Hishtadlut are one of those fine lines we balance on and we must make sure we do not dip to either side lest we fall. Rabbenu Bachya writes that when one has to asks someone for something "He should consider the ability of the weak to perform it equally to that of the strong and rely on GD may he be exalted for its achievement". We have discussed this idea many times through our journey of Shar Habitachon. When someone does "Too much Hishtadlut" meaning he is trying to force things through natural means H'shem takes His Hashgacha, His Divine interference away form him and he causes more damage then good.
Once, on a Motzoei Shabbos, the chasidim were sitting in the bais medrash of the Ruzhiner Rebbe zy”a for Melave Malka. Suddenly, the Rebbe opened the door of his room next to the bais medrash, stood at the entrance, and said, “The Baal Shem Tov was not a deity, and the zaida, the Magid, was not just an ordinary wagon driver. And once, when the holy Baal Shem Tov prayed, his talis fringe fell out of his gartel and dragged on the floor. The Magid approached, picked it up, and put it back in the gartel, but he was trembled with such tremendous fear that he fainted and his life was in danger. They were compelled to rouse the Baal Shem Tov from his deep dveikus in order to calm him.” He then added, “I told you that the Baal Shem Tov was not a deity and my zaida, the Magid, was no wagon driver. Still and all, when he touched the Besht’s garment, he fainted from fear. The entire world is Hashem’s garment. How much fear must we feel to touch this world!” May the memory of the...
