The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains the unique ability of Yidden to trust in HaShem. While goyim will recognize an obvious miracle, they will dismiss everything else as resulting from "the laws of nature." Yidden, by contrast, can recognize that even constant, everyday happenings are brought about by the hand of HaShem Himself. The Rebbe distinguishes between two approaches that a Yid can take when doing business: (1) Now that HaShem has commanded him to take a job, the job is the source of his parnasa (albeit because of the bracha of HaShem); (2) the job is merely a mitzva like any other, and his parnasa comes directly from HaShem, unrelated to the job.
The Rebbe explains that this difference will also express itself in a person's day-to-day conduct:
If he sees his business as the source of his parnasa, he will be inclined to protect it even at the expense of a mitzva, such as investing more time in davening or more money in tzedakah. However, if he sees it as a mitzva, he will not let it detract from another mitzva.
Reprinted from the Parshas Chayei Sarah 5785 email of The Weekly Farbrengen.
