How Is Your Bitachon
Mendel is a young entrepreneur, running a successful Amazon business, in a quiet suburban town. Mendel sells scarves and head coverings and is doing well. One day, a nice looking fellow moves into town. Mendel approaches him and kindly asks his name, to which the fellow replies that his name is Sholom. Mendel follows this up by asking what he does for a living and Sholom responds, “Oh, I'm starting out in the world of e-commerce.”
“Oh, nice,” says Mendel, “I’m in that field as well. What, specifically, do you do?”
Sholom responds: “I sell scarves and head coverings on Amazon.”
Mendel is startled at first, and naturally becomes concerned that he has a competitor in a niche market. But that changes as soon as Mendel contemplates a simple truth:
G-d determines how much money I am supposed to earn, and no one can change that. So, if I am to earn a certain amount, no competitor can take that away from me. And if I am not supposed to earn it, I won’t, even if the competitor doesn’t move into town.
Mendel removes any animosity and feelings of contempt toward Sholom.
Is Mendel a man of Bitachon? Sure!
Consider the following:
Mendel has recalibrated his attitude toward Sholom with the reflection that G-d is in control and therefore does not harbor any animosity whenever or wherever he meets him.
One day, Mendel notices that Sholom is downcast, so he approaches him and asks him what is wrong. Sholom responds that he is in dire need of a large loan for a down payment on merchandise.
Mendel does feel bad, but that soon becomes overshadowed by the glaring reality that although Sholom can use a helping hand, he is in the same line of work and helping him grow his business can hurt Mendel. But that changes as soon as Mendel contemplates a simple truth:
G-d determines how much money I am supposed to earn, and no one can change that. So, if I am to earn a certain amount, the growth of a competitor cannot take my lot away from me. And if I am not meant to earn it, my loan can only help me.
Mendel goes ahead and gives Sholom the loan, and feels absolutely no regret over loaning Sholom the money he needed to grow his business.
Is Mendel a man of Bitachon? Of course!
Let’s consider the following:
One day, Mendel again notices that Sholom is downcast, so he approaches him and asks him what is wrong. Sholom responds that he is not seeing much success in his business. He needs to recalibrate his business practices.
Again, Mendel’s first inclination is to feel bad, followed shortly by the mental reminder that although Sholom needs guidance, he is in the same line of business; teaching him the tricks of trade would seem counter-intuitive. But that changes as soon as Mendel contemplates a simple truth:
G-d determines how much money I am supposed to earn, and no one can change that. So, if I am to earn a certain amount, any business advice I give a competitor cannot take my lot away from me. And if I am not supposed to earn it, my kindness will only help me.
Mendel arranges a time to meet Sholom and advises him on the nature of the business and how he can make it grow.
Now you can say: Mendel’s Bitachon has totally permeated his existence!
(Based on Igros Kodesh, Vol. 3, p. 197)
[Footnote after the first part of story: [In the words of the Shaar Habitachon: A person who relies on G-d is beloved by all types of people. They feel at ease with him because they feel secure that he will not harm them, and their hearts are at peace because of him. They are not afraid of him taking their wives or their money. He, too, feels secure with them, because he knows that his benefit or harm is not in the hands of any creation, nor is it in their power to do either good or bad to him.
Conversely, a person who does not rely on G-d has no friends because he always covets what others have and is jealous of them. He considers any good that comes to them to have been removed from him; he believes that their livelihood was taken from his livelihood, and that any desire denied him is because of them, or that, at the very least, it is in their hands to help him attain his desires. (Chapter 5, 6th distinction).]
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