Imagine we’re walking down the street and suddenly three thugs jump out and threaten us. I turn to you and whisper and I say psst, don’t worry about those guys; at home I have a 45 mm pistol, we don’t have to worry about them. Obviously you’re not going to feel very much satisfied with the fact that I have a gun at home, because right now we’re on the street, those guys are here, and my big gun at home isn’t going to do us any good.
The first understanding that a person must have for bitachon (trust) is that Hashem is present in my day-to-day. You see, if Hashem is up there some 13 billion light-years away in heaven, Hashem cannot help me. I’m in trouble, I need money, my mortgage is due, and I’m in dire straits. The very first concept that a person must have to learn to trust in Hashem is the understanding that Hashem is present all day every day. As I get up in the morning, as I go through the busyness of my life, Hashem is here. If Hashem isn’t here, if Hashem isn’t active in my life, trusting Hashem is foolish. What do you mean I trust in Hashem, I’m alone. The very first cognition that a person must come to is the understanding that Hashem is here. Only then can I learn to trust in Hashem; only then can I train myself to rely on Hashem.
