Bitachon Explained: Trust, Struggle, And The Strength To Soar

Have you ever been asked a question so surprising, it made you stop and rethink your values?

That happened to me years ago on a date when the girl said, “I hear a lot of people where you live are very wealthy.”Trying to redirect, I replied, “Like any city, there are people at all levels.”

Undeterred, she pressed on, asking about my family. Paraphrasing Pirkei Avot, I told her simply, “We are mesameach b’chelkeinu—we are happy with our lot.”

Her response caught me off guard: “That’s such a beautiful answer. One day, I want to be mesameach b’chelki, but I want to have the biggest cheilek!”

Her words made me pause. At first, I wasn’t sure how to respond. I realized she didn’t just want to be happy with her cheilek—she wanted the biggest one. And isn’t that how many of us think, even unconsciously? We focus on what we’re missing instead of celebrating what we have.

It’s easy to fall into this mindset. We dream of more, bigger, better, while overlooking the gifts Hashem has already placed in our hands. Sometimes, we completely miss the point.

That comment on the date taught me something profound: Everything Hashem gives us is exactly what we need to fulfill our purpose.

Why Your Current Challenges Are Exactly What You Need