On recent flights from Los Angeles, I had good reason to believe that there was a pilot flying the plane, despite the fact that I didn’t see them. Sure, the plane could have been self-flying, but I was confident in my belief that there was a person flying the plane.
As the flight continued, I observed that on the screen in front of me, I could watch a series of interactive maps about my flight. Among the things that I could see was our altitude, current location, and the adjusted time of arrival. Flying back to New York late in the day, I was thrilled that we were due to land over an hour early, and I watched our flight heading the right way for that to happen. As we flew, the projected arrival time got later, and we were no longer heading directly toward JFK. While in theory, if I was interested in getting arrested or worse, I could have tried to burst into the cockpit and demand of the pilot that they get back on course, or explain themselves, but I trusted that there must be a good reason for the delay.
Believing that our world has a “pilot” is part of what it means to have emunah. Trusting that the pilot knows what they are doing, and are doing it for some purpose, even when I don’t understand how that is true, is what it means to have bitachon. I find it easier to have emunah, because, in many situations, it’s conceptual. Having bitachon that Hashem is doing things for a purpose, even when my brain is screaming that it is painful and unfair, is a much bigger challenge for me.
