Therefore, one must strengthen his emunah so that he fully believes that everything in life comes directly from Hashem. Rav Eliyahu Desler zt”l (Michtav M’Eliyahu, Chelek 1) expounds on this and writes:
When we see someone succeeding in business, we automatically start thinking of reasons for his success. We saw that he knows how to do business well or that he is very intelligent, etc. When we see an army win a battle, we automatically say that they must have excellent soldiers and machinery. We think that they must have expert generals, high-quality guns, tanks, and planes, etc. However, the pasuk says (Koheles 9:11) that “wise men do not get bread, smart men do not get wealth, and strong men do not get victory in war.” A person cannot do anything on his own. Rather, everything is decreed by Hashem.
Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to increase our emunah and to recognize that the only true source of success is Hashem, and He decides who will be smart and who will be strong.
