RECOGNIZING THE SOURCE
The students of Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai asked him, “When the Yidden were in the midbar, why didn’t HaShem make enough mann come down once a year to last for a full year?”
Rebbi Shimon answered this with a mashal: A king had an only son whom he provided with all his needs once a year. However, he became dissatisfied with this arrangement, for the prince would visit only once a year to receive his funds. The king therefore decided to give him his allowance day by day, so that he would have to visit him every day. So too, a Yid living in the midbar who had a number of children would worry and say, “Perhaps the mann will stop coming tomorrow and we will all die of hunger!" He then had no choice but to trust fully that HaShem would provide him with all his needs.
(יומא עו ע"א)
Though Reb Menachem Mendel of Kotzk rarely agreed to accept money, he usually did accept support from one wealthy and scholarly chossid. However, one day this chossid was distressed to find that the tzaddik refused even his accustomed gift. Asking the Rebbe for his reason, he was told: "Every livelihood has a cause activated by HaShem, Who sometimes removes the cause to test whether the person places his trust in the cause – or in HaShem, Who brings about the cause. If the man had placed his trust in the cause, thinking that his livelihood depended on it, then when the cause is removed, his parnasa is cut off. If, however, he had placed his trust in HaShem, then another cause is provided and his livelihood continues.
"In my case," Reb Menachem Mendel explained, "your support has been the cause of my income. If HaShem should want to test me and remove my cause, you will become poor and thus be unable to support me. I would therefore prefer to remove the cause."
The chossid insisted that he nevertheless would like to continue, even if he became poor as a result. After repeatedly declining his request many times, the tzaddik finally agreed to accept his gifts as he had done before. That same year, the chossid lost his wealth and was forced to seek other employment in order to support his family.
(סיפורי חסידים זוין תורה ע' 505)
RELYING ON HASHEM
Returning home from cheder, on his way to his father's room, the Mitteler Rebbe saw Reb Shmuel Munkes among other chassidim and ran towards them. Listening to their conversation, he heard Reb Shmuel ask two wealthy chassidim why they looked so downcast, to which they responded that they were experiencing hardships in their parnasa.
The young boy was surprised at the question, and claimed that this kind of worry is clearly described in Tehillim. He quoted the possuk, atzabeihem kesef v'zahav ma'asei yedei adam, whose simple meaning is that the idols which goyim worship are made of silver and gold, fashioned by hand. However, he went on to interpret it to mean that people are sad (atzeiv) because they think their silver and gold depend on the work of their own hands.
The young Mitteler Rebbe continued, "Businessmen can be so foolish as to think that the quicker they hurry to bring merchandise from the fairs and do more business, the more money they will accumulate. As a result of this blindness (and he continued to quote that passage), peh lahem velo yedabeiru – though they have mouths and repeat words of Chassidus, those words don't really speak to them; einayim lahem v'lo yir'u – they have eyes, but do not recognize Hashgacha Pratis; oznayim lahem v'lo ya'azinu – they have ears, but only hear chitzoniyus, mere superficialities; and therefore af lahem v'lo yerichun – they have no sense of smell: they become insensitive to ruchniyus."
The Mitteler Rebbe concluded, "And eventually they themselves become avoda zara...."
(לקוטי דיבורים ח"א ע' 340)
A simple Yid once traveled to spend Shabbos in the court of Reb Mordechai of Chernobyl. When he asked for a bracha before departing, the tzaddik asked him about his daily routine, and the Yid told him how he rose early to buy merchandise from the local farmers and returned home to daven when he finished. The Rebbe condemned this conduct, but the Yid excused himself by saying that if he davened first, he would be unable to buy the merchandise. Reb Mordechai then told him the following story:
"A yungerman was supported by his father-in-law, but when his family grew and he was forced to find additional means of support, he left home and worked as a melamed for three years, saving every coin he earned. Finally, having collected enough to start a business, he decided to make the long trek home. On erev Shabbos he reached a little village near his hometown, where he realized that he would not be able to reach home in time. He decided to stay at a wayside inn, but was afraid to leave the money in his bag lest someone steal it. On the other hand, he didn't know if he could trust the innkeeper with it. Having no other choice, he gave it to him to hold for him. Throughout the entire Shabbos he worried about his money, and immediately after Havdala requested it back. Upon receiving his wallet, he counted all the gold coins and was happy to find that nothing was missing – but then continued to shake the coins and look through them.
" 'What are you looking for?' the innkeeper asked. 'Is something missing?'
"The guest explained that he wanted to make sure that his one copper coin was there as well..."
Reb Mordechai concluded, "Look at this silly fellow! After seeing that all his golden coins were returned to him, he still suspected his host of perhaps stealing one copper coin.... And you are doing the same. Every night you entrust HaShem with your neshama, and when you wake up in the morning, He returns the gold you have given Him. So how is it that you don't trust that He will give you your parnasa if you wait until after davening...?"
(אדמו"רי צ'רנוביל ר"ה)
CONSIDER
Why does HaShem create difficulties in one's parnassa?
Why is bitachon so essential to the service of HaShem and the ways of Chassidus?
