Timeless Torah

This week’s Biblical reading addresses the concept of, “Blessings hidden within curses.” One example is, “Your life will hang in the balance; you will be frightened night and day, and you will not be sure of your livelihood.” There is no bigger curse it seems, than not having some “money in the bank;” not knowing from where tomorrow’s meal will come.
Contrast this with: “He...let you hunger. Then He fed you the manna...in order to make you know that not by bread alone does man live, but by that which emanates from the mouth of Hashem!” According to this, real blessing is the double knowledge that while portfolios alone guarantees nothing; a gracious G-d can always be counted upon for our livelihood.
This leaves us with the puzzle: Is the uncertainty of business a blessing or a curse? Obviously, the answer to that question would also inform us whether the best preparation for a ‘rainy day’ is stuffing cash under the mattress or building belief in the ‘BANKER’ upstairs.
Story one: A tourist viewing Paradise and Purgatory is first taken to the Pearly Gates of Heaven. Inside, he sees a tremendous, sparkling study hall. Holy souls sit and study Torah with great fervor and joy. The din of their voices rises to a crescendo, and not once does anyone stop for even a moment to take a break.
Next stop is ‘downstairs’. Once again, he is shown a packed study hall. Confused, he turns to the angel. “I don’t understand, they look exactly the same!”
“Correct,” the angel says. “For one group, it’s Paradise; for the other, it’s Hell!”
Blessings and curses can coexist in one verse because one person’s curse is another’s blessing. For one who has not cultivated his faith that his income is ultimately up to G-d - not knowing what the future holds in store is indeed a tremendous curse. As he struggles to cope (as we all do), he is fraught with anxiety. But for the person with a deep belief that future prosperity is in the hands of Hashem, ‘not knowing’ how Hashem will provide does not remove the blessing he feels in his life.
Story two: Day after day, Yankel the peddler drags his goods across the muddy roads of Poland. Once, Yankel hears the distinctive sound of a wagon approaching. It is his lucky day, for the Jewish driver, seeing Yankel schlepping along bowed under the weight of his baggage, invites Yankel to hop aboard. Yankel happily accepts.
Minutes later, the wagon owner notices Yankel is still carrying his burden upon his shoulders. “Why don’t you put your bags down?” he asks.
“It’s alright,” replies Yankel, “I don’t want to be any trouble.”
“You fool!” the driver exclaims, “My horses are pulling the wagon, you and all your wares anyway. It makes no difference whether you carry them upon your shoulders or not. So stop carrying all this unnecessary weight!”
Oh foolish Yankel, we think. But isn’t there a little Yankel in all of us? Don’t we know that our financial well-being is ultimately up to Him? True, one must put in the required effort; but ultimately it is Hashem, “Who sates and sustains all His creations.” As we say every day in Ashrei, “You open Your hand, and satisfy the needs of every living thing.”
Even as we acknowledge that material success or lack thereof is not solely dependent on us, we spend an inordinate amount of time fretting over it. So why do we vainly attempt to carry the psychological burden of making a living upon our shoulders? Yankel, wake up! Throw down your burden - and let Hashem, Who carries us and all our needs, do His job. As King David exhorts us, “Hashleich al Hashem yehavcha (Throw your ‘baggage’ upon Hashem), V’hu yechalk’lecha (and He will sustain you).”
It actually goes a little further. In trusting Hashem by “throwing down our peckele (burdens)” and letting Him carry our load, we begin to ‘see’ G-d providing for us. The more we trust, the more His hand is ‘revealed’ in our lives, guiding our every move.
Our Sages say, “A person’s entire livelihood for the coming year is decided on Rosh Hashana.” The rest of the year, it’s just a matter of going out and collecting what’s already waiting for us. The effort still has to be there. If something’s waiting, but no one comes to pick it up, it will not be received. But, by the same token, even a herculean effort cannot change what Hashem has arranged for us. Incessant stress will get us nowhere.
Before Rosh Hashana, our Sages instructed us to read this Torah section of ‘curses’ - which are in fact blessings in disguise. And if we don’t see it, perhaps we need to adjust our perspective and recognize that our life is already full of blessings. At the very least, we are asked to realize that what on the outside appears as obstacles, may in fact be a hidden opportunity for growth.
So while we wish and hope that the New Year brings success, affluence, and prosperity for all Jews - in its most simple sense - it is important to realize that blessing and curse are not absolute. They are relative terms, and depend on our attitude with which we approach the scenarios and circumstances that life dishes up.
So this year you have a choice. Either ask for a bigger package or ask to see the Wagon Driver who lifts you daily.