Shemitah and Bitachon
It states at the beginning of this week's parashah (25:3-4), השביעית ובשנה...שדך תזרע שנים שש לארץ יהיה שבתון שבת, "For six years you may sow your field...but the seventh year shall be a complete rest for the land..." This refers to the mitzvah of Shemitah. Once every seven years, the agriculture industry in Eretz Yisrael comes to a complete halt. The Chinuch (mitzvah 84) explains that the purpose of this mitzvah is to remind us that Hashem created the world in six days and rested on the seventh.
Shemitah also teaches us that parnassah is from Hashem, and not from our toil and labor. How else could the millions of people in Eretz Yisrael survive if all the fields were barren for an entire year?
The Torah addresses this predicament. (25:20) ולא נזרע לא הן ,השביעת בשנה נאכל מה תאמרו וכי תבואתינו את נאסף, "If you will say: What shall we eat in the seventh year? Behold, we will not sow and not gather in our crops!" Hashem answers, בשנה לכם ברכתי את וצויתי השנים לשלש התבואה את ועשת השישית, "I will command My blessings for you in the sixth year, and the crops will be sufficient for three years." In other words, Hashem replies that parnassah comes from Hashem, not from the work of our hands. Therefore, there is no reason to worry. Hashem has many ways to support us.
Story of the Melamed and the Hotelier
Chassidim spent an inspirational Shabbos with Rebbe Mordechai of Chernobyl zt'l, and as they traveled home, they reviewed the divrei Torah they heard. "We never had such a good Shabbos," they said. An ignorant chassid nodded his head in agreement. "You’re right. I never had such an inspirational trip like this one."
The chassidim wondered what he meant because they knew he couldn't follow the Rebbe's deep divrei Torah. He told them about a conversation he had with the Rebbe. "The Rebbe asked me to tell him my seder hayom (daily schedule). I told the Rebbe that the first thing I do daily is go to the marketplace. When I finish my business, I go to shul to daven. Rebbe Mordechai told me that it isn't proper to do so. He said that a Yid should begin his day with tefillah. I responded that I would lose too much business, since most business is done early in the morning. In response, he told me the following story:
"There was a melamed who was looking for children whom he could teach Torah, and earn an income. He couldn’t find any children to teach near his home. The only position he found was to teach the children of a wealthy man who lived in a far-off land.
"He went there. After half a year, he put all the money he earned – 300 silver rubles and 80 groshen —into his pouch, and guarding his pouch very closely, set out on his long journey home.
"Friday arrived, and he was still on the road, so he stopped at an inn for Shabbos. What should he do with the money? A half-year's worth of wages is not something to take lightly. He was tempted to keep the cash on him throughout Shabbos, but his yiras Shamayim didn't permit him to do so. With a quaking heart, he entrusted his money with the hotelier. He didn't know if the hotelier was honest. If he weren't, a half-year's work far from home would be for naught.
The entire Shabbos he wondered whether he did the right thing, and if he would ever see his money again.
"Immediately after Shabbos, he asked the hotelier for his pouch and breathed a sigh of relief when the hotelier handed him the pouch.
"But there was still a possibility that the hotelier kept some coins. So, he sat down at a table in the dining hall and began counting the money. He started with the rubles. He stacked them on a table and counted out exactly three hundred silver rubles, the amount that should be there. Then he began counting the copper groshen.
"Someone saw him counting the groshen and shook his head in disapproval. This man explained, 'If the hotelier is dishonest, he would have stolen silver rubles. If he didn't, you can be certain he didn't steal your copper groshen either.'
"Rebbe Mordechai Chernobyler concluded, 'Every morning, Hashem returns your neshamah to you. You see that Hashem is taking care of you. He cares for your life, your health, and all your needs. If He takes such good care of your health and life, you can be certain He will supply you with parnassah as well. There is nothing to fear. Daven early in the morning and then go about your business. Hashem will support you in this way, too.'"
The chassidim listened to this story in astonishment and agreed that he had an even better Shabbos than they had.
Rebbe Shlomke of Zvhil and Bitachon
Rebbe Shlomke of Zvhil zt’l got married at the age of fourteen. Every day, his rebbetzin would go to her father-in-law, Rebbe Mordechai of Zvhil, and he would give her some money to buy whatever they needed. One day, Rebbe Shlomke told his wife, "We know, and we believe that our parnassah comes from Hashem, not my father. Therefore, I decided to stop taking our daily allowance from my father. Let's trust in Hashem, and Hashem will support us."
A few days passed, and there was no food in the home.
Rebbe Shlomke told his wife, "Perhaps I was wrong not to accept help from my father. Hashem chose to support us through my father, so who am I to say I want my parnassah to come in a different way?"
So she went to her father-in-law for some money. He said, "I noticed you weren't here for a few days, so take a silver ruble this time."
Later that day, two wealthy chassidim visited Rebbe Mordechai of Zvhil. Afterwards, they went to Rebbe Shlomke's home, as well, to wish him mazal tov on his recent chasunah. While they spoke with him, one of them took out a silver ruble and played with it. Rebbe Shlomke understood he planned to give him the ruble as a chasunah gift. But when they finished their conversation, the man forgot he wanted to give the gift and returned the coin to his pocket.
Rebbe Shlomke understood that if he hadn't taken money from his father, he would have received that same silver ruble from the wealthy chassid. He realized Hashem sent him a lesson that He would indeed support them, even if he didn't go to his father for the allowance. Parnassah comes from Hashem, and Hashem has many ways to help us.
