FOLLOWING THE CUES
A person who trusts in HaShem, sees his efforts as merely a 'keili' for the brachos and as an obligation towards HaShem. Therefore, he will do whatever possible according to his specific situation, and when he encounters a situation where he cannot do anything, he takes this as a sign that nothing is expected of him.
In addition, when he is faced with a decision, he will decide based on the information available, without concern over the outcome. Since everything is in HaShem's hands, he is only acting because of His command, and the path which seems most plausible, is the one which he is being guided from above to choose.
(חוה"ל שער הבחון פ"ג בסופו, המספיק לעובדי ה' ע' צ, אג"ק ח"ב ע' קפ)
Reb Meir Yehoshua of Klimentov related that the first time he was offered a position as a rov, he made the journey to Rodoshidz, to ask his Rebbe, Reb Yissachar Dov, if he should accept it. The tzaddik advised him to accept the position, and proceeded to tell the following story:
"When I was a young man, I would spend months at a time visiting the Rebbeim in Lublin and Pshischa and with the Maggid of Koznitz. Once, on my return trip home, while stopping in a town on the way, a chossid whom I recognized from my stay with the Chozeh, noticed me and was very happy to see me. He asked about the state of my parnasa, and when I answered unenthusiastically, he offered that I work as a melamed for his children. Recognizing the tremendous hashgacha pratis involved, I concluded that this must have been decided in Shamayim, so I accepted the job without even asking how much he would pay. After all, I thought, if it has been decided that I become a melamed, then surely it has also been decreed how much I would earn.
"I traveled to the chossid's home and began teaching. I never asked for payment and just accepted whatever money I was given, when it was given, and sent it off to my family. At the end of the term I took my leave from the chossid and, according to his request, undertook to return after the Yom-Tov – for if I was being offered this opportunity again, this surely was also determined from Shamayim. When I returned, I fared the same way, accepting whatever money I was given, without involving myself in the question of payments. Once the chossid asked me why I did not make calculations and ask for my dues, for perhaps I deserved more. I explained to him that he thought I was a tutor for him, and that he was in charge of my pay, but that was not so. It was all from Shamayim.
"After the second term I took the final payment, and returned to my hometown, Preshdborz. There I spent my days in the beis midrash, studying discreetly without anyone's knowledge, and so I became known as Berel Batlan, a simple fellow who wasn't occupied with anything in particular. Once, a Jew came to town collecting money so that he could marry off his daughter, and recognizing me from my days in Koznitz, he asked me to help him in this mitzva. I explained that since I was regarded in town as a simpleton, I would not be able to collect more than two gold coins out of the total of the 400 that he needed, and therefore advised him to find someone more respected. He tried to convince me, saying that it was my mitzva, since I knew him, but I insisted that I was unfit. As we parted, he muttered, 'I guess you were not on HaShem's tzetl (note).'
"After he left, I tried to understand what I had done wrong. What had caused him to say such negative words? Greatly disturbed, I hurried off to find him and ask for an explanation. When I caught up to him and asked how I had wronged him, he smiled and told me that he had not had any ill intentions. He explained that when the Maggid of Koznitz had instructed him to travel through cities and collect funds for a dowry, he had told the Maggid that he found this very difficult, having no experience in fundraising. The tzaddik had told him that he should go to the first town to which he found a ride, and added that a tzetl had already been written Above, listing those who would help him collect and how much he would earn from each city. He had concluded that had my name appeared on the tzetl, I would not have refused his request.
"Hearing this, I reconsidered and decided to help him collect; after all, the amount had already been decided and it would not depend on me. It was market day, so I headed for the marketplace, stopped a merchant whom I had never met, and asked him for a donation. He immediately opened his wallet and handed me a note worth 100 coins! I realized that I had been put on the tzetl and asked HaShem to help me succeed. With a light heart, I continued on my mission and within a few hours managed to collect all the money the chossid needed. I handed it to him, and then realized that the intention of the Maggid had been – me."
Reb Yissachar Dov concluded: "Do not think that your acceptance as rov depends on the baalei batim or on the opinion of the community. You should lead them in a way that will bring honor to HaShem. Fear no one, and they will not be able to cause you any harm, for this position was given to you from Shamayim."
(נפלאות הסבא קדישא ח"ב ע' 62)
DOING OUR PART
Reb Mendel Futerfas related: At one point, the Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva in Russia was in such dire straits that even Reb Chatche Feigin, who was normally organized, had to avoid people who had lent funds to the Yeshiva. The situation was so severe that he once jumped out the window of the shul in order to avoid meeting the shammes, who had lent the Yeshiva some money. During this time, when we would ask him, "What's going to be?" he would reply, "Why should you worry? It is clear that in the end everything will be as HaShem has ordained. It is not our issue; we must do what is required of us, and HaShem will do as He desires..."
(ר' מענדל ע' 262)
One day during the First World War, a chossid asked the Rebbe Rashab if he should sell the forest he owned, for the German army was approaching, and the forest would likely be lost. The Rebbe Rashab advised him not to sell, and explained: "The Mezritcher Maggid said that if one has a functional keili for HaShem's bracha, he should not break it. Only if from Shamayim they cause it to break, then there is no other choice but to look elsewhere...."
(רשימת דברים ח"א ע' קס"ט)
CONSIDER
If there are no cues in site, what does that mean? If one has multiple options from which to chose, how does one know which is the appropriate 'keili'?
