The parashah begins with the mitzvah of (8:2) ה ַנֵּרֹת אֶת ָבְּהַע ֲלֹתְך, "When you light the lamps [of the menorah]..." The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabba 15:6) says that the following pasuk in Tehillim is related to this pasuk. It states (Tehillim 34:10) לִירֵאָיו מַח ְסוֹר אֵין כִּי ק ְדֹשָׁיו 'ה אֶת יְראוּ, "Fear Hashem, His holy ones; for there is no lacking to those who fear Him."
What is the connection between these two pesukim?
The Tiferes Shmuel (Alexander) zt'l answers this question with the Gemara (Shabbos 22b), which tells us a wonder of the menorah. Its המערבי נר, western lamp, had the same amount of oil as all the other six lamps, but it burned much longer. All the lamps burned out by the morning, while the מערבי נר remained lit until the afternoon. The Tiferes Shmuel suggests that we can learn a lesson in parnassah from the western lamp. We discover that if Hashem desires it, one can employ the same level of effort as others do and yet earn so much more. A person thinks that he has to put in a lot of effort to earn a living or to become wealthy. The menorah teaches us that hishtadlus isn't the primary factor that makes the difference; rather, it all depends on Hashem's blessings. Two people can perform the same level of hishtadlus, and one becomes far more successful than the other. Why? It is because this is Hashem's will. This was seen with the lamps of the menorah. They had the same amount of oil, but when it was Hashem's will, one lamp remained lit, far longer than the others.
The Tiferes Shmuel explains that when one knows this, he will fear Hashem. The Tiferes Shmuel gives an example of a person who comes to the beis medresh to daven, and sees that there isn't yet a minyan, so he davens by himself, b'yechidus. He doesn't want to wait until there is a minyan because he fears that he will have less time to work. But when one knows that Hashem gives parnassah, it will be easier for him to fear Hashem and do as he should.
Therefore, the Midrash says ק ְדֹשָׁיו 'ה אֶת יְראוּ we should fear Hashem, and we shouldn't overdo the hishtadlus, because מַח ְסוֹר אֵין כִּי לִירֵאָיו, nothing will be lacking. You will have everything you need.
Reb Avraham Elimelech of Karlin zy'a repeated a story that his father-in-law, Reb Mordechai Yosef of Zlatapoli zy'a told. It was about a renowned, wealthy person in Russia. He dealt with a business broker who advised him on where to invest his money. This rich person had a custom of eating a lavish meal every day, at noon. He partook in many dishes, and the meal took a long time. No one, and nothing, could disturb him during his meal.
Once the broker came to him at lunchtime to discuss an excellent business opportunity worth millions. But it was lunchtime, and it was impossible to speak to him. The wealthy man wouldn’t listen to a single word. The broker tried to draw his interest, but the rich person's mind was on his plate. A quarter hour later, the broker tried again to get his attention, but the wealthy man wouldn’t even acknowledge his presence. The broker said, "An opportunity like this one comes up once in many years. Maybe you should rush your meal a drop, before someone else grabs it?" But this didn't convince the wealthy person to shorten his meal. When he finally finished eating, it was too late. They heard that someone grabbed the business opportunity. It was no longer available.
The broker was overwhelmed with disappointment. He shouted at his client, "How did you allow yourself to lose this business deal?" The wealthy man replied, "Didn’t you see that I was in the middle of my lunch?" The broker replied, "You are no fool. For a piece of meat, was it worth losing millions?" The wealthy man replied, "The reason I work, the goal of my wealth, is so that I can enjoy a good meal in the afternoon, every day. So, when I sit down to a meal, the meat is before me. Why should I interrupt my meal to conduct business, so that I can earn meat? I am living the goal now; why would I stop to earn more money?"
The Rebbe taught an essential lesson from this story: The purpose of parnassah is so we can invest our minds and energy in Torah and tefillah. So, when one is in the midst of Torah and tefillah, does it make sense to interrupt to conduct business? Does it make sense to break your לתורה עיתים קביעת for parnassah? He does "business" and works, only so that he can focus on these moments of Torah and tefillah with yishuv hadaas. Does it make sense to interrupt these times to earn more money?
Reb Eliezer Pressman zt'l from Bnei Brak was a tremendous talmid chacham and tzaddik. He was niftar a few years ago. Throughout his entire life, his place was in the beis medresh, where he learned Torah. A wondrous story is told about him; the type of story that is said about tzaddikim from past generations. One day, the phone rang in his home, and his rebbetzin answered it. On the line was the American Embassy of Tel Aviv. They informed her that her husband's parents had passed away, leaving behind a substantial inheritance. Reb Eliezer is the sole inheritor. He would need to come down to the embassy to sign a document, and then the large inheritance will be his. One signature is all that's required, and it will be taken care of.
The rebbetzin asked her husband, Reb Eliezer, what he thinks about this, and to her surprise, he answered, "In Tel Aviv, there are many challenges with shemiras einayim. I will not go there, not even to collect a large yerushah."
After hearing her husband's decision, she called back the embassy and told them that her husband is "very religious" and couldn't go to the embassy. She asked, "Is there any way we can receive the inheritance without signing the document?" They told her that this was impossible. She asked, "Perhaps the embassy can send someone to us, so my husband can sign?" she asked. They told her that this, too, is impossible. She also heard some people laughing in the background. They found her temimusdige suggestion humorous.
Now let us see what Hakadosh Baruch Hu did. A few days afterwards, someone from the embassy called her up again. This time, they had a request. A delegation of senators from the United States was coming to visit Eretz Yisrael, and they wanted to meet every type of resident living in Eretz Yisrael. Therefore, they want to meet a "very religious" Jew as well. The people in the embassy didn't know anyone from the very religious community, but then they remembered that this woman had told them her husband was "very religious." They asked her whether her husband could meet with the senators, as a sample of the "very religious" Jews in Eretz Yisrael.
She asked whether the Israeli ambassador would also be at the meeting, and they told her that he would. She asked, "Can be bring along the document of the inheritance, so my husband can sign it?" Once again, they said yes; they would arrange it.
She asked her husband for his opinion, and Reb Eliezer agreed to the meeting, as long as it would be bein hasedarim, at a time when he was at home, so as not to cause any bitul Torah.
The delegation arrived at their humble home at the time designated, accompanied by the ambassador who brought the document for him to sign. They also issued him a passport at that time.
When the senators left his home, the people from the embassy told Reb Eliezer, "We want you to know that even if you were the son of the president of the United States, we wouldn't bring the documents to your home. We did something totally out of the ordinary. We never did this for anyone else."
It was as Chazal say, "Whoever accepts the yoke of heaven, the yoke of malchus is taken off of him." And Chazal say, "When one wants to be pure, Heaven helps him." And Chazal say, "the entire world was created to help the person who has yiras Shamayim." Hashem arranged everything for this man who guarded his eyes. Hashem sent a delegation of senators to Eretz Yisrael, all so that Reb Eliezer would be able to sign the document and receive his inheritance. The rebbetzin's request that the ambassador come to them, which at first sounded like a great joke, ultimately came to pass.
