is really a continuation, a continuation of one of the subjects we once had and then I discussed other details in connection, but not at length. And today we will do it at length. And that is in continuation to the subject of bitachon. Bitachon means that you have to trust in Hashem, and the subject tonight will be a continuation to bitachon, and I thought to call it Hashem helps those that help themselves. Which, at first glance, seems to be a contradiction to bitachon. Bitachon means that you have to trust Hashem, that Hashem is going to provide and do everything that is good for you. That means that even if a person finds himself in a situation where it seems that there is no way out, the trouble is there and there is no way out, he still has to have bitachon, has to have a trust in Hashem that Hashem will help him. And, as I explained that time, that not only must you trust that Hashem is able to help you, but you have to trust that Hashem will help you. The famous expression: tracht gut vet zayn gut, if you think positive it'll be positive, because if you really put your trust in Hashem and you know that Hashem is not limited, God is not limited, and therefore the fact that it seems as if there is no way out doesn't mean that that's how it's going to be. It's only naturally that way, but nature is not the boss. Hashem controls the nature, and Hashem, God is not limited to nature. And therefore, even if you're in the worst situation, it says you should never give up hope, and not only not to give up hope, as the Chazal say, that even if there is a sword laying at top of your neck, אל יתייאש מן הרחמים, don't give up hope from Hashem having pity on you. But not only you shouldn't give up hope, you should believe that Hashem will help you. And just for a second to quote a letter from the previous Rebbe, that he writes that there are two expressions in Hebrew for hope, for trust: one is תקוה, תקוה means hope, and one is bitachon, which means trust. And he said hope means when there is still something that you could grab onto. There is still some, some possibility in nature that things will turn out good, then it's not bitachon, then it's still תקוה. Hope, I mean bitachon is when that isn't there either. And he gives an example: someone is drowning, and you have no way out, and it seems to you as if you're going to drown, if you see a straw floating on the water and you try to grab onto the straw, which is very small and it won't do you much good, but there is something, something still there, your trust is still called תקוה. Hope, you still hope there's something there. If there is not even a straw, and now there is no hope whatsoever, that's where bitachon comes in, that you have to trust Hashem, that Hashem will save you. And the truth is, He will save you, because if a person has the pure, complete bitachon, and he really means it, which means he throws himself over completely into the hands of Hashem, then Hashem will help him. That itself is the greatest merit that Hashem will help him. But the question that comes up, and that's where we're going to continue, the question that comes up after that is: if so, why must we do and behave according to nature? And that is a fact: the halachah is that we do have to, we do have to behave naturally, which means there is a halachah that a person cannot say, \"I'm going to sit home and not work, and have trust in Hashem, Hashem will provide everything that I need, and I will trust Him, and I will have the proper bitachon.\" You're not allowed to do that. There's a pasuk that says, וברכך השם אלוקיך בכל אשר תעשה, \"Hashem will bless you in everything that you do,\" which means that you have to do. And in Sifrei, in the Midrash on this pasuk, the Midrash breaks the pasuk into two parts, and quotes first the first half of pasuk, which says, וברכך השם אלוקיך, השם will bless you. And the Sifrei says that in that case, since Hashem gives you the blessing anyway, which means Hashem provides you, יכול, I would think, יהא יושב ובטל, sit and don't do anything. Sit home and say to yourself, \"If it's,\" using the Yiddish word, \"if it's bashert that I should get money, or food, or whatever I need, Hashem will give me. If it's nisht bashert, if Hashem doesn't want to give me, He won't give me anyway. I could work from today till tomorrow, because we know that it is not the work that I put in that provides.\" The pasuk says a person is not allowed to think that כחי ועצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה, it's my own power that brought me my success. A person is supposed to realize that who הנותן לך כח לעשות חיל, השם gives you the success to get everything that you get. So if Hashem gives it to me anyway, so what difference does it make if I work or not? So I might think that you don't have to work. So the Sifrei says that's where the second half of pasuk comes in and says בכל אשר תעשה. Hashem says, \"I will bless you in everything that you will do.\" Which is really the source of this statement that I said in the beginning, that God helps those that help themselves, which means, I don't know what the goyim mean when they say it, but what it really means is that when does Hashem help us? If we do things in derech hateva. He helps us usually through natural ways. He doesn't expect us to rely on miracles. There is actually a halachah: אין סומכין על הנס. You are not allowed to rely on miracles. So Hashem does everything naturally.

They even have this famous joke, it's not a joke, it brings out a point: there was a person that was drowning, and he said, \"Hashem, I trust that you will help me.\" He really had trust. And then a ship passed by and wanted to take him. He said, \"I'm not going. I rely on Hashem, I'm not going to rely on you people who want to help me. I want to put my trust in Hashem.\" Then a second ship came by, and the same thing happened, he wouldn't go on. He said, \"I'm relying on Hashem should help me.\" And a third one, and what happened? He drowned. When he came to shamayim, he complained to Hashem, \"Look, I had bitachon, I trusted you, and I put my complete trust in you, and I didn't want to rely on anybody, just on you, and look what you did, you made me drown.\" So Hashem says, \"I don't understand, I sent you three ships, why didn't you go?\" Hashem works that way. Hashem wants us to live through derech hateva, through natural ways. But the question is why? If anything everything comes from Hashem anyway, why is it that this is the will of Hashem that he doesn't want us to rely on miracles? Actually, it says in the Derashot HaRan, the Ran brings this expression that לא עביד קודשא בריך הוא ניסא למגנא, השם does not make miracles in vain, for no reason, unless there is a special case like we find Keriat Yam Suf when Hashem split the sea, or other times when Yehoshua stopped the sun. Special cases, but normally Hashem does not change nature, he wants us to behave according to nature. The Gemara even tells a story there was a person, was a great man, and his wife unfortunately passed away, left a little baby, and there was no one to nurse this little baby, so Hashem made a miracle that the father, this tzaddik, was able to nurse her. And first the Gemara says, \"Wow, look how great this person is that Hashem changed the nature of the world on his behalf.\" And then the Gemara says, \"No, look, Hashem had to change nature, which is something Hashem doesn't really want to do, so it's not such a good idea, but there was no choice, but we can't say that this was something special, because Hashem does not want to change the laws of nature. He wants us to behave naturally.\" And actually it says in the Sefer Chovot HaLevavot, which is the famous sefer that teaches us all the hashkafah, all the proper outlook on life, it says there that we have to do everything naturally, in derech hateva. But the question is why? If we trust Hashem and we know that Hashem is beyond nature, all the limits of nature don't mean anything when it comes to Hashem, and it's a logical thing. Hashem is the Creator of nature, he is the Creator of the laws of nature, so as far as he's concerned, this is all nothing. To us, there are limitations from nature because we are part of nature. We are part of the creation, we are creatures. But Hashem, who is beyond nature, so nature doesn't mean anything. So for Hashem, what is the difference if you're standing on dry land or you're standing on water? Naturally, on dry land you won't sink and on water you will. But that's only as far as we're concerned. As far as Hashem is concerned, water and land, it's all the same. Who made this law that if you stand on water you'll sink? Hashem made it, he's not limited to it. And if we're throwing ourselves into the hands of Hashem, so then why is it that Hashem makes it that it should go through nature? Why is it that Hashem commanded us that we should do everything according to nature? This seems to be a contradiction at first glance to the concept of bitachon, which means that we have to put our trust completely in the hands of Hashem, relying on him 100%, and putting ourselves into his hands. If we're in his hands, then all this means nothing. So why is it Hashem wants us to do everything naturally? Why is it that God helps those that help themselves, and he wants us to, as we say, to make a kli, to make a vessel to his blessing naturally? That's the expression that it says in sefarim. In mussar sefarim, the expression is that Hashem wants us to make an hishtadlut. Hishtadlut, that's what they call it. Hishtadlut means you have to try, do your thing, go to work, and then Hashem will bless you. But no one should say, \"I won't work, I'm going to trust Hashem.\" You shouldn't do that. Hashem wants us to make, we call it, hishtadlut. That's the expression in mussar sefarim. In chassidut sefarim, the expression is not hishtadlut, but the expression is Hashem wants us to make a kli in derech hateva. Hashem wants us to make a vessel naturally, which means Hashem wants us to do things naturally, and that should be the vessel for His berachot. In other words, the fact is that everything comes from Hashem's berachot, it doesn't come from us. But Hashem wants us to make ourselves a vessel, a physical vessel, a natural vessel in which He would put in His brachot. But why?

But the truth is we have to look into something else where we find something similar. The example to putting oneself into the hands of Hashem, and therefore Hashem behaving to this in an abnormal, meaning unnatural, way beyond nature, we find concerning, not at a one-time thing like קריעת ים סוף when there were miracles, split the sea, or other times like that, but an ongoing thing was when the Jews received the man in the מדבר, in the desert. When the Jews were in the desert, they didn't have any bread, they didn't have any food. So Hashem said, \"I will give you man every day.\" Now, this is not a natural thing that Hashem should provide us man. Imagine if we would get מן מן השמים today, this is completely beyond nature. Naturally, this cannot happen. Food comes, bread comes from the ground, man came from שמים. They actually made a brachah on the man when they ate it, they made a ברכה, המוציא לחם מן השמים. Instead of us making a ברכה המוציא לחם מן הארץ, the one that takes out bread from the earth, they made המוציא לחם מן השמים. And it, like it says in Sefer Chasidim, when Mashiach will come, it says we're going to have a taste of man again. Because Hashem told him to put away a little jar of man for later generations. When Mashiach will come, we'll taste it, so the Sefer Chasidim says we'll have to make a brachah. He says, which brachah will we make? המוציא לחם מן השמים. But that's not a natural thing. So the man was completely beyond nature. And it actually says it's one of the foundations that we could get, one of the strengths that we could draw, power that we could draw for the concept of bitachon comes from the man. Here was a case where they had bitachon, and it actually worked. They trusted Hashem, He'll give them food, Hashem said, \"Trust Me,\" and He gave them food in an unnatural way completely. That was the man. And this is one of the reasons why Hashem told them to put the man away in a little jar, so Rashi says, because later generations, when the Jews are going to complain and say, \"How could we study Torah and do mitzvot? We're busy making a living!\" So Hashem will say, this was at the time of Yirmiyahu, he will say, \"Take out that jar, and show them the jar of man, that I could provide even if you don't spend, not a moment in working. You don't plow, and you don't plant, you don't spend one moment in working, I could supply, I'll prove it to you, here you have the man.\" So the man, basically, was something that was given to us completely beyond our work. We did not even make a כלי בדרך הטבע, we didn't make a vessel to do it, we didn't work at all for it. But at the same time, when we look at the man, there was some work that had to be done. Not much, very little, but some work had to be done. It says in Chumash that when the man fell, one pasuk it says it fell as bread, one pasuk it says it fell as, as, as bread, meaning a cookie, as a finished cake, one place it says it fell as flour, and one place it comes out that it fell as, as wheat. And it says it depends: tzaddikim got it finished product, beinonim, in the middle, they got it as flour, and the reshaim, they got it as wheat, and they had to grind it. So everyone had to work. Some had to work more for it, some had to work less, but some type of work you had to put in. Even the one that got it complete, he had to go and pick it. And even when it came to pick it, the Gemara says there are three expressions in Chumash. One expression says that they had to go out and get it, one place it says they had to go far, one place it says they had to go all the way far. Tzaddikim, it fell right in front of their door, reshaim, it fell, I mean beinonim, it fell a little further, and reshaim, it fell far. So they had to go and get it. So Hashem could have made it that if He's giving already and He's providing, why didn't He provide that you open your door of your closet and the bread is there? If He already is giving it to them without any work put in, why didn't He provide completely? And even the tzaddikim didn't find it in their cabinet, they had to go out and get it. Why? Obviously here we see that even the man, which was the epitome of the bitachon that the Yidden had, where Hashem provided them based on bitachon beyond nature, even that had to have some kind of work. And that's why we find an interesting expression, two expressions by the man. When the man fell, it fell together with טל, dew. And it says why? Because it says the difference between rain and dew, מטר and טל, or גשם and טל, is that rain doesn't always come. Dew is always there. Which means rain depends: if we're deserving we get it, and if we're not we don't. But טל is always there, טל לא מיעצר. Besides that, טל, dew, is something that comes from above, while rain is something that comes from below, that's what it says in Chumash. And that's true scientifically also. Rain comes because the water from down here evaporates and goes up to the clouds, and that comes back down as rain. But טל comes milmaalah lematah, from above. So rain represents something that we down here have to do in order to get, while dew represents coming purely from Hashem. So since the man is something that came from Hashem without our involvement at all, that's why it came together with the טל, because this is similar to טל. But at the same time, there's a pasuk that says when Hashem said I will give you man, he said, הנני ממטיר לכם מן מן השמים, לחם מן השמים. I'm going to rain down to you the man from heaven. So he used the term rain, which means something that we do have to work or it comes from below. Why? Because the man had both parts to it. The man had the part of it coming מן השמים, completely beyond nature, but at the same time even that needed some type of work. And the question is: why? If Hashem is not limited to nature at all, for Hashem to give the man outside of your house and to put it into onto your table when you're ready to eat would be the same thing. The reason why normally it can't happen is because the laws of nature are that you have to go and get it. But Hashem is not limited to laws of nature. So why didn't Hashem make that you sit down by your table, all of a sudden a plate appears and you eat it? Would have been easier, and it's still coming from Hashem, why Hashem wanted that you should at least have to go? Obviously he wanted there should be some hishtadlut, some kind of work that we have to put in naturally.

Now, why did Hashem want this? Which is the same question as we asked before concerning the general behavior that Hashem wants us: on one hand he says have bitachon, have bitachon, everything comes from me, and remember I'm beyond nature, and therefore no matter what happens never give up hope because all the limitations and all the time when you feel that it's finished, it's all because according to the laws of nature it's that way, but I'm beyond. And at the same time he says, yeah, but I want you to work. I don't want you I won't give you just like that. I want you to make an appointment, go make a business deal, work on it, אשר תעשה, and then you'll get it. Why does Hashem want it? And at first glance it even seems to be a contradiction. The fact that he wants us to work in דרך הטבע seems to be a contradiction to bitachon, to trusting in Hashem. Because here Hashem tells you: no, you got to do things naturally. And let's look at it this way: what would be if a person doesn't go to work? He will not get. If a person doesn't get a job and doesn't work, he will not be able to provide. So obviously nature does count. Why is it? Now, the truth is it's not just a strong question, because if Hashem wants us to work and do things naturally, if we don't, we're going against Hashem's will. So, number one, it's not a contradiction to bitachon if we would do it on our own. You could say like this: Hashem says you have to have bitachon, and I decide: nope, I'm going to go and do things naturally. That would be a contradiction. But the reason we go and work, we Yidden, is not because we want to do it, because Hashem said in the Torah to do it. Oh, so in that case it's not a contradiction. Just like we do any other mitzvah, just like we do a mitzvah of putting on tefillin. Why do we put on tefillin? Because Hashem said so. Hashem said that we should work. Actually it says in the Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, it says on the pasuk: ששת ימים תעשה מלאכה, or ששת ימים תעבוד, six days you should work, on the seventh day you should rest. So the Mekhilta says: six days you should work, זו מצות עשה, it's a mitzvah. It's a mitzvah, Hashem wants us to work. And that is why it's not a contradiction, because we're not doing it because we feel nature is important and therefore we don't rely on Hashem. We do rely on Hashem. Why do we work? Because Hashem told us to. So he told us to put on tefillin, we do it. He told us to work, so we work. And that is also why if you won't work you won't get, because you're not listening to Hashem. So it's not a contradiction and we can understand this. But the question is: Why does Hashem want it? Not how do the two fit, that's not a prob- Hashem wants and therefore we do whatever Hashem wants, so we work. But why does Hashem want that if Hashem the truth is and we believe and we don't just believe, we know that everything is Hashem it is a fact and whatever happens to us, because Hashem makes it happen. And we also know the truth that Hashem is not limited to nature. So why is it that Hashem wanted us to work naturally and that the way he will provide? It is the will of Hashem. He definitely could do it differently. He could provide like the man and even more than the man, he could put it on our table. But he wanted to do it differently and that's why he commanded us to do it. But why? What is there to gain by having to work? On one hand, all it does is make trouble. All it does, it makes it possible for us to forget the truth. If we wouldn't have to work and we would be provided for by Hashem, everyone would see the truth. Why is it that Hashem wants us to work, which makes people think that maybe their work is what brings it and the proof is if they don't work they don't get, and they forget that it's because they're not listening to Hashem. Why? What did Hashem gain? Why did Hashem want this? Now sometimes we can we say, \"Well, we don't know Hashem's ways.\" But if there is a way to explain it then we certainly should try to explain it. And I'll explain it just in short what the reason for this is. The reason is, we know that the purpose of creation as a whole is, as the famous statement in the Midrash, which is quoted in many many sefarim, especially in Chassidus, is that Hashem wanted a דירה בתחתונים. Hashem wanted that in this low physical world there should be a true revelation of Hashem, which means Hashem has very many malachim and higher worlds, but what Hashem wants is that there should be a world and in this world, which seems to be a separate entity than Hashem, there should be a gilui, a revelation of the truth of Hashem. We should he put us here in a place where we do not really see the truth of Hashem and he wants us to realize the truth of Hashem. And by doing that, what we'll accomplish is, as the Midrash says, we will make a dwelling place for Hashem in this low world. That is what Hashem wants. Now, when we come to recognize the truth that even though it looks like a separate entity, a world, a creation, but we realize that this is really not it, it's all only an expression of Hashem's will. There are two ways, and as we learn in many sefarim, you could feel that Hashem is אחד and you could feel Hashem is יחיד. And let me explain that. Is there anyway to It's too hot. Open them, anyway. I think I'm I think I'm getting too excited. But we recognize the truth of Hashem, there are two levels. We actually say in the שמע, שמע ישראל השם אלקינו השם אחד. Listen, O Israel, Hashem our God, Hashem is one. And then there is this famous question that's asked, wouldn't it be better if the word would be not השם אחד, that Hashem is one, but it should say השם יחיד, השם is single. Yeah, it got on, it's better now. Hashem is single. When we use the expression Hashem is one, it doesn't necessarily show that there is nothing but Hashem. When we say that you have this is one, one doesn't necessarily mean that there is no second. You can have two cups. You can say this is one cup and there's another cup. If you say this is this a single cup, then you know there is no other cup. When you say a person has children you say, \"Well, this is a בן אחד.\" He's one, but doesn't mean there's no second. Actually, in the Haggadah we say there are four sons, and then we say אחד חכם, one is a חכם, אחד רשע, one is a רשע, one is a תם, and one is שאינו יודע לשאול. So, we use the word אחד, and there are four. But if you want to if a person has only one child, then you use the term בן יחיד, single. What we want to say is that Hashem is the only one. One. Hashem is the only being, the only real being. Everything else is just here because He put us here, and He created, He's not, every-, those things are not really a real being. So really what should it have been? Should have said not השם אלקינו השם אחד, השם is one, but should have said השם יחיד, השם is single. But there is a difference. When you say השם יחיד means there is nothing but Hashem, nothing. All this that we see is really nothing. There's only one thing: אין עוד מלבדו, there is nothing but Him. When you say אחד, אחד means He is one, which means there is a place for more, and nevertheless, He is one. Actually, when we say Shema, we close our eyes, cover our eyes, there is, it says in Shulchan Aruch, what are we supposed to think about? We close our eyes, not just to close our eyes to get, to block out the light, because we have to concentrate. What do we have to think about when we say השם אחד? It says in Shulchan Aruch, this is what we have to think: Hashem is one. The word אחד is made up of three letters: אלף, חית, and דלת. חית is eight, and that refers to the seven heavens and the earth. דלת is four, the four sides, four corners of the world. And what we have to think about is that the חית and the דלת are all really batel to the אלף. They're all really nullified, they're all nothing in the eyes of the אלף, towards, because of the אלף which the one, which is Hashem. Which means, what we're saying is that even though there is a world, there is a חית, which is eight, heavens and earth, and there are four corners of the world, and nevertheless, they are really, really not a real being, because there is the אלף, this is the one. When you say יחיד, you're saying that there is nothing else. There is only, only Hashem. When you say אחד, you say even though it seems to be other things, nevertheless, He is one.

Now, which of the two levels seems to be higher? Now, at first glance, the level of יחיד seems to be higher, because you realize that there is nothing but Hashem, nothing! While the other one, well, there are other things, and nevertheless, those other things are one with Hashem. So יחיד must be higher than אחד. But in truth, it's not so. If you think a little bit deeper, יחיד is a lower level. יחיד means that there's only one being, that's Hashem, and there's nothing else. In other words, what we're saying is that everything else is a contradiction to Hashem. And that's why the only way we could express the unity of Hashem by saying there's nothing else. But when we say אחד, we show that even if there is something else, it's not a contradiction, because there, whatever something else will be, there is Hashem who is the real being. But once, when we say that there is nothing else, it's as if we're admitting He's the only one, because if there'd be something else, it'd be a problem! But the other way is, there is no problem to begin with, because even if there is something else, nevertheless, in that other thing, we realize that even though it seems to be like something, nevertheless, we'd say it's the alef, even though there might be a chet and a dalet. That's why we use the word אחד, which seems to be that when you say אחד, there is place for a second. Yes, that's what we're trying to say. Even though there seems to be place for another being, the other being is nothing but Hashem. And that's a higher level. And this is exactly what Hashem wanted us to reach. If Hashem would say, \"Don't work, don't follow the laws of nature,\" and He would give us all our needs, then what would we see? We see that Hashem is the truth, and there's nothing but Hashem. But it wouldn't show that even the nature is in the hands of Hashem. What Hashem wants us to recognize is not that He is beyond nature. He wants us to recognize that even the nature is also not a contradiction to Hashem, and even the nature is run by Hashem. So, if we'd only have miracles, then what it would show is that Hashem is beyond nature, but we would not see that Hashem even works through nature. That's why it says, what is, where does Hashem express Himself more, through an outright miracle, like splitting of the sea, or through, let's say the story of Purim, which is referred to as נס המלובש בטבע, it's a miracle that was put into nature? Because if you want, you could say, look at the story of Purim, there's a sequence of events and how he killed Vashti, and then he married Esther, all led up and it all worked out fine. And there's, there's no real outright miracle there. קריעת ים סוף is an outright miracle. Which one is greater? Well, everyone will say, \"Well, an outright miracle is greater. It shows more the hand of Hashem. Here, you doesn't see.\" So it says just the opposite. A miracle shows that Hashem could fight nature. Hashem is stronger than nature. It doesn't show that nature is not a separate entity, but nature itself is united with Hashem. But when you have a miracle that is through nature, then it shows that even nature is not an entity for itself, but Hashem works through nature. When Hashem wants us to work for a living, naturally, in a way that it seems that the way we get our success is through the laws of nature, we have a business, and we work, and we put in time, and we get it, and nevertheless, we realize the truth that all is from Hashem, that is the highest level. That's what Hashem wants. To not to push away nature and say there is no nature, which would mean to say, well, if there would have been a nature, it would have been a contradiction to Hashem, so there is something different than Hashem. But what Hashem wanted is, work through nature, and nevertheless, through the nature, you will recognize in nature, I want you to work on yourself and recognize the truth, that in the nature, that's where I am. I provide you through nature, so nature is no separate entity. And that's the higher level.

And this is the reason also why we find that certain tzadikim actually did not have to work through the laws of nature. We find by Yosef HaTzadik, Yosef, when he was in jail, and there you have the two, the שר המשקים and the שר האופים, you had the baker and the butler, and they both had dreams, and Yosef interpreted their dreams, and he told the שר המשקים that soon, soon you will be again put back to your job. So Yosef found an opportunity here to tell him, \"Mention my name to the king, I might get out of here.\" So it says, because he said that, he was punished and he stayed in jail for another two years. He should have relied on Hashem. Why did he ask him to mention his name to the king? And all the commentaries ask, Rabbeinu Bachya and all ask, \"What was wrong with that? Don't we know that Hashem wants us to work through nature?\" And here he found, he relied on Hashem, Hashem will get him out, but you have to do things naturally. Here he found a chance naturally to ask the king, so what was wrong with that? And the meforshim answer that that is only for regular people, even for tzadikim, but regular tzaddikim. They have to work through the laws of nature. But somebody like Yosef HaTzadik, he didn't have to work through the laws of nature. And it's only Yosef HaTzadik, other tzaddikim not, including Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. Yaakov himself, when he heard that Esav is going to attack him, what did he do? He prepared himself. He prayed to Hashem, but he did things naturally, too. He prepared himself to war. And he armed his people, and he divided his camp, he did all kinds of natural things. And he went with a present to send to Esav, because naturally, you assume, if you send a present to your enemy, he might not fight you. So he did things naturally, and it doesn't say anywhere that he did anything wrong with it. Avraham and Yitzchak, when they came to Mitzrayim or to Avimelech, and Avraham was afraid that they might kidnap Sarah, and Yitzchak was afraid they might kidnap Rivkah, so he found a plan, and he said to her, \"Tell them you're my sister, and they will not kill me.\" Why didn't he rely on Hashem? Hashem will help him. No, he naturally, this was the way to go. And it doesn't say anywhere that he did a sin or did something wrong by doing this. So even Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov had to do things through nature. And the reason is, as we said before, because by doing it through nature, you realize that Hashem doesn't just provide you because He is beyond the world. It shows you that the world is part of Hashem, not that Hashem is beyond the world. That you do things through nature, and at the same time, when he did it naturally, he realizes it comes from Hashem. And he did it naturally because Hashem wants us to do naturally, and we realize that Hashem is in the nature. Yosef HaTzadik was an exception, because Yosef HaTzadik was in such a high spiritual level that he recognized the truth of Hashem in the physical world without having to go through the laws of nature. Where do we see it? We know that it says that there's a difference between the level of Yosef and the level of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. Interesting that Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, all three were shepherds. And the reason it says they were shepherds is because they were afraid that if they would be in the, in the city, they would be disturbed from their service of Hashem. All, you know the hardships of living in a big city. They chose to be shepherds. A shepherd takes his sheep out into the field, no problems, no disturbances, and he can sit there all alone and connect himself in his mind to Hashem. And they had to do it because the world, so to speak, was to them, so to speak, a contra- diction to their service of Hashem. So they had to stay away from it. Yosef was not a shepherd. Even when his brothers were shepherds, he stayed home. That's why when he went to see how they're doing, that's when they sold him. And even later on, he became First of all he was the manager in Potifar's house, so he took care of all of Potifar, who was one of the officers by the king, took care of all of Potifar's affairs, and at the same time he remained the same tzaddik while he was in the affairs. And certainly later when he became the king of Mitzrayim, of Egypt, it says he was still the same tzaddik, which Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov couldn't have done that. Because Yosef was so great that he to him, the gashmiyut, the physicality and the nature of the world did not cover up on the truth of Hashem at all. While by Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, other tzaddikim, it did. That's why they had to work on it, it shouldn't. Yosef, this was his level. So that's why to him he didn't need to go through nature. Why? Because as I said before, the reason you have to go through nature is to show, to instill in yourself that even the nature is part of Hashem. But Yosef didn't have to do that because he lived that life always. He understood that the world is not a contradiction to Hashem, and that's why he was able to be within the world and do everything, involved in all the gashmiyut, and at the same time be a tzaddik. So Yosef, takeh, did not have to make... But an average person has to do it in order, and at the same time, not to forget the truth. If you work with nature and you forget the truth, and then you it's then you're defeating the purpose. But the reason why Hashem made it is so that we should work through nature, and then He tells us, \"Remember, I'm the one that gives you the blessing,\" so you will realize that nature is part of Hashem, and it's not against Hashem. And the truth is, even in this, that nature is part of Hashem and we recognize that, there are two levels. And let's spend just a few moments. There are two levels, it says in Chassidut, in sefarim. One level is that you know that nature, you're doing it only because Hashem wants you to do it. Otherwise, you would rely on Hashem, but nevertheless, you are doing things naturally. So the nature is something that you're doing only for Hashem. And then there is a higher level that nature means nothing to you whatsoever. And that's the level, it says in the Zohar, there was this great tzaddik named Rabbi Yosi Saba. And he would Before he would sit down to eat, he would pray to Hashem. And it says even if the meal was on the table, ready for him to eat, he would turn around to Hashem, \"Please give me food.\" And the question is asked, why did he do that? The food is right there, why would he ask Hashem for food? And the answer is because to him, nature meant nothing. Why is there a difference if the food is in front of me or the food is not in front of me? Naturally, the food in front of me means it's in front of me, I could eat it; if it's not in front of me, I can't eat it. But a person who is such a high level that he's beyond nature, he sees the truth that everything is in the hands of Hashem. And even the nature is no being in its own, it's only an extension of Hashem. So what difference is it? Why is it that if it's not in front of me, I have to pray to Hashem to get it, and if it's in front of me, I don't? It's all the same. So he always prayed. The interesting part of it is, he prayed on Shabbos, too. And there is a big question, because on Shabbos you're not allowed to pray for your physical needs. But the truth is, by him, it wasn't his physical need, he had no physical needs. This was, to him, only part of what Hashem is and what Hashem wants, and that's why he even on Shabbos, he was able to pray for it. And this is the true the higher level a person could reach. I mean, you have to be a great tzaddik. Not only that you do things according to nature and you go to work because you know this is what Hashem wants, and therefore, you're doing it for the sake of Hashem, but a person is able to reach a point where he sees that the nature doesn't mean anything. Similar to the Gemara says, Tosafot brings from Yerushalmi where it says there's a pasuk that has a hint to all six orders of Mishnayot. The pasuk is והיה אמונת עתיך חוסן ישועות חכמת ודעת. The word emunah, it says, refers to Seder Zeraim, the order which talks about plants. What does emunah have to do with plants? See, all the other ones have a connection to the one that they represent, but what does emunah have to do with plants? So the Yerushalmi says, Tosafot brings, because a Yid, why does a Yid plant? Because he has emunah in Hashem. What does that mean? The way a person plants, because naturally, when you plant, it'll grow. So the Yerushalmi says, no, a Yid would not plant because naturally it should grow. He plants because has he has emunah in Hashem, and Hashem said that if you plant, it'll grow. That's a level a person is supposed to reach, that all the natural things are there because this is the will of Hashem, and there is nothing in the nature on its own as a being in itself, which is a higher level than the lower one one which it's an entity in itself, but you're realizing that it's only for Hashem. There is nothing there but the will of Hashem. There is a practical application which will come out from these two levels. If you have the first level, as much as you know that the nature is there for the sake of Hashem, and that's why you only do it because Hashem wants, but nevertheless it's an entity in itself, it's still a separate being, and therefore, whenever there is a contradiction between what Hashem wants you to do and nature, you might stop and think. For instance, a person knows that if he'll go to shul and daven with a minyan, he might miss a business appointment. So he has a fight in his mind. What should I do? Because there is something there to nature, and naturally if I will miss the appointment, I will not make the money I want. Sometimes you think, I'll give money for tzedakah, I won't have money to invest. So there is a conflict in your mind. Now, many times the good side will win, because after all, we're talking about a person who realizes that nature is only there for Hashem, so the side of Hashem will win. But another time you're not sure, because after all, there is something there to nature too, so tomorrow it might not win. But if the person is a higher level, where he realizes the truth, that nature is nothing there but the expression of Hashem, then there is no conflict. Then if it contradicts something that Hashem wants, then there is no question that you go to the minyan, there is no question that you give the tzedakah, there is no question that you do what Hashem wants, because if this is what Hashem wants, what has nature got to do? Nature doesn't mean anything. By the first level, it's not like that. And this is the level a Yid is supposed to strive to reach. Even though it's very hard, and many times a person will not reach it, but this is what a person is supposed to strive to reach: to realize that the nature, which includes really everything in the universe, everything in the world, is no being in itself. Not not only is not an important being, but it's not a being, it's only, there is nothing but Hashem, and the nature, as we see it, not that we don't see nature, the nature as we see it, is nothing but Hashem, and therefore the nature on its own will never contradict Hashem. And if it will, you know that this is not what I'm supposed to do.

One of the times where it says that we're able to draw the strength for such an idea is from Shabbos. Just like we said before, the mon. The mon had the same thing. The mon on one hand, Hashem gave it above nature, but at the same time He wanted you to do something, because if it'd be completely above nature, well, we'd say, \"Well, it's Hashem. Hashem is stronger than nature.\" But it wouldn't prove that the nature itself is connected to Hashem. So Hashem said, \"I want you to work naturally a little bit, and then realize that it comes from Me.\" Then you would have the combination of this. The same thing is with Shabbos, and that's why actually it says that mon and Shabbos have some certain things in common. There's a halachah that if you're in a place and you forget what parashah to read, Shabbos you don't know what parashah to read, so it says you should read the parashah of man, because man and Shabbos have a lot in common. Why, how is it Shabbos? Shabbos you find the same thing. On Shabbos we're not allowed to work. It says on Shabbos a person is supposed to feel כאילו כל מלאכתך עשויה, everything is done. Shabbos, you're supposed to feel you have no work and you don't, you're not allowed to work. Everything is provided by Hashem. At the same time, it says clearly if you wouldn't work on Friday and Thursday and Wednesday, and before, you would never have on Shabbos. מי שטרח בערב שבת יאכל בשבת. If you worked before Shabbos, you have on Shabbos. So Shabbos has a combination. On one hand, it's a day that you don't work, and at the same time you get the feeling, why do you have? Because you worked. So if anyway you feel that you have it because you worked, you might as well, why did Hashem say don't work? We know that Hashem said not to work on Shabbos to instill within us our true emunah and bitachon in Hashem, to know that everything comes from Hashem. So He should have made it we shouldn't have to work before Shabbos. Shabbos's food should come down from heaven like the man. Why is it that in order to have food on Shabbos you have to work on Friday, you have to work on Thursday, and at the same time Hashem says don't work on Shabbos so you'll feel that everything comes from Me? This is exact what Hashem wanted. Hashem wanted we should feel everything comes from Him, but at the same time to realize that even the nature comes from Him, and when we work naturally, it still comes from Him. That, and that's the whole idea of Shabbos: to instill not in the not-working to realize it comes from Hashem, but even when you work, it comes from Hashem. The main purpose of Shabbos is to influence the rest of the week, that the rest of the week when we do work, we should realize that the work that we do is not because we did it, even though we do it and Hashem wants us to do it, and it seems that the work is the one that brings us the parnasah, it's all from Hashem, like on Shabbos. Which, as I explained lately in shul on Shabbos, which is the reason for havdalah. We make havdalah, people think havdalah is to separate between Shabbos and the weekdays. The opposite. It's to connect Shabbos and the weekdays. It's to instill the feeling of Shabbos into the weekdays. Shabbos, a day that we don't work, it's easy to feel that everything comes from Hashem. But the moment we finish with Shabbos and we go out and do our work, then it's much harder to feel it comes from Hashem. So we have to bring the influence of Shabbos into the weekdays. So the bottom line, this is the point that I'm trying to make: on one hand, we have to have bitachon in Hashem, and we have to realize everything comes from Hashem, and we have to put ourselves into the hands of Hashem, and therefore nature makes no difference whatsoever. And if a person has a situation that naturally he can't get out of it, still should trust Hashem and Hashem will help him. And at the same time, we have to follow the laws of nature, because Hashem wants us to realize, not only that He is beyond nature and He's stronger than nature, but He is in the nature, and nature itself comes from Him. And that we could only feel if we work naturally, and we see that our success comes from our work, but at the same time we realize everything comes from Hashem. Here we have the combination of both, and this is the highest level a person could reach. And this is what Hashem wanted with the creation of putting us here to realize this idea. This is the purpose of our creation, and this is something that we always have to have in our mind and never ever to forget.