Bitachon and Thinking Positively

Motek

Fri, Mar 23 2007, 3:14 pm

I like this definition of bitachon:

Bitachon means feeling as confident and happy in the midst of one's problems as one would feel if they had already been solved.

It's clear. It doesn't allow one to convince themselves they have bitachon when they don't! It provides a guideline so you know exactly how it feels.

southernbubby

Fri, Mar 23 2007, 3:58 pm

I have a friend who BH is alive more than a year after being diagnosed with pancreatic yena machla. She is not just alive BH but cleans her own house, volunteers for N"Shei and attends all types of gatherings and simchas. Her illness is usually fatal within 6 months. She has had to alter her lifestyle due to chemotherapy but otherwise lives BH as though she has no illness. I think that her bitochon may be what is keeping her going. May Hashem grant her a long healthy life!

Lechatchila Ariber

Sun, May 13 2007, 9:20 pm

motek I'm stalking your threads.... LOL

anyway I like this one

Motek wrote:

and it explains a few things to me

Esther01

Sun, May 13 2007, 11:08 pm

I want to clarify something. whatever you said is true 'al pi derech hachasidus shel chabbad' according to the sefarim of chabad. (one chasidic sect)
other chasidus explain that unlike tracht gut vet zien gut, rather whatever it is that is happening is good.
like the famous story of someone who asked 'how can I thank Hashem for the bad just like the good?' he was told to go to R' Zisha. when R' Zisha heard his question, he didn't know what to answer b/c he had nothing bad in his life.
yet we know he was one of the poorest ones in his time. he could have 'tracht gut vet zien gut', but no, he saw that whatever Hashem gave him was good, even if it was pure poverty....

Imaonwheels

Mon, May 14 2007, 2:39 am

I will try to sharpen these points a little. Bitachon in the Rebbe's viewpoint was exactly that as the chapter on bitachon in Chovos HaLevavos. It is written in the clearest in Ch. 11 of Igros Hakodesh of the Alter Rebbe in Tanya, perek Askilecha Bina. The pivotal sentence is that yes and no are the same in his eyes. We trust in HaShem and in Him only. Although we make a kli, we have no faith in our kli and make it because HaShem says that He desires one before granting the blessings we need.

We have no bitachon in anything outside of HaShem at all, even His chosen shaliach. It is all Him and Him alone.

http://www.chabad.org/dailystu...../2007

http://www.chabad.org/dailystu...../2007

just as chapter 32 is "the book" on ahavas Yisrael this is "the book" on bitachon.

hadasa

Mon, May 14 2007, 4:05 am

I think what's missing in this thread is that Bitachon is something that needs to be worked on. You can't just tell someone "have Bitachon!" when all natural signs are pointing to the worst. Having Bitachon, for most people, is a daily struggle which involves learning about Bitachon, controlling one's speech and thoughts (very hard!), Davening and asking Hashem to strengthen one's Bitachon, discussing with a Mashpia, etc. etc.

I saw this by my husband who was struggling under tremendous debts in Shlichus. He was under such pressure, I Davened every day for him to keep his sanity. I was really scared for his physical and mental health.

However, he always tried to work on his Bitachon, saying he knows Hashem wants our Shlichus to continue, Hashem definitely does not want us to close down Mosdos and send kids to learn in non-Jewish schools, so there's no question Hashem will help us climb out from under the mountians of debt. He would learn Sichos dealing with Bitachon, and tried his best to keep a smile on his face and at least a calm facade. It was not easy for him at all to keep his Bitachon- the Yetzer Hara constantly nags and says "But what if...", but he really worked at it.

B"H Hashem did help and now the situation is much better, he's slowly paying back his debts, and we did not have to send a single child away. I'm positive that this happened only in Zchus of my husband's Bitachon.

Motek

Thu, May 17 2007, 10:52 am

Esther01, Estis - "gam zu l'tova" is from the Gemara Smile

hadasa wrote:

I think what's missing in this thread is that Bitachon is something that needs to be worked on.

for most people, but I get a kick out of the stories (like the rent story mentioned earlier) where the person is a natural baal bitachon

thank you for adding your personal story Smile