We're in Tehilim 112, 7: מִשְּׁמוּעָ֣ה רָ֭עָה לֹ֣א יִירָ֑א נָכ֥וֹן לִ֝בּ֗וֹ בָּטֻ֥חַ בַּיהֹוָֽה׃ / From bad news, he's not afraid. His heart is steadfast relying on Hashem. There are two ways to read this pasuk. Each describes a different level of bitachon, based on how to understand a Gemara in Masechet Berachot talks about Hillel. When walking toward his home, Hillel once heard a scream, and said, “ It's not from my house.” Why not? Based on our pasuk, he was not afraid of bad news. The higher level, explains the Gaon of Vilna, is that he was not afraid of bad news because he was so reliant on Hashem that he was convinced for sure that no evil could come upon him. Guaranteed . That's the higher level. The level for most of us is the second approach, brought down by the Shelah HaKadosh and others, which explains the pasuk as follows: מִשְּׁמוּעָ֣ה רָ֭עָה לֹ֣א יִירָ֑א / He's not afraid of bad news means he does hear bad news, but it doesn't scare him. These are the two ways to read this pasuk. Either, I'm not afraid of bad news because I'm not going to hear bad news- I'm only going to hear good news. Or, I'm not afraid of bad news because even when I hear bad news, it doesn't scare me. Both are true. They are two different levels. What does it mean that he hears bad news, and he is not afraid? Someone says, “There was a flood in your basement,” and he’s okay with that. I can handle that. My heart is good. I won’t get frazzled, I’ll rely on Hashem to handle it, whatever it may be. There was a stop order. Bad news? I'm not afraid. It could be a medical issue. Hmm, that doesn't seem right. I'm okay. I'm not scared. Hashem is in charge. I know it's good. I know it's going to work out. I'm not scared of bad news. He says, that's the pshat with Hillel. Hillel says, “ It can't be from my house because no one in my house would scream. We don't react that way to bad news.” This is an important rule from the Shelah Haladosh, in his sefer Asarah Maamarot/ 10 essays, essay 5. He says it's not proper for the Adam Hashalem to react with a scream or a yell. Rather, they should accept it. That's what it means, He's not afraid of bad news. Like Aharon HaKohen , who was silent. Vayidom Aharon. He also quotes a pasuk in Iyov, He sits alone and he's quiet. The Derashot Maharit, from Rav Yosef of Trani (third derush on Parashat Lech Lecha ) cites a Midrash Raba that applies this pasuk to Abraham Avinu. In Bereshit14,14 it says Abraham hears that his brother was captured. That's our pasuk מִשְּׁמוּעָ֣ה רָ֭עָה לֹ֣א יִירָ֑א He’s not afraid. As it says about Abraham in 22,12, “ You fear God. You don't fear anything else.” You're not afraid of bad news. Nachon Libo/His heart is steadfast. We say it every day (Nechemia 9,8) Avraham Avinu’s heart was steadfast. He's not afraid. Hashem tells Avraham (15,1) “ Don't be afraid, Avraham. And eventually he wins the war against the kings. What does that mean? The Maharit takes this same approach. It doesn't mean Avraham Avinu was not afraid of bad news. His nephew was captured. That's bad news. But he knows he'll handle it. He knows it's good . And he says that's what it means when God tells Avraham Avinu after the Akeda, “ Now I know you're a God-fearing man,” because now I know that even when I told you to slaughter your son, it didn't frazzle you. Avraham Avinu kept his cool. He wasn't afraid of that bad news. He rolled with the tide. And now I know that you fear God and you're not afraid of anything else. Nothing's bad to you. You're not afraid of anything. You know you're under the protection of God. And even though it might look bad, and it seems like bad news, he's not afraid. The fear of God picks him up above all of the fears. That's what it means about Avraham Avinu that, “ His heart was steadfast, his heart was loyal at all times.” Good and bad, light and dark, Avraham Avinu kept the same even keeled approach. This is the approachof the Maharit, based on the midrash “ Avraham Avinu was not relying th