Refuge vs. Guarantee: Two Levels of Trust Today we focus on a verse from Mishlei (Proverbs) : " בִּירְאַת ה׳ מִבְטַח עֹז, וּבָנָיו יִהְיֶה מַחְסֶה ." "In the fear of God is a powerful stronghold, and for his children, it will be a shelter." The Vilna Gaon explains this by contrasting two concepts of reliance, drawn from Tehillim 118:9 " טוֹב לַחְסוֹת בַּה', מִבְטֹחַ בַּנְּדִיבִים " (It is better to seek refuge in God than to rely on nobles). Defining Bituach vs. Chassayon (Reliance vs. Refuge) The Gaon distinguishes between two forms of seeking help: Bituach (Reliance/Guarantee): This stems from an Havtacha (a guarantee). If someone tells you, "I guarantee I will pay your mortgage," you are relying on their explicit promise. This is a spoken commitment. Chassayon (Refuge/Shelter): This is seeking shelter without a prior conversation or guarantee, like running under a rock when it starts raining ( " צוּר חֶסְיוֹנוֹ " —the rock in which one seeks refuge). You don't need to speak to the rock; you just need shelter. The teaching is that it is always better to seek refuge ( Chassayon ) in God than to rely on the guarantee ( Bituach ) of a human being . Applying the Concepts to the Verse The Gaon connects this distinction directly to the verse from Mishlei: " בִּירְאַת ה׳ מִבטַח עֹז " (In the fear of God is a powerful stronghold): A person who possesses fear of God merits that God will provide a guarantee ( Bituach ) for him to do good. This happened with Avraham Avinu after the Akeidah (Binding of Isaac). God guaranteed him: " כִּי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי יְרֵא אֱלֹקִים אַתָּה " (Now I know you fear God), followed immediately by " כִּי בָרֹךְ אֲבָרֶכְךָ " (Because I will surely bless you). Avraham is the example of this powerful, guaranteed stronghold ( mafte'ach oz ). " וּבָנָיו יִהְיֶה מַחְסֶה " (And for his children, it will be a shelter): His descendants (us) were never directly spoken to by God, so we don't have that personal guarantee. However, because of the merit ( Zechut ) of the Forefather (Avraham) , we merit the ability to seek refuge ( Machaseh ) in God . The Power of Zechut Avot (Ancestral Merit) This is a powerful concept for those who wonder, "How do I know God cares for me if He never guaranteed it?" The answer is that God guaranteed it to your great-grandfather Avraham . We benefit from that historical connection. Rashi confirms this interpretation, emphasizing the word " בְּצֵל זְכוּתֹו " (in the shadow of his merit) . A shadow offers shelter without needing a conversation with the tree that casts it—you simply enter the shade. Rav Nosson Wachtfogel further illustrates this idea using the concept of the Sukkah: The Sukkah is called the "shadow of faith" (Tzel Ne'emanut). After the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), when we are uncertain of our judgment, we run into the Sukkah, which serves as God's shade (Tzel). This echoes the incident with Rebbi (in Bava Metzia 85a ), where a calf about to be slaughtered sought shelter under Rebbi's coat. The Heavenly court ruled against Rebbi for his lack of mercy because the calf sought refuge under his wing . The concept is that when someone seeks shelter in you due to reliance, the Middat HaRachamim (Attribute of Mercy) demands you protect them. This is similar to Lot , who told the Sodomites: " כִּי עַל כֵּן בָּאוּ בְּצֵל קֹרָתִי " (Because they came under the shadow of my roof) —they relied on his protection, obligating him to defend them. Thus, Rashi's precise wording— "shadow of His merit" —teaches that we have an inherent right to seek refuge in that divine shadow, regardless of direct communication.