Faith, or more accurately, trust. It’s so central to Judaism. But what is trust? Is it something some people are blessed with, or can anyone attain it?
These are among the many issues addressed by Rabbeinu Bachya ibn Pekuda in Shaar Habitachon (“Gate of Trust”), a chapter of his Judeo-Arabic Al Hidayah ila Faraid al-Qulub, known in Hebrew as Chovot Halevavot, (“Duties of the Heart”).
The original text, translated into Hebrew by the famed translator Rabbi Judah ibn Tibbon around 1180, can be difficult reading. Yet, the Rebbe would often advise those who turned to him with their struggles to carefully study the book and internalize its lessons.
In 2019, the team at Chayenu, a nonprofit organization that publishes a weekly Hebrew-English Torah study companion, began serializing the text along with classic and chassidic commentaries.
Teaming up with Kehot Publication Society, they turned the weekly installments into one cohesive work, with Kehot adding a crisp, clear new English translation by Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Klein with commentary compiled and translated by Rabbi Itzick Yarmush and “bottom line” takeaways to help guide the reader. The result was the aesthetically beautiful and spiritually satisfying Fellig Edition of Shaar HaBitachon (read a book review here and purchase the book here).
The Chabad.org team is now proud to announce that, in close partnership with Chayenu and Kehot Publication Society, the entire text (with a selection of notes and commentaries) is now available online in an easy-to-study format.
The text was released in advance of 11 Nissan, which marks 120 years since the birth of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory.
“On behalf of our readership, we thank our partners at Chayenu and Kehot Publication Society for sharing this treasure with our readers,” says Rabbi Meir Simcha Kogan, Chabad.org’s director. “They have literally opened up the gates of trust and faith to people all over the world.”
