The Duties of the Heart

Gate Four: "On Trusting G-d"

Chapter 1

Let's expand upon the idea of trust now with an eye towards seeing how it will apply to our trusting G-d.

When I trust someone, if nothing else, I feel safe and secure in his presence and am certain enough he won't harm me.

If my instincts had been correct and that person had proven himself to be reliable, I'd likely go on from there to assume that he was a good person.

If his goodness had been proven to me enough times, then I'd likely feel confident that he'd do me favors (as I would do for him), since we'd become friends.

I'd then come to trust that he'd do me those favors to the best of his abilities and that he'd follow through on his promises. Then there'd come a point when I'd feel safe to assume that he'd likely go beyond what he said he'd do, because he's such a good person.

I'd be taking risks all along, making "leaps of faith" from time to time, and be testing him and my confidence in him all along. And I'd likely to be disappointed here and there in small ways. But I'd never completely stop trusting him -- and certainly not when it comes to important things. Simply because I'd come to know him and to depend on his goodness.

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