Upon several occasions, Rabbenu would quote the words of Rabbenu Bachye in the beginning of Parshas Beshalach where he says in the name of Rabbenu Chananel that the reason why Hashem led the Jews through the desert in their exodus from Egypt was in order to perform for them many miracles and wonders. Actually, "it was a total test designed to cultivate their souls and intellect in increasing levels of bitachon, the very root of emunah, so that they be fit to receive the Torah."
He concludes his wonderful words with a basic statement: "The attribute of bitachon is an ikkar godol and the fundamental underpinning for Torah and mitzvos."
And this is what Maran expands upon regarding this principle:
"A man can profess that he believes but if he does not possess solid trust, it is not enough. In order to receive the Torah, one must reach the level of bitachon, reliance on Hashem. Without this, simple faith is wobbly. A person can profess to believe that Hashem created the world and supervises every individual, but if he has a business and a competitor comes along and sets up his business nearby, he is put to a test. Will he not do everything in his power to thwart him? Where then is his full trust in Hashem? It is weak and flimsy to the point of his seeking to do evil to the competitor and to speak ill of him.
"A large portion of character failing stems from a lack of bitachon. If so, it is important that we strengthen ourselves in these times in this particular area.
"We must realize that the path to real growth is being a genuine ben Torah, through firm bitachon. The Gaon of Vilna had no source of income. His community allotted him a small stipend which the shammash was supposed to give him. For a long period, the latter kept the money for himself. During the period when the Gaon had literally nothing to eat, he would tell his wife to go to a neighbor at mealtime, for they would surely feed her and the children. Indeed, he was rewarded with immense measures of Torah knowledge through exercising his firm bitachon, even when he didn't even have `bread and salt'. None of us can hope to attain such a level but we can surely increase our own level of trust in Hashem so as to grow accordingly in Torah understanding and in yiras Shomayim.
"Many people worry about what will be in the future, in the next year and the one after, even if today, he has what to eat. Rabbenu Bachye wrote that bitachon, trust, is the root of emunah, faith, the values which make us worthy of receiving the Torah — not only what the Jewish people received at Har Sinai, and this applies to all generations."
("Yimalei Pi Tehiloseicha", p. 453, Shvat 5764).
