitchon when we gain that insight.</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace">Dovid Hamelech said in a posuk: "Chesed umishpot ashira." The gemara asks: Al Chesed ashira, or al mishpot ashira? So the answer is: I say Hallel when He is kind to me, and I say Hallel when He judges and punishes me. In my mind and in my heart He is Kol kulo chesed to the extent that if He give me something positive or if he hurts me and punishes me, it's the same thing because I so deeply and emotionally know, feel and sense His kindness, that a slap in the face is as much an expression of His kindness as His kiss is. Now this is certainly a very lofty level. We don't know too many people on this level, and if fact, if you look at the m'chaber in the S.A., he says that on something good you make a "Hatov v'hametiv" and conversely on something bad you make a "Dayan Ha'emes." But he says you should make a "Hatov v'hametiv" on everything because everything is for the good. That's a "y'sod hadaas"; everything that HaShem does is for the good. But you can't always see it and you can't always feel it. So we can't make hatov v'hametiv on a tzara because we don't understand it at all and we certainly don't feel any goodness. So all we can say is Dayan Ha'emes. We trust that God is the true God and He knows what He is doing even though we cannot relate to this as a blessing, as a kindness or as a benefit. In fact, to tell someone that is an insult to their finite human comprehension.</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace">But a level that we can relate to is a clear recognition that everything is from HaShem and the sometimes feeling of inspiration that I know that not only is He in control but that He knows what He is doing and ultimately will not let me down ('ultimately' is the operative word). </font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace">The rishonim amongst others say: "Kol haboteach ma'amin, avol lo kol hama'amin boteach." Very interesting. Why? If I believe in Him, why don't I trust in Him. The answer is that I believe in His power, but I don't feel worthy and don't deserve it. So the baal bitachon not only believes in HaShem but he trusts that God will use His powers to favor him EVEN if he is not worthy.</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace">I heard a beautiful vort: What is a baal tzedaka? A baal tzedaka is not a person that money doesn't mean anything to him. On the contrary. To a baal tzedaka money is the most precious thing he ever has and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">still</span> he gives it. What is a baal bitachon? A baal bitachon is no one who is impervious to danger. A baal bitachon is one who is acutely focused on the danger. He is aware that terrible things are going on, but he rises above that with his bitachon BaShem. </font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace">The Gaon says that the whole shoresh of tefillah is rooted in bitachon. </font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace"><br></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace">ri </font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="-webkit-monospace"><br></font></div></body></html>