By Rabbi Yair Hoffman Recently, I suffered a widow-maker heart attack with a 100 percent blockage. I was told that I had a 30 percent chance of not making it past six months on account of the particular heart damage that I had sustained and that only 6% of people survive what I had experienced. Now amply motivated, I decided to read once again the Chazon Ish’s classical work on Bitachon.  Whenever one takes a second look at a familiar text there is always new insight to be gained.  Bitachon, of course, is not limited to illness.  It applies to parnassah, shidduchim, having children, worrying about one’s children, one’s students, and one’s grandchildren.  It applies to all walks of life. FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION Before we get there, however, there is a fundamental question regarding the Mitzvah of Bitachon:  What are we trusting Hashem to make happen? Is it that we trust that Hashem will actually save us from this specific problem which we may have anxiety about? Or is it even if we are not saved from the problem, it is all in Hashem’s hands and everything He does is for the best? There are other possibilities as well: We must believe that for some people it is A; and for some people, it is, at a minimum, B. Everyone has the obligation to believe A on future events, but on past events – one is obligated to believe B. We are obligated to believe that – in the power of our Bitachon – possibility A will happen. It is also possible that possibilities C, D, and E are not mutually exclusive.  They can all be true or even any two can be true. WHO WOULD BE THE A’S? Also, within the category of C, and E – who would be the A’s? Can rotten or evil people be that category A? If so, let’s make some other sub-categories as well: C1. For some people it is A, but if they don’t have the Z’chusim or have Aveiros it is B for them. C2. No – even a Rasha could be an A – But, at times, for reason X  – it will have to be B E1. Only for a tzaddik will Bitachon make possibility A happen. E2. Even for a non-tzaddik Bitachon will make possibility A happen. E3. There are times when E doesn’t happen because the person, even the Rasha, just didn’t have enough Bitachon – even though he thought that he did. Yes, it may be confusing, but it is this author’s belief that each of the aforementioned possibilities can be found in the writings of our Gedolei Torah and meforshim.  Some are of the opinion that there is no argument or variation about Bitachon – but it is likely that this position can be included in C, D, or E. PARTICULAR URGENCY The debate on the topic took on particular urgency after the Chazon Ish’s sefer Emunah and Bitachon was published.  It seem’s that the Chazon Ish’s position is that it is just not possible for there to be an obligation to believe in every situation that things will turn out positively.  There are indications of this position in earlier sources too.  Rashi on Mishlei 14:16 indicates that this is a fool’s Bitachon.    Rav Avrohom Ben […]