How much effort – The effort in Parnasa must be commensurate to the blessing desired:[1] Being that one is required to work for a living, the question is asked regarding how much effort is necessary to be placed? Does it suffice to make even the smallest of efforts and simply rely on G-d to do the rest, or, must one make enough effort to justify the level of income that one needs and desires. So, we have an explicit statement in the Talmud[2] which goes as follows: What should a person do in order to become wealthy? He should increase in business and do business with honesty. Many however did so and were not successful. Rather, one must also request mercy from G-d to provide them with the wealth as the verse states “To Me is the silver and to Me is the gold.” One without the other does not suffice.” From here it is understood that one must hold a job, and be involved in a business that is able to bring in as much income as he needs and desires, and one who desires to be wealthy must increase in business accordingly. At the same time, he must supplicate and pray to G-d to receive the divine blessing of Parnasa within his job or business. One without the other does not suffice. Nonetheless, even one who must increase in business in order to profit the amount of income he desires, this is only an increase in business activity and not in schemes and overwhelmingness of the mind, as in the contrary, wealth is not given to the wise.[3]

How much effort – The amount of effort is commensurate to one’s level of Bitachon:[4] The more trust that one has in G-d the less amount of effort he is required to place in order to achieve this goal. For example, if one is looking for a job and cannot find one in his current city, then if his trust in G-d is not that strong to the point that he truly believes that G-d will provide a job in his current city, then he should look into moving to other cities for the sake of making a living. However, if one has a very strong trust in G-d that G-d will provide with a job in his city, then he does not need to look into moving to other cities.

Lechem Min Hashamayim – Mun:[5] It is recorded in the name of the Rebbe Maharash, that in today’s times the Parnasa of the Jewish people is on a similar level to the Mun that fell from the heavens. [This means that it comes with less work and toil or on a much larger scale than the work and toil that one invested to receive it.]

Not to overdue the effort of Parnasa:[6] One should not increase in work and business more than necessary for his desired income. In the words of the Tzemach Tzedek[7] “However, every individual who does not desire to be rich but simply desires to make enough money to support himself and his household does not need to increase in business so much, but rather just the amount necessary to make enough money to support his family…..Every individual who fears for his soul and does not want to diminish the supernal kindness that was determined for him on Yom Kippur to draw all of it down into money, and it is not pressing for him to be wealthy, but rather simply to support his soul and his household with food, clothing, and a house so he can serve G-d, then he should estimate how much money he needs for these expenses and request mercy from G-d that G-d send him His supernal kindness and then he should work a job or business that can make this amount of money. For example, if he needs to make 500 rubles, then he should prepare a business that can make him this amount of profit. One should not increase in business more than necessary, as why should he make a larger garment than is necessary for the amount of divine energy of Parnasa he desires it to contain, as it is not the garment that draws the profit, but the blessing of G-d, and this blessing can be contained within a much smaller garment. On the contrary, one who increases in business is doing damage, similar to one who sews a garment that is longer than necessary for his body, which will cause him to trip and fall.”

Not to compromise on religious duties due to work: Being that one is required to work in order to make for himself a living, and support himself and his family, stated above, it is very easy for the evil inclination to challenge a person to overdue his efforts on expense of Torah learning and praying with a Minyan.[8] Although in a time of necessity, one may work on expense of Davening with a Minyan, this only applies in a case of true necessity, and even then one who has strong enough trust in G-d should trust in Him to find him a job that will not require him to compromise on praying with a Minyan.[9] To quote from Hayom Yom[10], “No matter how much effort is exerted, no-one can earn one cent more than G-d has ordained that he – this particular person – shall earn. One must do what is necessary, but one must remember that all his work is but a vessel. The main thing is G-d’s blessing, and that blessing is earned by being observant of G-d’s commands: Davening with a minyan, observing Shabbat b’hidur (beyond the minimum, with “beauty”), meticulous observance of kashrut, having Kosher Milamdim for ones children.”

Summary:

One is required to place his absolute trust in G-d, that G-d will provide him with a Parnasa to support himself and his household. Together with this trust, one is required to also place effort to make a living and hence is to work for at least part of the day, depending on how much money he wants to make, and on his level of Bitachon. Nonetheless, at the very least one’s efforts may not override the following, and he must have at least a minimum of Bitachon that not compromising on the below will not affect his sustenance:[11]

1. Davening with a Minyan [unless time of great need, depending on level of Bitachon]
2. Kevius Itim Latorah by both day and night, preferably immediately after Shacharis.
3. Not transgressing any matter of business law [i.e. Ribis, stealing, cheating, lying, dishonesty, Hasagas Gevul, etc].
4. Giving Tzedaka

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[1] Likkutei Torah Parshas Ki Seitzei p. 37 “One must certainly make a garment and vessel that can hold the blessing…even if he prays to G-d it does not suffice if he does not increase in business ”; See Derech Mitzvosecha Mitzvas Tiglachas Metzora pp. 213-214 “He must work and do a business which is large enough according to nature to bring him the amount of income that he wants and needs… This is the meaning of the statement of Yehoshua in Nidda ibid that one should increase in business and ask mercy from God as one without the other is not enough. Nonetheless, this increasing in business only applies to one who wants to be rich and desires that the majority of kindness that was drawn onto a soul above will be invested in wealth and therefore he should increase in business in order to prepare large garments, and in addition he should request mercy from God that He invest His kindness into the wealth. However, every individual who does not desire to be rich but simply desires to make enough money to support himself and his household does not need to increase in business so much but rather just the amount necessary to make enough money to support his family…..Every individual who fears for his soul and does not want to diminish the supernal kindness that was determined for him on Yom Kippur to draw all of it down into money, and it is not pressing for him to be wealthy, but rather simply to support his soul and his household with food, clothing, and a house so he can serve God, then he should estimate how much money he needs for these expenses and request mercy from God that God send him His supernal kindness and then he should work a job or business that can make this amount of money. For example, if he needs to make 500 rubles, then he should prepare a business that can make him this amount of profit.”; See also Derech Chaim 2b; Sefer Hamamarim 5670 p. 75

Contradiction from Hayom Yom: In Hayom Yom 16^th Adar Sheiyni it states, “No matter how much effort is exerted, no-one can earn one cent more than G-d has ordained that he – this particular person – shall earn.” This implies that increasing in work and business is irrelevant to helping one earn a larger income. However, seemingly this is not coming to contradict the above statements from the Alter Rebbe and Tzemah Tzedek that increasing in business is necessary in accordance to the amount of income he desires, rather that simply one first has to guarantee God’s blessing, as without doing so, one will not earn one cent more than decreed. However, one who does guarantee God’s blessing must also increase in business in accordance to the amount of income he desires to make.

Other Opinions: Some write that since the entire concept of placing effort is due to a decree and curse to Adam, therefore even the slightest amount of effort suffices to fulfill his obligation, and have the blessing of G-d dwell on it and it is not necessary to do any further effort. [Mesilas Yesharim ibid; Michtav Meliyahu ibid]

[2] Nida 70b

[3] Likkutei Torah Parshas Ki Seitzei p. 37c

[4] See Igros Kodesh 3:372 “All the above is because I do not know his current level of trust in G-d, however if he has strong trust in G-d and relies on him completely, then he should look for a job in his city and G-d will provide him with a job there.”

[5] See Igros Kodesh Rashab 1:139; Sefer Hamamarim 5709 p. 21; Likkutei Sivhos 16 p. 178 footnote 38; Toras Menachem Vol. 19 p. 34; 5742 Vol. 3 p. 1396; 5743 p. 450 [Mamar of Vayeira]; 5745 Vol. 4 p. 2366; 5747 Vol. 3 p. 165; See Igros Kodesh Rebbe 2:179

[6] See Likkutei Torah Parshas Ki Seitzei p. 37c; Derech Mitzvosecha Mitzvas Tiglachas Metzora pp. 213-214; Kuntrus Umaayan

[7] Derech Mitzvosecha Mitzvas Tiglachas Metzora pp. 213-214

[8] See Chofetz Chaim Pesichas Asei 12

[9] See Igros Kodesh 3:372

[10] Hayom Yom 16^th Adar Sheiyni

[11] See Bitachon Vihistadlus Perek 9