"רבונו של עולם ... ופרנסה טובה וכלכלה ולחם לאכול ובגד ללבוש ועשר"
“Master of the world, [grant me] good livelihood and sustenance, food to eat and clothes to wear, wealth.
QUESTION: Doesn’t one who has a good livelihood, sustenance and wealth have food to eat and clothes to wear?
ANSWER: There are people who have food in abundance and a wardrobe full of clothing yet are, unfortunately, bed-ridden and unable to enjoy their delicacies or garments. Yaakov prayed for good health so that he could enjoy his food and wear his clothing. To him “gezunt” was a primary objective.
(שפתי כהן)
* * *
Alternatively, man works very hard and goes to great length to earn his ‘bread’ (parnasah). For example, people work during the night denying themselves sleep; others perform hazardous jobs, and still others travel far distances and are separated from their families for long periods of time.
In reality one may wonder, are they working “for bread to eat” or is “their bread eating them?”
Yaakov prayed to Hashem to give him a tranquil source of parnasah through which he would have “bread to eat” and not an occupation where, G‑d forbid, the bread would consume him.
(מצאתי בכתבי אבי הרב שמואל פסח ז"ל באגאמילסקי)
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