The Gemara (Kesubos 59:) states, מביאה הבטלה שעמום לידי, idleness leads to insanity. It is good to be busy. When one doesn't have what to do, it leads to insanity, depression, and aveiros r'l. The Chasam Sofer zt'l (Toras Moshe, Toldos) writes that this is the reason people lack things. Everyone has problems; no one is exempt. Hashem planned it that way for their benefit. It gives them a reason to get up in the morning and to have a challenge to overcome. The Chasam Sofer writes, "Whoever has everything he desires, every day, without any problems, he will become disgusted with his life. There was a story that happened in our time where a person committed suicide, and in his suicide note, he wrote that he committed suicide because he had a perfect life with all the desires of his heart. He became disgusted with his life and killed himself. Indeed, this is the reason Hakadosh Baruch Hu created people with worries and frustrations with the hope that things will improve. There are ups and downs. Men buy and sell; sometimes, they earn a profit, and sometimes, they suffer a loss. They don't have peace in their heart. They are always tired, working hard, yet this is the root of their chiyus."
The Chasam Sofer says that this is the meaning of the Mishnah (Avos 4:22) אתה כרחך על חי, which can be translated as “you live from those matters that are כרחך על, against your will. It sounds strange, but it is the truth. Your interest and excitement in life come precisely from the problems.
Yitzchak Avinu gave Eisav a brachah for material success. He said (Bereishis 27:39) הנה מושבך יהיה הארץ משמני ומטל השמים מעל, "Behold, your dwelling place shall be the fat places of the earth and the dew of the heaven from above." But in reality, this brachah would be like a curse for Eisav because Eisav would have everything, giving him no purpose in life. Therefore, Yitzchak added תחיה חרבך ועל, "You shall live by your sword." Chasam Sofer explains that this means he will constantly be battling with his problems and worries, and from this תחיה, he will live. His problems will give him a reason to live.
The Jewish nation, however, doesn't need Eisav’s challenges. We have struggles and purpose from avodas Hashem, as it states ובחרת בחיים, choose life [by choosing to perform the mitzvos]. Therefore, when Hashem gives blessings to Bnei Yisrael, Hashem says (Vayikra 26:4, 6) ונתתי גשמיכם בעתם ... והשיג לכם דיש את בציר ... ונתתי שלום בארץ וחרב לא תעבור בארצכם, "I will give your rains in their time, the land will yield its produce... I will place peace in the land, and no sword will pass through your land." We can have financial success, nothing will be lacking, and we will still have a purpose. We don't need the sword, representing struggles and problems, to find purpose in life. We find purpose in our avodas Hashem.
