Just as we have said regarding life and death— that a person is obligated to take steps to preserve his life and avoid the dangerous and deadly— so, too, we will say regarding a person’s obligation to pursue means to remain healthy— the means to obtain food, clothing, shelter, and positive character traits, and to distance those things that stand in the way of their obtainment.
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ בַּחַיִּים וּבַמָּוֶת, כֵּן נֹאמַר בְּחִיּוּב תְּבִיעַת סִבּוֹת הַבְּרִיאוּת וְהַמָּזוֹן וְהַמַּלְבּוּשׁ וְהַדִּירָה, וְהַמִּדּוֹת הַטּוֹבוֹת וּלְהַרְחִיק שֶׁכְּנֶגְדָּן,
Obligation to pursue means to obtain…character traits. The study of Chasidic philosophy is intended to make the person’s qualities and attributes G‑dly to the point where his qualities are not merely an expression of his nature, and where he serves G‑d in a manner that suits his personality; rather, all his qualities are to be transformed into conduits of the Divine ( Kuntreis Inyanah Shel Torat Hachasidut, p. 1).
These efforts are necessary despite a person’s strong conviction that these means do not help him whatsoever, were it not for the Creator, may He be blessed, Who decreed such.
עִם בֵּרוּר אֱמוּנָתוֹ כִּי הַסִּבּוֹת אֵין מוֹעִילוֹת אוֹתוֹ בְּזֶה כְּלוּם אֶלָּא בִּגְזֵרַת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ.
For example: A landowner must plow his land, clean it from thorns, sow it, and irrigate it if water becomes available to him. At the same time, he must rely on the Creator, may He be blessed, to bring forth the produce from the ground, to protect it from disasters, to make the produce plentiful, and that it be blessed by the Creator. He must not forsake the land without working on it or sowing it, relying on the decree of the Creator that the land will sprout forth vegetation without his previously having sown it.
כַּאֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ לְבַעַל הָאֲדָמָה לַחֲרוֹשׁ אוֹתָהּ וּלְנַקּוֹתָהּ מִן הַקּוֹצִים וּלְזָרְעָהּ וּלְהַשְׁקוֹתָהּ אִם יִזְדַּמְּנוּ לוֹ מַיִם, וְיִבְטַח עַל הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ לְהַפְרוֹתָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ מִן הַפְּגָעִים וְתִרְבֶּה תְּבוּאָתָהּ וִיבָרֵךְ אוֹתָהּ הַבּוֹרֵא, וְאֵין רָאוּי לוֹ לְהַנִּיחַ הָאֲדָמָה מִבְּלִי עֲבוֹדָה וּזְרִיעָה בְּבִטְחוֹנוֹ עַל גְּזֵרַת הַבּוֹרֵא שֶׁתַּצְמִיחַ הָאֲדָמָה בִּלְתִּי זֶרַע שֶׁקָּדַם לוֹ.
Rely on the Creator, may He be blessed, to bring forth the produce. While other nations try to rationalize a miracle by seeking a natural reason for every occurrence, even the miraculous, the Jewish people find the miracle in nature.
It is in this light that the Sages taught that when a Jew sows his field he does so with trust in G‑d ( Tosafot Shabbat 31a s.v. Emunah ). This teaching needs to be understood—why is trust needed when we are speaking of a natural phenomenon?
The answer is that nature is not enough to explain the course of the world, and the Jew knows that in essence the “natural order” is nothing but a constant miracle that performs ( Likkutei Sichot, vol. 1, p. 240).
Similarly, this principle applies to other types of craftsmen, merchants, and paid workers. They are obligated to pursue their livelihood while at the same time relying on G‑d that their sustenance is in His hands and control, and that He is responsible to provide the person with his livelihood. He is able to fully provide him with it, in any way He wishes, and a person should not think that the means in which he engages to obtain his livelihood will help or harm him at all.
וְכֵן בַּעֲלֵי הַמְּלָאכָה וְהַסְּחוֹרָה וְהַשְּׂכִירוּת מְצֻוִּין לְחַזֵּר עַל הַטֶּרֶף בָּהֶם, עִם הַבִּטָּחוֹן בֵּאלֹהִים כִּי הַטֶּרֶף בְּיָדוֹ וּרְשׁוּתוֹ, וְשֶׁהוּא עָרֵב בּוֹ לָאָדָם וּמַשְׁלִימוֹ לוֹ בְּאֵיזוֹ סִבָּה שֶׁיִּרְצֶה, וְאַל יַחְשׁוֹב כִּי הַסִּבָּה תּוֹעִילֵהוּ אוֹ תַּזִּיקֵהוּ מְאוּמָה.
If his sustenance is obtained through one of the means in which he involved himself, it is not fitting for him to rely on that particular means to provide for him, and to rejoice in them, to obsess with them, and pay more attention to them, for by doing so his trust in G‑d will be weakened.
וְאִם יָבוֹא לוֹ טַרְפּוֹ עַל פָּנִים מֵאָפְנֵי הַסִּבּוֹת אֲשֶׁר הִתְעַסֵּק בָּהֶן, רָאוּי לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִבְטַח עַל הַסִּבָּה הַהִיא וְיִשְׂמַח בָּהּ וְיוֹסִיף לְהַחֲזִיק בָּהּ וְיַטֶּה לִבּוֹ אֵלֶיהָ, כִּי יֶחֱלַשׁ בִּטְחוֹנוֹ בֵּאלֹהָיו.
Similarly, it is not fitting for him to think that his occupation will help him more than G‑d has already decreed. He should not rejoice in his choice of this particular occupation or in his efforts to obtain it. Rather, he should thank the Creator, Who provided him with sustenance, subsequent to his toil, and Who didn’t cause his toil and trouble to be for naught, as it is written (Psalms 128:2): If you eat the toil of your hands, you are praiseworthy and it is good for you.
אַךְ אֵין רָאוּי לוֹ לַחְשׁוֹב כִּי תּוֹעִילֶנּוּ יוֹתֵר מִמַּה שֶּׁקָּדַם בְּדַעַת הַבּוֹרֵא, וְאַל יִשְׂמַח בְּהִדָּבְקוֹ בָּהּ וְסִבּוּבוֹ עָלֶיהָ, אַךְ יוֹדֶה הַבּוֹרֵא אֲשֶׁר הִטְרִיפוֹ אַחַר יְגִיעָתוֹ וְלֹא שָׂם עֲמָלוֹ וְטָרְחוֹ לָרִיק, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב "יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל, אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ" (תהלים קכח, ב).
One of the pious said: “I am amazed at the person who gives his friend that which G‑d has already decreed for him, and subsequently reminds the recipient of his kindness performed for him and asks to be thanked for it. I am even more amazed at the person who receives his sustenance through another person—who was forced to give it to him—and then he humbles himself in front of him, compliments him, and praises him.”
וְאָמַר אֶחָד מִן הַחֲסִידִים: אֲנִי תָמֵהַּ מִמִּי שֶׁנּוֹתֵן לַחֲבֵרוֹ מַה שֶּׁגָּזַר לוֹ אֶצְלוֹ הַבּוֹרֵא, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יַזְכִּיר לוֹ טוֹבָתוֹ עָלָיו בּוֹ, וִיבַקֵּשׁ לְהוֹדוֹת אוֹתוֹ עָלָיו. וְיוֹתֵר אֲנִי תָמֵהַּ מִמִּי שֶׁקִּבֵּל טַרְפּוֹ עַל יְדֵי אַחֵר מֻכְרָח לְתִתּוֹ לוֹ, וְיִכָּנַע לוֹ וִיפַיְּסֵהוּ וִישַׁבְּחֵהוּ.
Who gives his friend that which G‑d has already decreed for him. Meaning, the giver was G‑d’s messenger to sustain the recipient ( Tov Halevanon ).
Humbles himself in front of him. Rabbi Yaakov Emden argues that the author has erred here by suggesting that a recipient does not need to thank the giver or messenger of his good; instead, he cites numerous teachings of the Sages regarding the need for a person to be grateful for the good that others bestow upon him.
Other commentaries understand the author to be referring to a person who instead of primarily thanking G‑d, Who is the ultimate reason why he received this gift, he humbles himself and thanks the giver, or more so, thanks the giver only ( Marpei Lanefesh; Pat Lechem ).
