Chapter Three - Part 7: Human Effort

A person is required to know that while everything comes from G‑d, there are some things that G‑d decreed should immediately come to be without any further action necessary, while there are other things that G‑d decided should come into being through various means.

Come to be in one of two ways, etc. The creations are brought about in two manners: 1) The Creator’s decree (without human intervention), such as wild trees, mushrooms, etc. 2) The Creator’s decree, with human intervention, such as bread and clothing, which come through plowing and sowing, etc. ( Nedar Bakodesh ).

A similar reading, with a bit of a different meaning: 1) A person is successful by G‑d’s will alone, such as when he finds a treasure or receives an inheritance. 2) A person needs to work for his money ( Marpei Lanefesh ).

It is explained that there are two “types” of bread, lechem min haaretz —bread of the earth—and lechem min hashamayim —manna (bread) from heaven, which was given to the Israelites in the desert after they left Egypt.

The difference between these two breads is not the orchestrator of the sustenance—i.e. bread of the earth coming from human effort, unlike the manna from heaven. Rather, their difference lies in human perception.

Despite the fact that there is human involvement with the bread of heaven, as well—the Israelites had to leave their tents to collect the manna, and then they had to consume it—the perception was nevertheless that it was “of heaven,” a gift from G‑d.

In contrast, bread of the earth comes through toil, leading the person to believe that it is he who has accomplished this outcome through his effort and ingenuity.

Why indeed is there human involvement with the consumption of heavenly bread? To teach us, and more so, train us, to see that human involvement is merely a process that G‑d has inserted into the physical world. If we want to achieve, we must put in effort. Therefore, although it was evident that it was bread of heaven, there still had to be human involvement.

This also teaches us that the same applies to bread of the earth: Although there is more human involvement and toil, at the core it is G‑d Who is blessing the efforts, And G‑d will bless you in all that you do (Deuteronomy 15:18), and everything comes from G‑d.

This is why the manna was given to the Israelites in the desert before they entered the Land of Israel, where they were commanded to work the land—to teach them this important lesson: You might be involved, but ultimately it is G‑d’s production ( Likkutei Sichot, vol. 16, p. 175 ff. ).

Intermediary causes between the two matters. The intent is that there can often be a streamline of events from the most immediate one (here, the bucket) to the most remote (here, the man orchestrating the drawing of water), and many intermediate acts (here, the animal, tying it to the rope, etc.) to achieve the intended outcome ( Pat Lechem ).

The animal. Occasionally, a well was built in a way that it needed the strength of a beast to pull the rope ( Nedar Bakodesh; Marpei Lanefesh ).

G‑d has counted and put into place all the causes, and if even one of them were to be lacking, the end result would not come into being.

Other verses are quoted that state that G‑d is the one Who puts all the causes into place:

They all exist due to the decree of G‑d and His preparation of the means through which the action will be completed. The Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, explains the verse The many waters cannot extinguish the love (Song of Songs 8:7) to mean that the many financial concerns that a person has cannot extinguish the natural love that he has for G‑d. In fact, the Alter Rebbe continues, a businessman’s devotion to G‑d is enhanced through and because of his involvement in his worldly endeavors.

A businessman doesn’t merely have a spiritual connection with G‑d. Rather, he sees how G‑d is present in every aspect of the world. He finds G‑d within the darkness of the mundane.

He doesn’t contemplate G‑d’s existence when praying in an abstract manner; rather, to him, G‑d is real and relevant. He contemplates how the very objects and subjects of his worldly endeavors originate and are constantly brought into being by the will of G‑d.

It is, therefore, erroneous to think that a businessman cannot pray with the same devotion as a sage. On the contrary, the businessman can pray with greater fervor, because, to him, prayer is a light that shines forth from and because of the darkness of his environment. It is a light that is more beautiful and potent than if it had not been preceded by darkness and challenges ( Likkutei Torah 8a ff. )