The dream of Yaakov Avinu on his way to Charan contains many promises made to him by Hashem, relating to both Eretz Yisrael and Am Yisrael and concluding with a promise that Hashem “will not desert” him which, according to the Medrash, refers to parnassah.
It was at this point that Yaakov Avinu woke up, and the Divrei Yisrael cites the Medrash and notes that Hashem’s promise to provide a basic level of parnassah applies throughout the galus. Despite all the difficulties and challenges, he writes, as long as Klal Yisrael has parnassah, we will be able to “wake up from the galus” and somehow manage.
Difficulties with parnassah are a challenge at any time, making it much harder to find peace of mind and work on our middos. When money is short, people are much more likely to get aggravated by a spilled glass of juice or a broken dish. However, when a person is aware that his short temper, impatience, or anxiety actually stems from financial worries, this awareness alone can help.
Many times, people assume they’re dealing with shalom bayis or chinuch habanim issues when really, the problem is simply that Hashem is testing them with a lack of funds. As an example, a wife could see her husband as stingy; a husband could see his wife as inconsiderate when spending money that he’s working so hard to earn. When both of them recognize and accept that the real issue is a Heaven-sent challenge in parnassah, they’ll be able to deal with it, and all the problems that accompany it, much more effectively.
