Do We Really Stop Worrying When We Trust?
Rabbi Bachya ibn Pakuda, in his 11th-century Mussar classic Duties of the Heart, taught:
“One who trusts in the Divine neither worries nor laments.”
Do you buy it?
Not all of us are sure about the Divine. And I don’t know about you, but I’m doing a lot of worrying and lamenting these days. Worry is fear for the future, and lament is sadness for the present or past. I don’t need to list all the reasons to worry or grieve in the world right now—you already know them.
The Promise of Trust
It sure would be nice to let go of the worry, to spend more of my mental bandwidth in the present. Whether you take ibn Pakuda’s teaching literally or metaphorically, Trust is a cure for worry because it is an exercise in hope. Whatever we believe about Divinity, we can hold on to hope—for a better future and for the power of community to make things better.
What About Grief?
But what about lament? Should we let go of that too?
Yesterday, I attended a funeral for someone special. I also have many friends impacted by the fires in LA, including members of our community who lost people close to them. It would not be appropriate to “spiritually bypass” grief in the name of Trusting in the Divine. And I don’t think that’s what our tradition asks of us either.
Rather, we might look toward the Divine—or toward something greater than ourselves—as a source of comfort in difficult times.
Trusting… But Also Tying Our Camels
Finally, a reminder: Trust, like all Mussar traits, should be practiced in balance. We still have work to do. As I put it in my book The Spiritual Practice of Good Actions:
“Trust in God, but tie your camel.”
A camel will run off if you don’t do your part to take care of it. And we need to do our part to create the world we want to live in. Worry and lament can lead to paralysis—but these times call for action.
How does this idea of Trust land with you? Comment below—I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Want more on Trust? Check out the recording of the American Mussar weekly gathering that was inspired by this blog post.
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