In G-d we trust.
It’s a line easy to take for granted. Perhaps you’ve never given it much thought. But to the Rebbe, the fact that our currency displays this phrase, and that this was adopted as the national motto, are things of of great importance. He saw this theme as the foundation of America and the source for so many of her blessings.
What is trust? How is it different that regular belief?
I remember the time I first heard of a “trust fall”. (A trust fall is a trust-building game conducted as a group exercise in which a person deliberately allows themself to fall backwards, relying on the other members of the group to catch the person) It was in summer camp and our bunk was spending the afternoon doing a ropes course. While we had all taken part in each of the other activities on the ropes course, we were all afraid to do the trust fall. One by one, all the campers in the bunk stood up...only to back down when standing on the high platform.
Yes, we were good friends. Yes, we knew the rest of the bunk was down below waiting. Yes, we knew that the others were quite capable at “catching us.” But no, we were not ready to rely on that…
In this talk, the Rebbe explains a similar idea regarding our relationship with G-d. “Believing” in G-d is one thing, trusting is something else. Trusting means a recognition of a G-d that not only created the world but continues to direct it at any moment. Trusting means a relationship with G-d that affects our behavior down to the smallest detail. Trusting means internalizing our belief to the extent that it is part and parcel of who we are. Trusting is when "what G-d wants" becomes our own reality and the Torah is where we turn for direction when facing a question on how to proceed. Developing this level of trust is a life's journey.
Something to think about next time we pull out that dollar bill and see those words…