Does Effort Really Bring Results? Understanding Hishtadlut and Bitachon in Judaism

It is well known from the parable of the Chofetz Chaim that human effort (hishtadlut) is like a passenger on a train who tries to increase the speed of the train by pushing on the inside wall of the carriage. In truth, making an effort is like trying to push the wall of a moving train. A person may think he’s affecting the train’s speed, but it’s only an illusion.

Indeed, a person is obligated to make an effort, and one of the reasons for this is that God does not want to lead us through open miracles, but rather through the path of nature. Only through natural processes — where Godliness is hidden within creation, is free will possible. The word “Olam (world) comes from the word he’elem (concealment).” If everything were obvious and revealed, it would not be a world of faith-tests and choices of loyalty to God. Hishtadlut is a veil that conceals the divine abundance God bestows upon us, although in reality, it has no effect in and of itself.

God commands us to live within the framework of natural effort also to test us: even as we take action, do we still believe that everything comes solely from Him? It’s not the matchmaker, not the doctor, not our investments or professional connections that provide us with what we need, but rather, all of these are simply messengers and channels through which God sends His blessing.

There are other reasons why God prefers to operate within the natural order, but ultimately, He wants us to make efforts. There are, however, righteous individuals on an elevated spiritual level who have reached complete trust (bitachon) in God to such a degree that they require no hishtadlut at all, because for them, nature and miracle are one and the same.

How much effort should ordinary people like us make?

The Metzudat David commentary explains the verse, “May Your kindness, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped for You” (Psalms 33:22), as follows: "As we hope — so will be the kindness." That is, God’s kindness toward a person corresponds to the level of hope and trust that person places in Him.

Therefore, the amount of hishtadlut a person needs to invest depends on the level of trust he has in God. The more a person trusts in God, the more help he will merit from Heaven, and the less physical effort he’ll need to expend.

Some people have a low level of faith and trust in God and believe they won’t receive what they need unless they exert themselves significantly. If Heaven were to provide them with their desire without such great effort, they would consider it a miracle — but because God does not want to govern the world through open miracles, they won't receive it without that large effort. Such a person must therefore put in great effort, so that it won’t be perceived by them as a miracle. A person with little faith requires greater hishtadlut than someone with stronger faith.

For example, if a person truly trusts that God will provide him with sufficient income through working six hours a day, then he need not work more than that. He can trust that this limited hishtadlut will serve as the channel through which God sends him his livelihood.

If another person believes that in today’s world it’s impossible to make ends meet without working nine hours a day plus occasional overtime, then he must work that long, because God leads a person according to the level of his faith. If the person doesn’t believe that God will provide otherwise, then that will be his reality.

As a person strengthens his trust in God, he can reduce his hishtadlut, because in actual fact, God does not need our effort in order to give us what we need. He simply made it dependent on the size of our faith.

Rabbeinu Bachya writes in Chovot HaLevavot (Duties of the Heart) that someone who does not trust in God at all, but puts his trust in others, causes God to remove His providence from him and leave him in the hands of the one he trusted. For example, if that person goes to a good doctor, there’s a higher chance the treatment will succeed, but if he goes to a bad doctor, it may fail. Such a person does not merit divine assistance, but is governed by natural forces and statistics alone.

Rabbi Avraham, the son of the Rambam, explains in his book Hamaspik LeOvdei Hashem that an average person should not be overly obsessed with effort or pour all his resources into it. One should not exaggerate or go overboard but do what is reasonable and necessary.

It’s important to note that all of this applies only to material matters. Regarding spiritual growth, a person must make as much effort as possible, and from there, God will assist him. For example, someone who wants to master the Talmud cannot say, “I’ll study one hour a week and trust that God will help me become proficient.” In spiritual matters, one must strive to his fullest, and God will help him achieve his goals.