Of this Shlomo, alav hashalom, said, “In all your ways know Him” (Mishlei 3:6); that is, in every way and every action you do, remember Him, and consider in your thoughts that you have no strength or ability in that action, and its doing is not given over to you, but is in the hand of Hashem, may He be blessed. This is a very weighty matter, to bring the pure intent into one’s heart, so that the remembrance of the fear of Heaven will not leave the heart even for a moment.

For when he remembers Hashem, may He be blessed, and lifts his eyes to Him in a great undertaking, such as setting out to sea or with a caravan, but does not conduct himself this way in a small undertaking, even when he needs to go to a nearby place or within the city itself, he falls short in the measure of [His] service; for he should have considered that harm could come to him [even] in a nearby place, were it not that His protection, may He be blessed, rests upon him.

And if perhaps he does not succeed in the deed he wishes to do, and it does not come about, whether it is great or small, while he trusts in Him always and the middah of bitachon does not leave him, surely the reward of bitachon that he will have turns into a benefit far greater than the benefit of that deed. And if he does succeed in it and it comes about, surely he merits both, and both are equally good. This is what is written, “In all your ways know Him,” whether it is work of his own choosing or work of a mitzvah; “and He will make your paths straight”: that is, besides the reward of bitachon, which is great beyond the heavens, you will also succeed in that deed in which you remembered Hashem, may He be blessed, and it will come about for you.

And because this pasuk, “In all your ways know Him,” is founded on this middah, the middah of bitachon, Chazal said in Perek HaRoeh (Berachos 63a): Bar Kappara expounded: Which is a small passage on which all the essentials of the Torah depend? “In all your ways know Him.” Rava said: Even for a matter of sin. Know that this is so, for people say: The thief at the mouth of the tunnel calls out to the Merciful One.

One may further explain “In all your ways know Him”: let all your deeds be for the sake of Heaven, and do not seek from the world pleasure, enjoyment, honor and wealth, but only to attain the service of Hashem, may He be blessed. “And He will make your paths straight”: besides the great reward that will come to you from this middah, the deed will succeed when you do it for the sake of Heaven. This is what Chazal warned (Avos, ch. 2): “And let all your deeds be for the sake of Heaven.”

And one may further explain “In all your ways know Him”: in the press of your work, do not forget to keep in mind the yoke of Heaven, the fear of Him and His exaltedness, may He be blessed; “and He will make your paths straight”: through this your work will prosper in your hand. This is what Chazal said: Because they were chassidim, their Torah was preserved and their work was blessed.