There is a word in Tanach that describes a person’s ability to think ahead, make plans and find a way to achieve what he wants: tachbulot.
A tachbulah is more than a good idea. It means thinking a few steps ahead, seeing what might help, and figuring out how to get where you want to go.
We find this idea already at the very beginning of the Torah, in Gan Eden.
There were two special trees in Gan Eden: the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Eitz HaDaas) and the Tree of Life (Eitz HaChaim). Hashem commanded Adam HaRishon HaRishon not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. He was not forbidden to eat from the Tree of Life.
The Torah tells us:
"וּמֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע לֹא תֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי בְּיוֹם אֲכָלְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ מוֹת תָּמוּת׃"
"But from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil you shall not eat from it, for on the day that you eat from it, you shall surely die."(Bereishis 2:17)
After Adam HaRishon ate from the Tree of Knowledge, the Torah says:
"וְעַתָּה פֶּן־יִשְׁלַח יָדוֹ וְלָקַח גַּם מֵעֵץ הַחַיִּים וְאָכַל וָחַי לְעֹלָם"
"And now, lest he stretch out his hand and take also from the Tree of Life, and eat and live forever."(Bereishis 3:22)
The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh asks a basic question: If Adam HaRishon was allowed to eat from the Tree of Life, why didn't he do so before? Why did the concern that he might take from it arise only after the sin?
The Ohr HaChaim explains that before the sin, Adam HaRishon did not yet have the awareness that would lead him to think about how to improve his situation and look for ways to achieve it:
"כי הוא מושלל מההכרה והידיעה לבקש תחבולות לעלות ברומי הצלחות גופיות"
Before the sin, he did not yet have the awareness to think of ways to attain greater material success.
After the sin, something changed. He now had a new awareness. He could think about what might benefit him and how he could get it. That raised the possibility that he might also think of taking from the Tree of Life so that he could live forever.
This is the point the Ohr HaChaim is making. He is not only explaining why Adam HaRishon did not eat from the Tree of Life. He is explaining why the thought did not occur to him in the first place. Before the sin, he did not yet have this way of thinking - looking at a situation, figuring out what might help, and then looking for a way to achieve it.
After the sin, the Torah tells us:
"וַיְשַׁלְּחֵהוּ ה' אֱלֹקִים מִגַּן־עֵדֶן... וְאֵת לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת לִשְׁמֹר אֶת־דֶּרֶךְ עֵץ הַחַיִּים"
"And He drove out the man... and the flaming sword that turns in every direction, to guard the way to the Tree of Life." (Bereishis 3:24)
Adam HaRishon left Gan Eden with a new ability: to think ahead, make plans and find ways to accomplish things. But the way to the Tree of Life was now blocked.
The Tree of Knowledge gave man the ability to think about how to get what he wanted. The Tree of Life reminds him that there are things he cannot achieve on his own.
We are expected to use the intelligence Hashem gave us. We have to think, plan and make an effort. But we also have to remember that our abilities, our success and the final outcome are all in Hashem's hands.
And this brings us to war.
Shlomo HaMelech says:
"כִּי בְתַחְבֻּלוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ מִלְחָמָה וּתְשׁוּעָה בְּרֹב יוֹעֵץ"
"For with plans you wage war, and salvation comes through much counsel."
(Mishlei 24:6)
War makes this especially clear.
One side makes a plan. The other side tries to figure it out. One side comes up with a new idea; the other looks for a way to counter it. Every move leads to another move.
In the war we are fighting today, we have seen extraordinary examples of this: intelligence, technology, deception, long-term planning and operations that depended on thinking several steps ahead.
One striking example was the pager operation against Hezbollah in September 2024, followed by the explosions involving its walkie-talkies. Thousands of devices used by Hezbollah exploded in two waves. The operation was widely attributed to Israel, although Israel never officially claimed responsibility.
The details of the operation are not the point here. The point is to see what can be accomplished when intelligence, technology and careful planning are brought together.
But the enemy also plans. It digs tunnels, hides weapons, changes its methods and looks for new ways to surprise us.
That is the reality of war. One move leads to another.
The Torah tells us:"כִּי בְתַחְבֻּלוֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ מִלְחָמָה""For with plans you wage war."
We are supposed to think, plan, seek advice, gather information and prepare. Hashem gave us intelligence and ability, and we are meant to use them. That is hishtadlus.
But hishtadlus does not take away from emunah. We do what we can, while remembering that even the ability to make the effort comes from Hashem. The Torah warns us :
"וְאָמַרְתָּ בִּלְבָבֶךָ כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי עָשָׂה לִי אֶת־הַחַיִל הַזֶּה. וְזָכַרְתָּ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ כִּי הוּא הַנֹּתֵן לְךָ כֹּחַ לַעֲשׂוֹת חָיִל."
"And you may say in your heart: My strength and the might of my hand have made me this wealth. But you shall remember Hashem your G-D, for He is the One who gives you the strength to accomplish."(Devarim 8:17-18)
The Torah is not telling us that we have no strength. It is telling us where that strength comes from.
There is no contradiction between bitachon in Hashem and hishtadlus. We think, plan and act - but we never forget Who gives us the ability to do so.
Shlomo HaMelech says:"רַבּוֹת מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּלֶב־אִישׁ וַעֲצַת ה' הִיא תָקוּם"
"Many are the plans in a person's heart, but Hashem's plan will prevail."
(Mishlei 19:21)
We make plans. We think ahead. We try to work out what will happen next.
But ultimately, Hashem's plan will prevail.
We saw this in a striking way in the recent Flydubai incident. A flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, carrying 174 passengers, was suddenly thrown into danger when an attacker on board became violent. The captain was injured, the aircraft rapidly lost altitude, and passengers and crew had to act quickly to restrain the attacker. The plane was diverted and made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
There was extraordinary human effort and quick thinking. People did what they could. But an event like this also reminds us of the limits of human control. We can plan, react and make every effort - but ultimately, the outcome is in Hashem's hands.
That is how Klal Yisrael has to live as well.
We cannot rely on miracles and use that as an excuse not to make an effort. We have to build, plan, defend, research, develop, think and act. We have to use every ability Hashem has given us.
But we must never forget where those abilities come from.
We make our plans and do our hishtadlus. But ultimately, Hashem's plan always prevails.
This brings us back to the two trees in Gan Eden: the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Eitz HaDaas) and the Tree of Life (Eitz HaChaim).
Eitz HaDaas gave man the ability to think, plan and look for ways to achieve what he wanted. That ability is part of our responsibility in this world. We are not meant to sit back. We are meant to use our minds and make the effort.
But Eitz HaChaim teaches us something deeper: knowing how to find a way is not the same as knowing where life comes from.
Life itself is a gift from Hashem. Our intelligence, our strength, our resourcefulness and everything we accomplish are also gifts from Him.
The way to Eitz HaChaim was blocked, but its message remains.
We make our plans. We make our hishtadlus. But Hashem's plan always prevails.
The ability to find a way is our hishtadlus.
The ability to make the effort comes from Hashem.
And success is through siyata diShmaya.