Trust in G-d and Do Good

"And if you shall say, What shall we eat in the Sabbatical year? After all, we shall not sow, nor harvest our produce." (Lev. 25:20)

Rabbi Yehuda opened his discourse [explaining this verse] with a quote: "Trust in G‑d, and do good; so you shall dwell in the land and faith will shepherd you." (Psalms 37:3) This verse teaches that a person should be careful to always ascribe that which happens to him to his Master. This should apply whether in good circumstances or in bad. He should always connect the events in his life with their spiritual source, not merely with their immediate cause. He should cleave with his heart to the source of all faith. When a person is at one with his Master, recognizing that everything that occurs in his life is as a result of divine providence, then his heart will be at ease within him. When his spirit is calm as a result of this knowledge, nothing can harm him, because he sees everything that occurs in his life as a lesson and guide for spiritual growth.

Come and see what is meant by the words, "Trust in G‑d and do good." What is the "good" being referred to here? This is as we have learned - the good deeds, which a person does in the physical world, arouse the source of that good in the sefirot in the spiritual world. This we have explained in connection to the verse "Hear the words of this covenant, and do them." (Jeremiah 11:6) The words "do them" can also be read as "through you", i.e. by your actions. [In other words,] you are rectifying the sefirot, causing light and divine abundance to flow down on you. This is so because by giving charity and doing mitzvot and good deeds, you cause a corresponding flow of charity and good to be drawn into your life from Above.

Note that unlike the English word "charity" which has few connections with other concepts, the Hebrew word "tzedaka" is connected with the words "tzedek", meaning "justice", and "tzadik", meaning "saint", as well as relating to the sefira of yesod, which is also called "tzadik". Thus, in Hebrew the concept connects the physical and spiritual worlds - the tzadik gives tzedaka, which is an act of tzedek in this world, and this, in turn, causes a beneficent flow from its source in yesod (tzadik) to malchut, which sweetens harsh judgment.

It is concerning your actions, which have these spiritual ramifications, that the verse says "do good", for the source of good is in the sefira of yesod [tzadik]. This is specifically stated in the verse "Say of the tzadik [righteous], that he is good - for they will eat the fruit of their actions." (Isaiah 3:10) Since you give tzedaka, and do mitzvot and good deeds, you will certainly cause a corresponding flow from the sefira of yesod that will channel into malchut. That is why it is written, "dwell in the land [in Hebrew, 'eretz'] and faith ['emuna'] will shepherd you." "Eretz" and "emuna" are both names for the sefira of malchut.

So one shouldn't think that by giving money in tzedaka he will end up needy, or that by leaving his land fallow he won't have enough to eat. The act, if done with faith, causes the unification of the spiritual worlds, which in turn causes abundant blessing to flow down to that person.

Translation and commentary by Simcha-Shmuel Treister

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