Hope is of three kinds. The first is the hope of kindness: that he hope to Hashem, may He be blessed, that He will save him out of kindness alone, not because of any obligation at all. The second is the hope of honor: that he hope to Him that He will save him because He is accustomed to save him, and if He does not save him now too, it would be a slight to His honor; for when a master who is accustomed to save his servant does not save him in his time of trouble, those who see it will say it is because the master’s ability has weakened. The third is the hope of the promise, which is the hope of truth: that he hope to Him that He will make His words true, because He promised him so.

The hope of kindness is the most praiseworthy of them all; only, the one who hopes is not so confident that he will be given, as he wishes, all that his soul asks. For since he judges himself not to be on the level for kindness to be done with him freely, he thinks that the Master will not want to grant his request; and because of this he does not hope as he should. Had he hoped as he should, the kindness would not have been withheld on the part of Hashem, may He be blessed, for He always wishes to bestow good on one who hopes as he should. The pasuk says, “Hashem desires those who fear Him, those who hope for His kindness” (Tehillim 147:11). From this it is clear that what holds back the coming of the kindness is when the hope is not as it should be.