S/O What's the diff bet emunah and bitachon

PinkFridge ↓

Tue, Dec 15 2020, 4:28 pm

OP, I know you said never mind but there are a number of answers. I'm glad you got clarity.
The classic answer is, if I'm explaining it correctly, the Chazon Ish: Emunah is theory, bitachon is in practice.
It is NOT that Hashem will do what we want if we just believe properly, but that He is completely in charge.

amother

Red

Tue, Dec 15 2020, 4:49 pm

PinkFridge wrote:

I didn't look it up and I don't really know. To me, Emunah is belief that Hashem runs the world. Bitachon is more of faith that Hashem has my back and that things will ultimately end up well for me.

amother

Magenta

Tue, Dec 15 2020, 4:52 pm

I heard a great mashal. You are stuck in a pit and a man comes with a rope to save you. Emunah is believing that he can save you and bitachan is acting on that belief to hold on the rope to get out.

shanie5

Tue, Dec 15 2020, 9:03 pm

My son repeated this example to me.
You see a man walk a tightrope pushing a wheel barrow. The first time, you don't believe he can do it. After he does it 20 or 30 times, you KNOW he can do it. Then he tells you to get in the wheel barrow and he will push you across the tightrope. Emunah is knowing he can push the wheel barrow across the tightrope. Bitachon is getting into the wheel barrow!

↑ PinkFridge ↓

Wed, Dec 16 2020, 7:28 am

amother [ Red ] wrote:

I didn't look it up and I don't really know. To me, Emunah is belief that Hashem runs the world. Bitachon is more of faith that Hashem has my back and that things will ultimately end up well for me.

You have to define "well."
Rabbi Paysach Krohn tells this story. Oh, thanks google, I found this version:
Rabbi Paysach Krohn tells that when he was only 7 years old, his father passed away. Shortly prior to this, when the family was in the hospital, Rav Shimon Schwab came to visit him and his siblings. “How’s your father?” he asked the 7 year old. “I have בִּיטָחוֹן that he’ll be okay.” Rav Schwab’s face suddenly turned very serious, and he looked into his eyes and told him earnestly: “Remember this for the rest of your life. בִּיטָחוֹן does not mean it will all be good and wonderful; rather it means ‘whatever will happen-even the tragic and the sorrowful-is good.”

(Source: https://time4torah.org/wp-cont.....4.pdf I don't know anything about the site.)

ETA: Rabbi Krohn was probably 17.

Last edited by PinkFridge on Thu, Aug 01 2024, 2:38 pm; edited 1 time in total

↑ PinkFridge

Wed, Dec 16 2020, 7:31 am

I heard this attributed to Rav Chaim Shmulevitz, zt"l:
Say a person flies to EY. She starts her day parking at the airport, taking a shuttle to the airport, flying to her connecting flight in NY, then connecting in Europe, landing in EY where she takes a cab to her destination.

If you would ask her where she was that day, she'd start with waking up in her bed, and all the half dozen whatever stops. But if you ask her infant how he spent the day, he'd say, in my mother's arms.

We know all about emunah. Bitachon is that feeling secure in our Father's arms, regardless of what's going on.
ETA: I've heard this moshol a number of times, not specifically apropos to the thread title, but it seems to fit.