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Daily BitachonDaily Bitachon Podcast - Daily Bitachon By Rabbi David Sutton Author: Rabbi David Sutton
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32 Daily Dose of Gratitude
Tuesday, 20 January, 2026
Daily Bitachon: The Roots and Foundations of the World Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We are currently in Chovot HaLevavot , the fourth chapter of Sha'ar HaBechina , where Rabbeinu Bachya analyzes seven areas where Hashem's wisdom is revealed. The first area he explores is what he calls the "roots and foundations" of the world. Deep down, there are fundamental structures that hold our world together. The Generator at the Core As we know, the Earth has a core with many layers. Let's look at the depths of the Earth, where there is a liquid outer core of flowing iron and nickel surrounding a solid inner core. The movement of this liquid metal acts like a massive spinning electric generator, creating a strong magnetic field around our planet. Why is this important? This field deflects harmful radiation and charged particles from the sun, preventing them from stripping away our atmosphere or harming living things on the surface. Right aroundour world, Hashem placed a powerful shield. The Moving Crust Furthermore, the Earth's outermost layer—the crust where we live—is broken into large pieces called tectonic plates . These pieces float on a softer, putty-like mantle below. It is interesting how often we assume things are one solid piece when they are actually not. We've spoken before about the human skull; it looks solid, but it's actually made of many pieces that slowly solder together after birth. In the same way, God made the world with separate plates. The intense heat from the core causes slow-moving currents, which keep these plates drifting. Now, why is this movement necessary? Pressure Valves: Earthquakes and Volcanoes We often think of earthquakes and volcanoes as simple disasters, but they serve a vital purpose. Earthquakes are the way the planet releases the immense stress built up from the movement of the plates, preventing the Earth's crust from tearing apart uncontrollably. Volcanoes act like a pressure valve, releasing internal heat, gas, and magma. Think of a pressure cooker with that little valve on the lid—you see the steam escaping to relieve the pressure so the pot doesn't explode. That is our core: a solid center, a bubbling outer core, a putty-like mantle, and the crust on top. The Balance of the Elements Next, the Chovot HaLevavot tells us to pay attention to the perfect arrangement: the Earth is in the middle, the water is above it, the air is above that, and the heat is above that. Everything exists in exact measurement and balance. Each element stays in its assigned place and follows its boundaries. As it says in Iyov , Hashem told the elements: "Until here you shall come, and no further" ( ואמר עד פה תבוא ולא תסיף ). The Force of Gravity Where does this stability come from? It comes from good old gravity , which holds everything down and creates the necessary pressure and density in our air and water. We know that when you go higher up—to the mountains in Vail, for example—there is less oxygen. You can compare this to a stack of acrobats: the person at the very bottom feels the most weight. Because gravity pulls the air down, the air near the surface is denser and contains the oxygen we need to breathe. The key force driving all of this is gravity, and B'ezrat Hashem , we will return to the wonders of gravity in our next segment.
