29 Apr TAZRIA: BITACHON WITH CONFIDENCE

A person bought a
lottery ticket, saying
that he had bitachon he
would win the grand
prize of a hundred
thousand rubles.
Reb Yisrael Salanter
zt’l asked him, “Would
you please sell me your
ticket for fifty thousand
rubles,” and the man
agreed.
Reb Yisrael Salanter
replied, “Your actions
prove that you don’t
really believe you will
win the grand prize. If you were sure you
would win a hundred thousand ruble, you
wouldn’t sell it for half its value!”
There are different types of bitachon. There are
times when one trusts in Hashem, but he can’t
say that he knows for sure that Hashem will
help him. He hopes so; he trusts Hashem can
help and wants to help, but he isn’t confident it
will occur. This is also a good level. According
to many, it is the primary form of bitachon.
But there are also times when one feels
confident that Hashem will help him. It states
(Bereishis 34:25) “They came upon the city
with confidence…” Shimon and Levi were
confident they would win the war against
Shechem. Their bitachon reached the level of

confidence and certainty that Hashem would
help their plan succeed.
The Shevet Mussar zt’l (in Shaarei Simchah)
writes that this is also the explanation of the
pasul (Tehillim 22:5) Bicha Batchu Avoseinu
Batchu Vatfalteimo “Our ancestors trusted in
You; they trusted, and You rescued them.”
Why does it state Batchu twice in this pasuk?
The answer is that by the second Batchu their
bitachon reached the level that they were
certain that Vatfelteimo, that Hashem would
help them.
It states (Tehillim 22:6), “They trusted in You,
and they were not shamed.” The Ben Ish Chai
zt’l (HaChaim v’HaShalom) explains that there
are people who trust that Hashem will make a
miracle for them, but they are embarrassed to
tell others about it. They fear that people will
laugh at them if the miracle doesn’t occur.
But then some are so certain that Hashem
will help, they speak about their bitachon and
certainty that there will be salvation. They tell
it to others, even before the salvation occurred.
They aren’t ashamed to do so because they are
sure that the miracle will happen.
The Ben Ish Chai tells a story that happened to
Reb Moshe Galanti zt’l. One year, there was a
drought in Yerushalayim. The winter passed,
and it hadn’t yet rained. In Yerushalayim,
where there are no rivers or lakes, a lack of
rain meant no drinking water and no crops. It
was a great tzarah.

Reb Moshe Galanti declared a yom tefillah,
with the tefillos to be held at the kever of
Shimon HaTzaddik. He told people to go there
with raincoats and raingear because “by the
time we finish our tefillos, it will be raining.”
Together, the community of Yerushalayim
marched through the Shaar Shechem gate of
Yerushalayim to get to the kever of Shimon
Hatzaddik. The Arab guard at the gate laughed
when he saw the Jewish community dressed
in raincoats and raingear. He asked them,
“Is it Purim today? Why are you dressed in
costumes?”
They told him that their rav, Reb Moshe
Galanti, told them that Hashem would answer
their prayers and it would rain that day. The
Arab thought it was preposterous.
When Reb Moshe Galanti passed the Arab
guard, the Arab punched him in the face, r’l,
because he thought that he was lying to the
Jewish community. Reb Moshe Galanti looked
at the Arab and didn’t respond.
Loud, inspirational tefillos were held by the
kever of Shimon HaTzaddik. Throughout
this time, Reb Moshe Galanti leaned over the
kever, whispering words. Suddenly, it began to
pour.
The Arab guard ran to the kever of Shimon
HaTzaddik and asked forgiveness from Reb
Moshe Galanti. He carried Reb Moshe Galanti
home on his shoulders and promised to be his

slave forever.
The Ben Ish Chai writes that this story is an
example of bitachon without shame. Reb
Moshe Galanti was certain that Hashem would
answer their tefillos and, therefore, didn’t
mind telling everyone to come with raingear.
He wasn’t afraid that people would mock him
because he was certain it would rain.
The Gemara says that Choni HaMaagal told
the Jewish community to pray for rain, and
he added, “Make certain to bring your Pesach
ovens indoors so that they won’t get ruined
from the rain.” He wasn’t afraid to say this
because he was confident Hashem would
answer their tefillos.
About this type of bitachon, it states, “They
trusted in You, and they were not shamed.”
They weren’t embarrassed to express their trust
in Hashem because they were certain Hashem
would help. This is also implied in Shemonah
Esrei when it states, we aren’t afraid that we
will be embarrassed due to our trust in You.