²⁵Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all who hope to Hashem.2

³⁴Hope to Hashem and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

³Do not trust in nobles, in a son of man, who has no salvation.1

⁴His spirit leaves, he returns to his earth; on that day his plans are lost.

⁵Fortunate is the one whose help is the G-d of Yaakov, whose hope is in Hashem his G-d.

¹¹Hashem desires those who fear Him, those who hope for His kindness.1

¹⁵Though He slay me, I will hope to Him; but I will argue my ways before Him.2

²⁵Hashem is good to those who hope to Him, to the soul that seeks Him.1

²⁶It is good that one hope, and wait silently, for the salvation of Hashem.

He said to him, “Why all this?” He said to him, “Because you did not engage in [the mitzvah of] having children.” He said to him, “Because I saw through ruach hakodesh that unworthy children would come from me.”

He said to him, “What have you to do with the hidden ways of the Merciful One? What you were commanded, you should have done, and what is pleasing before HaKadosh Baruch Hu, let Him do.”

He said to him, “Then give me your daughter now; perhaps my merit and your merit together will bring it about that worthy children will come from me.” He said to him, “The decree has already been decreed against you.” He said to him, “Son of Amotz, finish your prophecy and go.

This is the tradition I have received from the house of my father’s father: Even if a sharp sword rests on a person’s neck, he should not hold himself back from [praying for] mercy.”

It was also stated: Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Eliezer both said: Even if a sharp sword rests on a person’s neck, he should not hold himself back from [praying for] mercy, as it says, “Though He slay me, I will hope to Him” (Iyov 13:15).

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.

The particular is that he hope to Hashem that He will make his way straight before him according to His mercy and the abundance of His kindness, and save him from what is bad for him, and choose for him what is good and fitting for him; and this, by putting it into his heart to choose the good and reject the bad. For even in the works of his hands and in what he strives for, a person does not know to reject the bad and choose the good without help from G-d. Shlomo said, “There is a way that seems right before a man, but its end is the ways of death” (Mishlei 14:12); and he also said, “A man’s steps are from Hashem; how then can a person understand his way?” (Mishlei 20:24). And let him not despair of hoping to Hashem in all his deeds out of fear of his sins; for the providence of Hashem is always drawn to those who hope to Him by way of kindness, not to those who hope by way of reward. The pasuk says, “Behold, the eye of Hashem is on those who fear Him, on those who hope for His kindness” (Tehillim 33:18), and it makes clear that this is the particular hope; and therefore it joins to it, “to save their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine” (Tehillim 33:19).

And when many and bad troubles find him, let him hold fast to his integrity and take more courage to hope to Hashem. Let him think in his heart, and know and understand, that nothing holds Hashem back from granting his request and doing what he asks; for His ability is without end, and it is in His power to bring him out of trouble into relief according to His mercy and the abundance of His kindness, which are without end. And with this he will hope to Hashem all the more.

The answer to this is: hope for something about which the one who hopes is in doubt whether it will come or not troubles the soul to think thoughts in order to attain it. But hope for something that a person is sure will come, like hoping for the light of morning, does not trouble the soul; rather, it gladdens it, as it pictures the good that is sought and trusts that it will come. In this way a person’s hope to Hashem should be, when he trusts in Him with complete trust that He will fulfill his hope without doubt, since the ability is in His hand and no one can hold back His hand; not like one who hopes for something about which he doubts whether it will come or not. This hope strengthens the heart and gladdens it. The pasuk says, “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all who hope to Hashem” (Tehillim 31:25): hope to Him not only does not weaken the heart, but strengthens it. For one who hopes to Hashem, may He be blessed, when his heart leans and rests on Hashem, the Holy One of Yisrael, in truth, that He will fulfill his request, gains courage, and his strength grows. This is what the pasuk says, “Youths will tire, etc. ... but those who hope to Hashem will renew their strength” (Yeshayahu 40:30–31). That is: even the youths, whose way is not to tire and grow weary, and the young men, whose way is to renew their strength, all of them will stumble, and tire, and grow weary; but those who hope to Hashem will renew their strength and increase their might. And because they increase their might they are able to hope; and because the hope is to Hashem, may He be blessed, who is everlasting, it grows stronger still; so that the two repay one another: hope is the cause of strength, and strength is the cause of hope.

To this the Psalmist alluded, saying, “Hope to Hashem; be strong, and let your heart take courage, etc.” (Tehillim 27:14). He made clear that hope is the cause of strength, and strength is a cause to hope more. And about this hope the prophet warned, saying, “Keep kindness and justice, and hope to your G-d always”; for hope and expectation to Hashem, may He be blessed, is something higher than all the praises with which a person can praise Hashem, may He be blessed. The Psalmist said, “But I will always hope, and I will add to all Your praise” (Tehillim 71:14).