Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
This Jewish Inspiration Podcast is dedicated to learning, understanding and enhancing our relationship with Hashem by working on improving our G-d given soul traits and aspiring to reflect His holy name each and every day. The goal is for each listener to hear something inspirational with each episode that will enhance their life.
0:03 You're listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe of Torch in Houston, Texas. This is the Jewish Inspiration Podcast.
0:11 And now, my dear friends, welcome back to day number five. We're on page 18, and we're talking about the fourth advantage of Bitochon over the alchemy. What's the fourth way that you are in better hands? By having Bitochon and Hashem, then being a person who can make his own gold, his own silver, his own copper, his own coins, my own economy.
0:36 I can do whatever I want because I can create it. We mentioned previously, God doesn't need tools to sustain you. You can be out in the middle of a desert. God will cover you.
0:46 He's got you taken care of. The alchemist needs his tools. He needs to have his materials in order to succeed. The alchemist is worried for his own death.
0:57 He might die from the chemicals, from the fumes. Someone
1:01 who has trust in Hashem has nothing to fear.
1:03 The alchemist is worried that someone else will kill him if he gives away his secrets. But we know from King David that In God I have trusted, I shall not fear. what would men do to me? And now the fourth way, Bitochon, is greater than the alchemist.
1:34 That, to ensure that his needs will always be met, the alchemist cannot avoid doing one of two things. He can either prepare a large quantity of gold and silver to be available for him for a future time of need,
1:57 or he can limit his production of these precious metals and not prepare anything extra of them, only the amount that he needs to sustain himself for a short period of time. And hope that when the future need arises, that he will have the ability to produce them. And if he makes a lot of, prepares a lot of gold and silver from his chemicals, He's going to be terrified every night. He's like, I hope nobody robs me.
2:33 I hope nobody steals. I hope nobody breaks in and steals my gold and my silver. What am I going to do? He's not at rest.
2:39 He's not at peace.
2:42 and he will not be at calm and his spirit will never be at ease because he's concerned he's hiding his fortune from the king and from the common folk and if he only prepares a small amount because he doesn't want to have extra hanging around he doesn't want to have that fear
3:16 For it is possible that just when he needs the money, most, because a great opportunity came up, a great investment, he can buy a house, but he doesn't have the cash. So now what is he going to do? He will be prevented from practicing his craft because he will be lacking one of the components needed for it. Thus, alchemy does not provide the alchemist with a true feeling of long-term financial stability.
3:49 One who has trust in Hashem is free of all these concerns because he is absolutely confident that Hashem will provide for him however he wants to. However, Hashem wants to.
4:07 Wherever he wants and whenever he wants, the person therefore can avoid the worry of preparing reserves of money in advance, yet he remains secure in his future. I don't know what it's going to be, but I don't care. I don't know what's going to be. Is anybody worried about what's going to be in six months from now when we're going to run out of money?
4:29 I'm worried. Why not? Right now I have. And I know Hashem will take care of me.
4:34 Hashem took care of me till now. Hashem will continue to take care of me. And I have nothing to worry about. Chavez Alvavos cites some examples of how Hashem provides as He desires, regardless of the location and situation.
4:47 I just want to bring something to our attention here, that in Pirkei Alvavos, we've mentioned this previously, that Ezehu Ashir, who is the happy person? HaSameach Bechalko, someone who's happy with his lot. You know what else the Mishnah says? Something very amazing in Mishnah and Ethics of
5:08 Our Fathers.
5:14 The more one accumulates, the more worry one has. Do you know who didn't have any worry about a punctured tire and their transmission blowing out? Someone who never had a car. Never had that worry.
5:30 You know who didn't have any worry about someone breaking into their home? Someone who lived in the desert. And had the tent of their tribe. You know who doesn't worry about their Rolex getting stolen?
5:46 Someone who doesn't have a Rolex. So the more things we have, the more worries we're welcoming into our lives. The problem is that people look. You know, I do like nice watches.
6:01 But I love my watch. Okay? My watch is a very, very simple watch. Anybody heard of the moon watch? The moon watch is the only watch that was taken by the astronauts to the moon.
6:19 It was made by Omega. Mine is not that. I don't have the moon watch. The moon watch can cost you many, many thousands of dollars.
6:28 And people walk around with their watch with great pride and worry that nobody chops off their hand to steal it from them. They do that in Mexico. But they made an economy version of that in a collab between Swatch and Omega. It's called the Moon Swatch.
6:56 It looks the same. It's not the gold and silver. It's like different colors. And it's a percent of the cost.
7:05 And I love that. I love that watch. It costs $200. It's a very affordable watch.
7:14 And to me, that's perfect. You know why? Because I look at someone who has a Moonwatch, I'm like, why would you waste so much money on that? For the same exact thing.
7:27 Yeah, but it's not, I don't care. You understand? I'm just trying to bring out a point here that people look and they're like, oh, he has that, oh, they have that interior in their car. They have those chandeliers in their home.
7:43 They have that kind of flooring and that kind of, and people are looking and looking and constantly acquiring more, wanting more, desiring more, purchasing more. It's such a terrible thing. It's something important for us to break away from. Because the more we possess, the more we are concerned.
8:05 The more we worry. We have more worry. Kids today have so much. It's unbelievable.
8:14 For us, I remember the greatest gift I had was my father bought me a bicycle. A bicycle. That was like the happiest day of my life. As a child, I had a bicycle.
8:26 Today, kids have the iPhones and kids have the tablets and kids have the iMacs, the computers, and they have the glasses with the thing, the AI, the virtual reality. And they have, it's unbelievable the amount of things that children have. Thank God I limit my children from having that. But it just adds more worry.
8:49 Oh, what's going to be? It's going to crack. It's going to crack. You have to now buy the protector for the screen and you have to buy a protector for that.
8:54 And everything is a protection for protection. And buy insurance for this, insurance for that, for all the things that are supposed to bring us calm. There's more worry. Think of it from an outsider's perspective.
9:05 What do we need it for? It just almost reminds me of the guy who was fishing in his little boat, retired. He was fishing in a little rowboat. And this beautiful yacht pulls up next to me.
9:18 He says, I've been watching you and I see you're catching one fish after another, after another. You're an incredible fisherman. out of it. He says, and then what?
9:28 He says, then you'll sell a lot of fish. And then what? He says, and then you'll be able to buy a bigger boat. And then what?
9:34 You catch more fish. And then what? And then you sell more fish. And then what?
9:37 And then you'll make more money. And then what? Buy a bigger boat. And then what?
9:42 And then it keeps on going and going. He says, and then what? And then you'll be able to retire. And he says, I'm doing that now.
9:48 I'm doing that now. I'm enjoying my life. But people think like, we have to worry about more and more and more. The Torah says no. You want worries?
9:59 The more you acquire, the more worries you have. Objects, things. We are a consumer generation. We're consuming and consuming and buying and buying and buying.
10:14 That's right. More possession, more obsession. That's right. So now he says over here, the author.
10:23 Rebbeinu Bachia says, the one with Bitochen realizes that Hashem will always provide for him, just like he provides for the fetus while it's in his mother's womb, and the chick while it's inside the egg. It doesn't worry. It's not concerned. Oh my goodness, where am I going to be fed from?
10:52 Even though it has no opening through which anything can be brought in from the outside. He's in the egg. The chick is in the egg. There's no way of importing resources in there.
11:09 How's he going to live?
11:11 How's he going to survive? It's like, oh my goodness, limit it.
11:24 And as he provides for the birds in the sky and the fish in the water, even though their natural habitats are places of vast emptiness.
11:36 And God enables the small ant to obtain food despite its feebleness. A little wind blows it. It's gone. And yet...
11:49 No worries.
11:54 While the mighty lion will on some days lack provisions despite its strength. This is all because Hashem provides for His creatures when He wants to and withholds provisions from them when He wants to, regardless of their capability or physical strength. In the same way, the alchemist may be denied provisions in spite of his excellent craft. But the one who places his trust in Hashem is guaranteed his sustenance.
12:26 Kim Moshe Kosov has the verse states, like we just brought, young lions may want and hunger, but those who seek Hashem will not lack any good. Not lack any good.
12:45 And as the verse says that even when food is scarce, such as during a famine, the righteous will be provided for. As King Solomon says, Hashem will not bring hunger upon the souls of the righteous. And as the verse we recite at the end of our benching, every single time we thank Hashem, we say the following verse from Psalms. I have been a youth and also aged, but I have never seen a righteous man forsaken, nor his children begging for bread.
13:24 So we see that the alchemist is limited. Someone who has betach and reliance on Hashem, unlimited. Hashem can provide any place, any time, exactly how he wishes. Number five, and we'll end with this today.
13:40 The fifth advantage of Bitochon over alchemy, the fifth way in which one who relies on Hashem is better off than the alchemist is, the alchemist on account of the illegal nature of his craft is burdened with fear and dread of every person, from the greatest authority to the lowest civilian in his population. Nobody can know.
14:10 who's trusting in Hashem relying on Hashem the opposite is true he is feared by all not only the common folk but even the great leaders and noblemen are in awe of them
14:35 moreover even the animals and stones seek his favor as the verse states in chapter 91 in Psalms from the beginning of the Psalm until the end the verse there makes clear that one who places his trust in Hashem is safe from stones and even dangerous animals are submissive to him because of his connection with God. They see that connection with God. They're like, okay, leave him alone. I'm not going to attack him.
15:09 And it is stated in Job.
15:17 From six travails he will save you. And in the seventh no harm will reach you. In famine he will deliver you from death. And in war from the power of the sword.
15:32 And the verse there continues in this vein until the end of the passage. So what we see here. This fifth benefit of being a person who puts their trust and reliance only in Hashem. It's better than, you're like, think of this guy can just print out gold coins.
15:52 This guy can print out silver coins and copper coins. Then there's a lot of issues that he's going to run into. He's afraid of the authorities. He's afraid of the health concerns.
16:02 He's afraid of, if he's going to have a stockpile of gold, someone can steal it. He's always worried. My dear friends, the trust in Hashem He's the greatest, greatest, most empowering weapon we have. My dear friends, thank you so much.
16:19 This concludes day number five, and I look forward to continuing this journey next week.
16:42 You've been listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe on a podcast produced by Torch, the Torah Outreach Resource Center of Houston. Please help sponsor an episode so we can continue to produce more quality Jewish content for our listeners around the globe. Please visit torchweb.org to donate and partner with us on this incredible endeavor.