In our careening world, we have all experienced that sudden, unexplained wave of anxiety. One moment, we feel confident and connected to our faith; the next, a small challenge—a financial hurdle, a health concern, a difficult conversation, or a siren—feels like an insurmountable mountain.
According to a profound teaching by the Baal Shem Tov, recorded in the classic work Keter Shem Tov (Section 113), this “thinning” of our spiritual shield is not a failure of character. It is, in fact, a carefully orchestrated Divine strategy designed to bring us closer to the Source of our strength.
The Spiritual Armor: Understanding the Nature of Bitachon
The Baal Shem Tov begins with a radical premise: Bitachon (absolute trust in Hashem) is more than just a positive mindset; it is a literal spiritual suit of armor.
He explains that the “Attribute of Judgment” (Middat HaDin) cannot touch a person who is in a state of perfect trust. When we rely entirely on the kindness of Hashem, we are connected to a level of Divinity that is “above” the system of strict justice. In this state, we are essentially immune to negative decrees.
The Vacuum of Doubt: Why Confidence Sometimes Wavers
If Bitachon is such a powerful shield, why does Hashem cause it to waver?
The Baal Shem Tov teaches that when a person is meant to experience a wake-up call or a specific challenge to help them grow, Heaven temporarily removes their sense of trust. Suddenly, the shield feels thin. We start to worry. We feel the pressure of the world closing in.
This is not meant to punish us. Rather, it is an invitation. By removing the natural sense of security, Hashem is creating a vacuum that can only be filled by a deeper, more authentic connection. The pressure is meant to drive us to “cry out from the depths of the heart”—a prayer that would not have been possible if we were feeling comfortable and secure.
The Reclaiming of Mercy: Grabbing the Hand of the Decree
The imagery used in Keter Shem Tov is striking. The Baal Shem Tov describes a person under pressure as one who “reaches out and grabs the hand of the one striking them.”
When we feel the “strike” of a difficult situation, our first instinct is often to run away or complain. The Baal Shem Tov suggests a different path: Use that very pressure as the fuel for your prayer. By turning to Hashem in the midst of the struggle, you are “holding the hand” of the decree. Through that connection, the judgment is neutralized and transformed back into Chessed (kindness).
Beyond the Self: The Rebbe’s Call for Active Trust
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, in his many discussions on this teaching (notably in Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 36), emphasizes that Bitachon is an active power. The Rebbe explains that we should not wait for our feelings of anxiety to pass before we act. Instead, we must recognize that the anxiety itself is a signal to reconnect.
By making a conscious choice to trust—even when it feels difficult—we actually change the reality of the situation. The Rebbe teaches that Bitachon does not just help us endure the bad; it has the power to transform the situation into revealed good.
The Soul Connection: Finding Holiness in Every Individual
The section concludes with a lesson on how we relate to one another. Just as we must find the spark of holiness in our own struggles, we must find it in others. The Baal Shem Tov warns that we cannot help or rebuke another person unless we first find a soul-connection with them.
True leaders, whom the Gemara calls Bnei Aliya (“Sons of Ascent”), are those who can descend into the mundane world—eating, talking, and working—and find the holy sparks hidden there. They do not look down on the struggling individual; they “grab their hand” and lift them up, realizing that we all share a single, unified root soul.
Practically Speaking
Next time you feel a wave of worry or a loss of confidence, remember the teaching of Section 113. Your shield is not broken; it is being adjusted.
Hashem is calling for a deeper conversation.
By “grabbing the hand” of the challenge through prayer and renewed trust, you can turn your greatest stress into your greatest spiritual breakthrough.
