BY REB HERSHY FEUERWERKER
This week's parsha begins with incredible blessings for abundance and success as a result of listening to Hashem. Much later in the parsha, the Torah warns us not to fall into the trap of thinking that our successes were our own doing, and reminds us that it’s Hashem who gives us the power to earn money, amass wealth, and create an empire.
We as Jews are required to have bitachon and feel secure that our parnassah comes from Hashem and only through His blessings. If so, one can ask, why do we need to do any hishtadlus for work at all, since everything comes from Hashem? Really, both are true. On one hand everything comes only from Hashem, and on the other, Hashem commands us to work. As is stated in many different places: “I will bless you in everything that you do”, which implies we need to do something to make it happen. As well as the curse that Hashem gave Adam after the sin: “With the sweat and toil of your brow you shall eat bread”, which again implies us having to take some action and toil to receive parnassah. So how exactly does this work, working and putting in our efforts, yet knowing and relying only on Hashem for results?
Reb Nosson of Breslov zt”l explains this beautifully, as follows. The main purpose of business is in order to gather and elevate fallen sparks of holiness which descended to the evil forces during the shattering of vessels, which occurred before creation. As is known from the Arizal’s writings, this can only be accomplished through man. Therefore we each need to do something for parnassah in order to collect all the sparks, and draw down parnassah. One’s parnassah drawn down and clarified by two types of klippos [husks] which come from two types of kefira [heresy].
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov zt”l teaches that since Hashem’s light is ein sof [an endless infinite light], therefore, when Hashem wanted to create the world, He created what’s referred to as chalal hapanui [a vacated empty space] which appears as if there exists no G-dliness in there, in order that there should be the possibility of creation of this world with the existence of free will.
This, in turn, created the possibility for kefira. Now there are questions which cannot always be answered in this world, and one needs to rely solely on faith. There is a second type of kefira which resulted from the shattering of vessels, but the questions that result from this type of heresy have answers.
In order to clarify and elevate the klippos generated by the shattered vessels, man needs to take action and do something for parnassah, because it is all rectified by his business dealings. However, the clarification of the vacated space is not dependent upon man’s actions. In fact, no matter how much effort we put input, we can’t rectify that part. Only through our trust in Hashem with full faith does, Hashem sustains us in His mercy.
This is what the Torah is teaching us in this week's parsha, “Perhaps you will eat and be satisfied, etc... and you will say my own power and strength brought this fortune to me. You should remember Hashem, for He’s the One who gives your strength to build an empire”. The targum translates this, “He gives you the advice to buy treasures”. For all the profits of our business endeavors and accumulation of wealth is only through the ideas that Hashem puts in our head. What to buy, what to sell, when to buy, when to sell, we don’t know what items will bring profit.
Therefore, our best bet is beseeching Hashem to put into one’s heart what to deal with, and what business to go into. This is totally dependent on pure emunah and bitachon in Hashem to give us the right idea so we can earn a profit. This will come directly from Hashem and not from any business consultants or advisors. This is also not dependent on any action of the person yet. Only after one invests, and one knows what to deal with, is when one needs to start taking action and doing business.
So the part of deciding on what business to get into, is the clarification of the vacated space, and therefore purely dependent on emunah. The part of taking the action and actually doing hishtadlus is the clarification of the broken vessels, which as described above is totally dependent upon man.
Now the Torah sternly warns us against mistakenly thinking, since I need to do something for parnassah and make hishtadlus, it’s all my doing. I am so smart and have such great business ideas, I know what businesses to go into, and therefore I will be successful. To this the Torah guides us, “For it is He who gives it to you” as targum translates it, Hashem is the one putting the right ideas in your head and that’s behind all your success. And since that’s the case, Hashem can also give you everything without any of your own hishtadlus, He just want us to physically do something in order to elevate and clarify all those sparks that came from breaking of the vessels, but at the end of the day, everything is solely from Hashem.
