שער הבטחון פרק רביעי Part 4

(61) The explanation of the third category, matters of one's wife, children, household members, relatives, friends, enemies, acquaintances, those higher or lower than him among the various classes of people, the proper ways of trust in G-d is as follows. A man is necessarily in either one of two situations: either he is a stranger or he is among his family and relatives. If he is a stranger, let his companionship be with G-d during his time of loneliness, and trust in Him during his period of being a stranger. And let him contemplate that the soul is also a stranger in this world, and that all people are like strangers here, as the verse says "because you are strangers and temporary residents with Me" (Vayikra 25:23). And let him reflect in his heart that all those who have relatives here, in a short time, will be left a solitary stranger. Neither relative nor son will be able to help him, and none of them will be with him.

(62) And afterwards, let him consider that as a stranger, he is freed from the heavy burden of maintaining relatives and fulfilling his duties towards them. He should consider this to be one of the kindnesses of the Creator towards him, because if he needed to pursue a livelihood for providing his material needs, his exertion would be lighter without a wife and children, and their absence is peace of mind for him and it is good. And if he is concerned about his interests in the next world, his mind will undoubtedly be clearer and freer when he is alone.

(63) And therefore the ascetics would leave their relatives and homes and go to the mountains, in order to focus their hearts in the service of G-d. Likewise, the prophets, during the era of prophecy, would leave their homes and live in solitude to fulfill their duties to the Creator, as you know from the story of Eliyahu's meeting with Elisha, which it is said of Elisha "twelve pairs of oxen were before him, and he was with the twelfth" (Melachim I 19:19). And as soon as Eliyahu hinted to him a small hint (to come with him), he understood him and said "Let me, please, kiss my father and my mother, and I will go with you", and afterwards, "and he went after Eliyahu and ministered to him".

(64) It is said about one of the ascetics, who traveled to a country to teach its inhabitants the service of G-d. He found them all dressed in the same manner and adorned in the same way. Their graves were near their homes, and he did not see among them any women. He asked them about this and they answered him: "the reason we are all dressed alike is so that there's no noticeable difference between a rich man and a poor man, and the rich man will not come to arrogance for his wealth, and the poor man will not be embarrassed of his poverty, and so that our matter above the earth should be in our eyes like our matter below the earth (i.e. in the grave where everyone is dressed the same way - TL). It is said of one of the kings that he would mix with his servants, and there was no noticeable difference between him and them, because he would conduct himself in the way of humility in his dress and adornments.

(65) As to the reason why the graves of our dead are near our homes, they said, this is so that we encounter them and prepare ourselves for our deaths, and that we prepare our provisions for the afterlife. As to your noticing that we separated ourselves from women and children, know that we prepared for them a village near here. When one of us needs something from them, he goes to them and after obtaining his wants, returns to us. This we did because we saw how much distraction of the heart, great loss, and great exertion and strain there was when they were among us, and the great peace of mind from all of this, in separating from them, to focus on matters of the afterlife and to be repulsed by matters of this world. And their words found favor in the eyes of the ascetic, and he blessed them and commended them on their matters.

(66) If the one who trusts in G-d has a wife, relatives, friends, enemies, let him trust in G-d to be saved from them.

(67) He should strive to fulfill his duties to them (provide their necessities - PL), to do their wishes (to also provide them with a bit more than the necessities like the nature of the world - PL), to be wholehearted with them (to provide their needs willingly not like one forced to do so - PL). He should refrain from causing any harm to them, try to promote what is good for them. He should deal faithfully towards them in all matters, and teach them the ways that will be beneficial for them in their religious matters and the secular ways [which will benefit them] in the service of the Creator, as written (Vayikra 19:18) "you shall love your neighbor as yourself..", and "do not hate your brother in your heart" (ibid). Do not do this out of hope for future benefits from them or to pay them back for past benefits. Nor should you do this out of love of being honored or praised by them, or out of desire to rule over them - but rather with the sole motive to fulfill the commandment of the Creator, and to guard His covenant and precepts over them. (i.e. to see to it that they guard the covenant of G-d and His commandments - TL)

(68) The person, whose motive in fulfilling their wishes is one of the [reprehensible] motives we mentioned above, will not obtain what he wants from them in this world. He will tire himself for nothing, and will lose his reward in the afterlife (since his intent was not l'shem shamayim - PL). But if his sole motive is to serve G-d, the Al-mighty will help them to make a return to him in this world, and G-d will place his praise in their mouths and they will hold him in high esteem, and he will reach the great reward in Olam Haba (afterlife), as the Al-mighty said to Shlomo "also what you did not ask, I will give you, also wealth and honor" (Melachim 3:13).

(69) But the ways of trust in G-d in dealing with those above him or below him in the various classes of men is as follows. The proper way to act when one needs to request some benefit of someone above or below him is to trust in G-d, and to consider them as means of obtaining what he needs, just like one makes the working and sowing of the land a means of obtaining his food. If G-d wishes to support him through it, He will make the seeds sprout, grow, and multiply, and one does not thank the land for this, but rather, he thanks the Creator alone. And if the Al-mighty will not desire to supply him through it, the land will not produce, or it will produce but be struck by damaging things, and one does not blame the land.

(70) So too, when he seeks something from one of them, it should be equal in his eyes whether the person he asked is weak or strong, and he should trust in G-d for its completion.

(71) And if it was completed through one of them, let him thank the Creator who fulfilled his desire, and thank the person through whom it was done, for his good will towards him, and that the Creator brought his benefit through him, and it is known that the Creator does not bring good except through the tzadikim (righteous), and it is rare that He brings a loss through them, as the sages said "merit occurs through the meritorious and guilt through the guilty" (Bava Basra 119b), and the verse "No wrong shall be caused for the righteous" (Mishlei 12:21 - Rashi "No sin will chance before him inadvertently").

(72) And if his request is not accomplished through them, one should not blame them, and not consider it due to their being lax in it, rather he should thank the Al-mighty who chose what is best for him in this, and praise them according to his knowledge of their efforts to fulfill his will, even though the matter was not completed according to his and their desire. Similarly, one should act with his acquaintances and friends, his business associates, employees and partners.

(73) If someone higher or lower than himself requests from him to do something for them, he should wholeheartedly use every means to do it, and apply his mind to do the matter, provided one is capable of doing it and that the person who requested it is worthy that he exerts himself on his behalf (but if the person is wicked, refrain from it as he wrote in the end of gate #3 - ML). And after this, he should trust in the Al-mighty for its completion. If G-d completes it through him, and makes him the cause for benefiting another, he should thank G-d for this privilege. If G-d withholds this from him, and he is not capable of doing it, he should not blame himself, and he should inform the person that he was not lax in doing it, provided that he indeed exerted himself to do it. But for one's enemies, those jealous of him, those who seek to harm him, he should trust in G-d regarding their matters. He should bear their contempt, and should not treat them back in the same way.

(74) Rather he should pay them back with kindness, and to try to benefit them as much as he possibly can, and to remember in his heart that only G-d has the ability to benefit or harm him.

(75) If his enemy becomes a means to harm him, he should judge them favorably and suspect that it is due to himself or his past deeds from his bad start in life towards G-d. He should plead to the Al-mighty and seek from Him to atone for his sins, and then his enemies will become his friends, as the wise man said "when G-d is pleased with a man's way, even his enemies will make peace with him" (Mishlei 16:7).

(76) The explanation of the fourth category, matters of duties of the heart and of the limbs which only benefit or harm oneself, for example, fasting, praying, dwelling in a sukka, taking a lulav, wearing tzitzis, observing the sabbath and the holidays, refraining from sins. This category also includes all of the duties of the heart since their performance does not affect others, and whose benefit or harm is limited only to oneself and is not shared by others. The proper way of trust in the Al-mighty in all of these, I will explain, and I ask the Al-mighty to teach me the truth, in His mercy.

(77) Any human action which is either service [of G-d] or sin can only take place if three factors occur. (1) the choice in heart and mind (i.e. a thought that it is fitting to do this thing - ML). (2) The intent and resolve to do what one chose. (3) The endeavoring to complete the act with one's physical limbs and to bring it into actuality.

(78) [Of these three factors,] two are not beyond our control, namely, (1) the choice of service or sin and (2) intent and resolve to carry out the choice. For these, trusting in G-d would be a mistake and a foolishness, because the Creator left free choice in our hands whether to serve Him or rebel against Him, as written "...[life and death I have set before you] and you shall choose life" (Devarim 30:19).

(79) But the bringing out of the act into actuality, He did not leave in our hands, but rather, made it depend on external means which sometimes are available and sometimes are not.

(80) If in choosing to serve the Al-mighty, one would trust in Him and think to himself: "I will not choose the service of G-d nor attempt to do any part of it until He chooses what is good for me of it" - he has already strayed from the straight path, and slipped his feet away from the proper way, because the Creator has already commanded us to choose in matters of His service, and to intend and make efforts towards it, with complete, wholehearted resolve for the sake of His great Name, and He has informed us that this is the proper way for our welfare in this world and in the next.

(81) If the necessary means are available to us, so that we are capable of accomplishing the work in G-d's service which we chose to do, then we will receive the great reward for choosing it, for the intent and resolve to do it, and for completing the actions by our physical limbs. But if its accomplishment with the physical limbs is withheld from us, then we will receive reward for our choice and intent to do it, as we previously explained (in ch.3), and similarly for punishment of sins.

(82) The difference between the service of G-d and secular activities in this world, regarding trust in G-d, is as follows. For secular matters, it was not revealed to us which one of all the means is best and most beneficial for us nor the ways in which some course is more harmful and worse than other courses. We do not know which particular trade is best suited for us and most fitting for us in obtaining money, preserving health, and for general well-being. Nor do we know which business sector, which journey to undertake, or which other worldly endeavors will be successful if we engage in them.

(83) Therefore, it follows that we must put our trust in the Al-mighty that He will help us choose and carry out what is the best choice for us, provided that we apply ourselves (in the means which are fitting to attain this thing - PL) and that we plead to Him to arouse in our hearts to make the good and proper choice for ourselves. (then after these two things we can have in our hearts the trust mentioned - PL)

(84) But the service of G-d is not like this, because G-d has already taught us the proper ways for it, commanded us to choose it, and gave us the ability to do it. If we then plead to Him in the choice we should make, and trust in Him that He will reveal to us what is good for us, we will be mistaken in our words (of prayer) and foolish in our trust, because He already taught us the proper way which will be good for us in this world and in the next, as written "G-d has commanded us to fulfill all of these statutes, to fear the L-ord, our G-d, for our good, all of our days". And regarding the reward in Olam Haba "we will be rewarded, if we are careful to observe" (Devarim 6:25).

(85) Furthermore, in secular matters, sometimes a good means changes to become a bad means and vice versa, while for service of G-d and transgression it is not so, matters of good and evil do not switch positions and never change.

(86) Hence, for religious acts, trust in G-d is proper only in the completion stage of the act. After choosing it wholeheartedly and faithfully and after the second stage of resolving and making efforts to do it with a pure heart , and with intent to do it for the sake of His great Name. With this, we are obligated to beseech Him to help us in it, and to teach us on it, as written "lead me in Your truth and teach me" (Tehilim 25:5), and "lead me in the path of Your commandments for I desired it" (Tehilim 119:35), and "I have chosen the way of truth, I have placed Your ordinances before me" (Tehilim 119:30), and "I have clung to Your testimonies; O L-ord; put me not to shame" (Tehilim 119:31), and "And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in Your judgments" (Tehilim 119:43).

(87) All these verses demonstrate that the psalmist's service of G-d was his own choice. He prayed to G-d for two things only:

(88) (1) To wholly devote his heart and to strengthen his choice in the service of G-d by distancing the distractions of the world from his heart and eyes, as he said "unite my heart to fear Your Name" (ibid 86:11) and "uncover my eyes that I may gaze at the wonders of Your torah" (Tehilim 119:18), "turn away my eyes from beholding vanity" (ibid, 119:37), "incline my heart towards Your torah and not to unjust gain" (ibid, 119:36), and many more.

(89) (2) To strengthen him physically to be able to complete the acts of service of G-d. This is what is meant "lead me in the path of Your commandments" (119:35), "support me and I will be saved" (119:117), and many more like this. And I will explain in this gate which factors help and harm these things, and the proper path in it, with G-d's help.

(90) The fifth category, physical duties which affect others whether beneficially or harmfully, such as giving charity, maaser (tithes), teaching wisdom, commanding others to do good, warning them against evil, returning loans on faith, keeping a secret, speaking well of others, good activities, honoring parents, bringing the wicked back to G-d, instructing/advising others what will be good for them, pitying the poor and treating them with mercy, patiently bearing their contempt when arousing them to the service G-d, inspiring them to hope for the reward [in doing good], and instilling in them fear of punishment [for doing bad].

(91) The proper way of trust in G-d for these, is for one to keep in mind all these and similar acts, resolve and make efforts to practice them, according to what we previously explained in the fourth category, regarding the duty when choosing (in these things -PL) to have the sole intent of drawing near to G-d alone; not for acquiring a name or honor among human beings, nor out of hope to receive reward from them, nor to try to rule over them. And afterwards having done his utmost - to trust in G-d in the completion of the acts which he undertook, according to what G-d wants from us (that we do His will, accordingly He will help us to complete what we undertook - ML).

(92) In all of this, one should be careful to hide his deeds as much as possible from those who do not need to know. Because if it is kept hidden, the reward will be greater than if it becomes known. And that which he is unable to hide, let him remember the important general principle which we explained, namely, that neither benefit nor harm can come from the created things, except by permission of the Creator.

(93) When the Creator completes a mitzvah (commandment) through him (that G-d benefits another person through him - PL), he should consider that this is a favor bestowed on him from the Creator. He should not rejoice if other people praise him for doing it, nor desire that they honor him for it, since this will bring him to become proud in his actions, and his purity of heart and motive towards G-d will be ruined, thereby his deeds will be spoiled and his reward for it will be lost. I will explain this later on in its proper Gate (in #6 the gate of submission - PL) with G-d's help.