Since it has been demonstrated above that people are obligated to make efforts to engage in the means of obtaining their livelihood and other needs, we will now explain that not every person is obligated to pursue every means of obtaining a livelihood, as there are many means in which a person can engage.
וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהִתְבָּרֵר חִיּוּב הַגִּלְגּוּל עַל הַסִּבּוֹת עַל בְּנֵי אָדָם, נְבָאֵר עַתָּה כִּי אֵין כָּל אָדָם חַיָּב לְחַזֵּר עַל כָּל סִבָּה מִסִּבּוֹת הַטֶּרֶף, כִּי הַסִּבּוֹת רַבּוֹת,
Some of those means are relatively easy, because they entail little exertion, such as selling merchandise in the store or engaging in types of handiwork that involve little labor, such as sewing, weaving, writing, or safeguarding merchandise until it goes up in value. Other examples of easy occupations include those who contract sharecroppers and other workers to work the land, and those who are responsible to oversee workers who work the land.
מֵהֶן נְקַלּוֹת שֶׁטָּרְחָן מְעַט, כִּסְחוֹרָה בַּחֲנוּת, אוֹ מְלֶאכֶת יָד שֶׁטָּרְחָהּ מְעַט כִּתְפִירָה וּכְאִחוּי, וְהַסִּפְרוּת וְאִצּוּר הַמִּסְחָרִים וּשְׂכִיר הָאֲרִיסִים וְהַפּוֹעֲלִים וְהַשַּׁמָּשִׁים בַּעֲבוֹדַת הָאֲדָמָה.
Writing. This translation follows Tov Halevanon, who vowelizes the word as sifrut. Alternatively, it is vowelized saparut and refers to a barber ( Pat Lechem and Manoach Halevavot in his first explanation).
However, there are other means of obtaining a livelihood that involve much toil and exertion, such as tanning skins, mining iron, copper, and lead from the depths of the earth, refining silver by using lead, lifting heavy loads, regular long-distance travel, working the land and plowing it, and the like.
וּמֵהֶן סִבּוֹת יֵשׁ בָּהֶן יְגִיעָה וְטֹרַח, כְּעִבּוּד הָעוֹרוֹת, וְהוֹצָאַת הַבַּרְזֶל וְהַנְּחֹשֶׁת וְהָעוֹפֶרֶת מִן מוֹצָאֵיהֶם, וְזִקּוּק הַכֶּסֶף בָּעוֹפֶרֶת, וְנָשׂוֹא הַמַּשָּׂאוֹת הַכְּבֵדוֹת, וְלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכִים רְחוֹקִים תָּמִיד, וַעֲבוֹדַת הָאֲדָמָה וַחֲרִישָׁתָהּ, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָהֶם.
For a person who is physically strong but intellectually weak, it is appropriate that he chooses one of those occupation that require toil, but only as much as he can tolerate.
וּמִי שֶׁהוּא מִבְּנֵי אָדָם חָזָק בְּגוּפוֹ וְחַלָּשׁ בְּהַכָּרָתוֹ, רָאוּי לוֹ מֵהֶן מַה שֶּׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מִן הַיְגִיעָה כְּפִי שֶׁיָּכוֹל לִסְבּוֹל,
Conversely, a person who is physically weak but has strong intellect should not pursue those means of livelihood that tire out the body. Instead, he should turn to occupations that are easier on the body so that he will continually be able to engage in them.
וּמִי שֶׁהוּא חַלָּשׁ בְּגוּפוֹ וְהַכָּרָתוֹ חֲזָקָה, אַל יְבַקֵּשׁ מִסִּבּוֹת הַטֶּרֶף מַה שֶּׁמְּיַגֵּעַ גּוּפוֹ, אַךְ יִטֶּה אֶל מַה שֶּׁיִּהְיֶה קַל עַל גּוּפוֹ וְיוּכַל לְהַתְמִיד עָלָיו.
In truth, every person has more of a desire for one type of work or commerce than others, which G‑d has ingrained in his very nature to love and cherish.
וּלְכָל אָדָם יֵשׁ חֵפֶץ בִּמְלָאכָה אוֹ סְחוֹרָה מִבִּלְתִּי זוּלָתָהּ, כְּבָר הִטְבִּיעַ הָאֵל לָהּ בְּטִבְעוֹ אַהֲבָה וְחִבָּה,
G‑d has ingrained in his very nature to love and cherish. The Baal Shem Tov taught: The mystical translation of the verses And when you will come to the land (aretz) that the L-rd, your G‑d, is giving to you as a homeland, you will conquer and dwell in it. You will take from the first of all the fruit of the land… and place it in the basket, and go to the place that the L-rd, your G‑d, has chosen to make His name dwell there (Deuteronomy 26:1–2) is as follows: When a person reaches his inner will ( aretz and ratzon —will—are similar), he must know that this is in order to cause the Divine energy to dwell there. And you must know that you go from one place to another because G‑d has chosen so.
G‑d directs you there so that you should spread the light of G‑d in the place where you find yourself.
The Baal Shem Tov later continued: The way to find your inner will is through self-sacrifice to reveal G‑d in the place where you find yourself ( Hayom Yom 18 Elul).
The verse states, Man goes out to his work and his labor until the evening (Psalms 104:23). This refers to the descent of each and every soul from before G‑d, to be enclothed in a body on earth ( Man goes out ). The reason for this descent is to fulfill a Divine service that is unique for him, based on his nature and character ( to his work and his labor ). And he must do this Divine service while he still can—in this world ( until evening ). Furthermore, through this Divine service, his soul will reach heights that it could not reach without his successful journey on earth, until it reaches the reward of pleasure of the Divine (the Hebrew word for evening, erev, can also be translated as pleasure) ( Hayom Yom 1 Adar I).
Similarly, we find with other living creatures that G‑d ingrained the means with which they sustain themselves into their very nature. For example, He ingrained in the nature of a cat to prey on mice, in the nature of the hawk to prey on those birds that are fitting for it, and in the nature of deer to prey on snakes. Similarly, there are certain birds that will only prey on fish. In a similar fashion, G‑d ingrained in the nature of each and every living species a predisposition and desire for one of the species of plants or living creatures to serve as its source of food. Even the structure of the body and limbs of each species is specifically to make them fit for the consumption of the food that it is in their nature to eat, as is evidenced by the long mouth and long legs of the bird that preys on fish, by the teeth and sharp nails of the lion, and by the horns of the bull and the ram. However, for those animals whose food is from vegetation, G‑d did not give them body parts to use as instruments with which to hunt and prey.
וְכֵן בִּשְׁאָר הַחַיִּים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִטְבִּיעַ בְּטֶבַע הֶחָתוּל צֵידַת הָעַכְבָּרִים, וּבְטֶבַע הַנֵּץ צֵידַת מַה שֶּׁרָאוּי לוֹ מִן הָעוֹף, וּבְטֶבַע הָאַיָּל צֵידַת הַנְּחָשִׁים, וְכֵן יֵשׁ מִן הָעוֹפוֹת שֶׁיָּצוּדוּ הַדָּגִים לְבָד, וְכֵן בְּטֶבַע מִין וּמִין מִמִּינֵי הַחַיִּים נְטִיָּה וְתַאֲוָה אֶל מִין מִמִּינֵי הַצְּמָחִים וְהַחַיִּים, הַטֶּבַע עָלָיו לִהְיוֹת סִבָּה לִמְזוֹנוֹ וּתְכוּנַת גּוּפוֹ וְאֵבָרָיו רְאוּיִין לַדָּבָר הַהוּא, כַּפֶּה הָאָרֹךְ וְהַשּׁוֹק הָאָרֹךְ לָעוֹף שֶׁהוּא צָד אֶת הַדָּגִים, וְכַשֵּׁן וְהַצִּפֹּרֶן הֶחָזָק לָאֲרִי, וְהַקְּרָנַיִם לַשּׁוֹר וְלָאַיִל, וַאֲשֶׁר תּוּכַן מְזוֹנוֹ מִן הַצֶּמַח לֹא נָתַן לוֹ כְּלֵי הַצַּיִד וְהַטֶּרֶף.
The long mouth and long legs of the bird that preys on fish. It was created with long legs because it must stand in relatively deep water while pursuing the fish. It was created with a long mouth so that it can catch fish suddenly and from a distance ( Pat Lechem ).
The horns of the bull and the ram. Pat Lechem points out that the horns of the bull and ram are not used to obtain their food; rather, they protect them from harm. He even questions why the author cites this example.
Tov Halevanon explains that the author’s intention is to demonstrate the precision of their creation, pointing out that they have horns instead of teeth. In other words, since they are herbivores, they do not need teeth for the purpose of eating. Instead, G‑d gave them horns to protect them from harm.
In a similar manner, you will find that the various character traits of people and the structure of their bodies are each suited for a specific type of business or work.
וְעַל הַדִּמְיוֹן הַזֶּה תִּמְצָא מִדּוֹת בְּנֵי אָדָם וְגוּפוֹתָם מוּכָנוֹת לִסְחוֹרוֹת וְלִמְלָאכוֹת.
Character traits of people… are each suited for a specific type of business or work. For example, a person who is compassionate by nature should not engage in becoming a ritual slaughterer or a butcher, or as the Mishnah ( Avot 2:5) states, “A person who is short tempered should not be a teacher” ( Pat Lechem ).
A person who finds that his character traits are suited for a certain work, and that he also desires the work by nature, and that his body is suited for it, and that he is able to tolerate the exertion required for it, should pursue it and make it his means of obtaining his livelihood.
וּמִי שֶׁמּוֹצֵא בְּמִדּוֹתָיו וְטִבְעוֹ כֹּסֶף אֶל מְלָאכָה מֵהַמְּלָאכוֹת וְיִהְיֶה גוּפוֹ רָאוּי לָהּ וְיוּכַל לִסְבּוֹל אֶת טָרְחָהּ, יְחַזֵּר עָלֶיהָ וְיָשִׂים אוֹתָהּ סִבָּה לַהֲבָאַת מְזוֹנוֹ,
Should pursue it and make it his means of obtaining his livelihood. Every individual must serve G‑d according to his nature and qualities. Someone who can polish gems and nevertheless occupies himself with baking bread, despite the necessity of bread, is sinning. Spiritually, we must also consider this in our Divine service, a person might be performing important tasks, but if it is not his mission, it is considered an “inappropriate act” for him ( Hayom Yom 25 Nissan).
A person who believes in Divine Providence knows that all of man’s steps are established by G‑d, and that a particular person arrives at a designated place because he has something to accomplish there. And for hundreds of years, or perhaps even from the beginning of the creation of the world, the object is waiting for that person and that moment so it can be elevated. Furthermore, that person might have waited all that time for that moment when he will accomplish this task designated for him ( Hayom Yom 3 Elul).
He should tolerate both its pleasant aspects and its difficult aspects. He shouldn’t become sick with it, even if at times it doesn’t sufficiently provide for his sustenance. Rather, he should rely on G‑d that He will provide him with sufficient livelihood for his entire life.
וְיִסְבּוֹל מָתְקָהּ וּמְרִירוּתָהּ, וְאַל יָקוּץ כְּשֶׁיִּמָּנַע מִמֶּנּוּ הַטֶּרֶף בִּקְצָת הָעִתִּים, אַךְ יִבְטַח בֵּאלֹהִים שֶׁיַּסְפִּיק לוֹ טַרְפּוֹ כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו.
He should tolerate both its pleasant aspects and its difficult aspects. This could be referring to the actual work, which sometimes can be pleasant and other times exceedingly difficult ( Pat Lechem and Marpei Lanefesh ). Alternatively, while the work itself may be difficult, the fact that it provides him with his livelihood is a redeeming factor, and this is what the phrase is referring to when it says “its pleasant aspects” ( Tov Halevanon ).
