Chovos HaLevavos | Rabbi Zvi Davidson (Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh)

── Shiur Outline ──
(0:00) Healing Stories in Sha'ar HaBitachon
(1:13) Three Categories of Prayer for Healing
(4:02) Why We Don't Pray for Resurrection
(5:44) Modern Manifestation vs. Jewish Prayer
(7:04) Envisioning the Beit HaMikdash
(9:05) Praying for Core Values, Not Specifics
(12:20) Healing Through Unexpected Means
(15:30) Bitachon in Daily Work and Values
(19:35) Identifying Your Highest Value in Work
(20:37) Refusing Lashon Hara Even If You Lose Job
(21:44) Bitachon: Working Responsibly While Trusting Hashem
(23:49) After Financial Security, Focus on Avodas Hashem
(26:05) Closing Blessings and Thanks

AI-Generated Summary (AI can be inaccurate. Check important information):

Sha’ar HaBitachon teaches that one must trust in God for healing, recognizing that He can restore health with or without medical means and even through substances that are naturally harmful. The shiur emphasizes that while we must pray for recovery within the realm of nature, true bitachon involves submitting to God's vision rather than demanding a specific outcome or a supernatural miracle. This same principle applies to one's livelihood; a person should perform the necessary effort to support their needs but must prioritize spiritual values, trusting that God provides exactly what is decreed regardless of excessive toil.

1. Healing through opposites — Hashem often brings recovery through substances that are naturally harmful, such as Elisha using salt to sweeten water or Moshe using a bitter tree, to demonstrate Divine providence.
2. True trust in medicine — Authentic bitachon in healing requires recognizing that whether through natural emtzai (means) or direct Divine intervention, the source of health is Hakadosh Baruch Hu alone.
3. The limits of prayer — One should not pray for supernatural nissim (miracles), like techiyas hameisim (resurrection), but rather for outcomes that remain within the realm of nature, even if they are statistically unlikely.
4. Deeper prayer values — Instead of demanding a specific external result (like a specific spouse or job), a person should identify the inner tzorech (need) or value and pray for that core essence.
5. Modern medical irony — The mechanism of vaccines and antibiotics, which use weakened pathogens to heal, mirrors the Torah's examples of using the "sickness" itself to bring about a cure.
6. Highest value alignment — A person's involvement in the world must be framed by their highest value; for a believer, this must be avodas Hashem, ensuring that work remains a means rather than an end.
7. Balanced Hishtadlus — One must perform the necessary hishtadlus (effort) for parnassah (livelihood) to be responsible, but excessive toil beyond what is necessary for existence indicates a lack of bitachon.
8. The lesson of the Man — The Man (Manna) in the desert teaches that one's allocated portion is fixed; collecting more than necessary does not result in a surplus, as the outcome is determined by Hashem.

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Shiurim by Rav Davidson in KBY.

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We are in שער הביטחון פרק ד'.

We're talking about healing.

כשיבטח האדם על בוראו הוא ירפא אותו מחוליו כשירצה אם על ידי אמצעי או

אפילו בלי אמצעי כמו שנאמר ישלח דברו וירפאם וייתכן שהבורא ירפא אותו אפילו בדבר

מזיק מאד כמו שידוע לך מהעובדה של אלישע הנביא שריפא את המים

הרעים על ידי מלח שטבעו לקלקל ולפגל את המים וכן משה רבינו המתיק את

המים המרים על ידי עץ מר.

So the פסוק says:

ויורהו השם עץ וישלך אל המים and חז"ל say שהיה עץ הרדופני שהוא מר.

And also ישעיהו הנביא healed the skin of חזקיהו from the שחין and he

used something which is usually damaging:

ויאמר ישעיהו ישאו דבלת תאנים וימרחו על השחין ויחי.

כבר ידוע לך כיצד נענש אסא המלך כשבטח על הרופאים בלבד ולא בטח על

השם ונאמר עוד כי הוא יכאיב ויחבש וימחץ ידיו תרפינה.

So the idea of ביטחון in healing is not like he just said at

the beginning,

which I want to add my...

yeah,

I'm happy to have that,

is not that there's a guarantee guarantee guarantee that you can force השם that

if you say I'm going to דאוון השם and you're going to give me

healing.

Rather let's divide it into three categories.

There's a category of a person who is well,

so he doesn't even think to דאוון to השם.

So the דאוונינג doesn't help anything because he's not...

he doesn't need to,

he's okay,

he feels okay.

There's a person who's sick and הקדוש ברוך הוא has determined that it's his

time to go.

So then even if he would דאוון דאוון דאוון דאוון דאוון,

it wouldn't make a difference now right now for him because השם has given

him the period of time that he needs to have and that's his time.

There's a middle category which we always presume we're in the middle category,

which is where someone is not well,

it looks like they could be very sick,

but it still depends on their prayers.

And even if it looks like it's at the end,

you never give up hope and you say well maybe הקדוש ברוך הוא will

make a turnaround.

Now it's not fair really to דאוון,

let's say someone has a particular type of disease,

that disease is a degenerative disease,

and there's no healing for it.

Maybe they can slow it down,

you know,

maybe they can give him a bit of extra life,

but as it is currently,

there's never ever in the whole history of the world a known case that

something like that could ever change.

So it's not fair to דאוון to השם and force תפילה תפילה תפילה תפילה

for something which doesn't exist.

That would be asking השם for a miracle,

a supernatural miracle.

That's out of the realm of normal השתדלות of where prayer goes.

Then you have something which is possible,

but not likely.

There דאוון דאוון דאוון דאוון דאוון makes all the difference.

So if someone has been said that there's a 90% chance they'll die,

there's a 10% chance they'll live,

דאוון דאוון דאוון דאוון דאוון.

If someone comes and says there's never been in recorded history any any any

time ever where a person started getting this type of degenerative disease and they

were healed,

so you can דאוון that it will be easier for them,

you can דאוון that they won't be in pain.

In theory you could דאוון also,

you could דאוון also that medicine should make a breakthrough to discover something new

which will help them and that you could also do.

That's all that's still within the realm of could be.

But you're not supposed to דאוון in a miraculous way.

השם,

if someone's died,

you're not supposed to דאוון:

may they come alive again.

You can דאוון for תחיית המתים as a...

well it's interesting,

if you notice,

we don't דאוון for תחיית המתים do we?

There's the ברכות of שבח and there's ברכות of בקשה.

In the ברכות of בקשה we דאוון that the Jewish people will return to

their land.

That's something within the realm of normal.

It's miraculous within nature,

but it's within nature.

We דאוון that the מערכת המשפט will be according to תורה.

That's miraculous.

It is miraculous.

But it's within nature.

It's within nature.

We דאוון that there'll be a בית המקדש,

we דאוון there'll be a משיח.

Those things are also miraculous historically,

but they're all within nature.

There's nothing that we דאוון for as a request which is a miracle,

a supernatural miracle.

תחיית המתים we don't דאוון for in the requests.

We say it in the praise of השם.

It's a praise.

השם has promised that He will do such a thing in through the נביאים,

so we say that will be a big praise and there'll be a great.

גבורה,

השם,

there'll be a גבורה,

your name will be recognized when that something happens.

But we don't make a request for something supernatural.

So anything within the world of nature,

even if it's something very,

very unlikely or far-fetched,

like the משיח coming and the בית המקדש being built for all the Jews

in the years of גלות seemed so far-fetched and so ridiculous that you could

say you can't דאווען for a miracle.

But we say no,

that's within nature,

you can,

even if it's far-fetched.

But you don't request תחיית המתים because that's something supernatural.

So here we're talking about the middle category which is it could happen,

maybe doesn't seem likely,

but it's within nature that it could happen.

So you pray for it.

And when you pray for it,

do you pray in a way that you demand that it's going to happen?

That you demand from השם?

So there's something which is very popular in America nowadays,

maybe in Israel too,

I don't know if you've heard of it.

It's called manifestation.

You heard of this thing?

Manifestation.

You heard of manifestation?

Manifestation is where you envision.

It's not so new,

I remember when I was a kid too,

but it's like come in vogue again now.

It's you,

you envision whatever it is that you want to happen.

So you want to get married by such and such a date,

okay,

you envision that happening,

and you envision,

envision,

envision and you spend like התבודדות time where you're just like meditating.

It's amazing how far the Western world's gone East,

you know,

where you're just like meditating and envisioning and conjuring up like what it is

that you want and how you want it.

And the theory goes that your thoughts can create reality and that because you

envision that,

it's going to happen.

And what happens if it doesn't happen?

You didn't envision hard enough.

So I don't know if that's a Jewish idea.

It's definitely a Jewish idea,

definitely a Jewish idea that you should envision and דאווען for the בית המקדש,

the משיח coming,

having שלום in the world.

That definitely is true.

האר"י writes the main tool today,

the main tool in developing one's אמונה is כח הדמיון,

in envisioning.

Especially now,

when we're coming up now in a half an hour to the Three Weeks.

Right?

In an hour.

The main way that one is supposed to work on that,

because it's something that none of us experienced,

having the בית המקדש.

But when you read the descriptions of what the בית המקדש was and you

understand what כח the בית המקדש can bring and then you envision what life

will be like in the time of the בית המקדש,

that's the main כח for דאווענינג for the בית המקדש.

You can't דאווען something you don't know what it's like.

But when you read about it and you understand to some level what it's

going to be like and you envision it,

then you can call it manifesting or you can call it דאווען,

but that envisioning helps you to דאווען in a more authentic way.

So that part's definitely Jewish.

But the part that you say,

"It's going to happen by this day," and you that,

you can't do.

You can't do that.

You can't force השם.

You can't force השם that it has to happen my way by my date,

which I determined,

השם,

you're fitting into my vision.

No,

you do the opposite.

You take what השם vision is and then you envision that happening so you're

closer to השם vision.

You don't have your own vision and you're forcing השם to fit into your

vision.

Maybe השם will agree and you'll get married on that day to the wrong

person because it wasn't yet the time who you were supposed to get married

to.

השם will,

you know,

do you a favor and come towards you.

בדרך שאדם רוצה לילך מוליכין אותו.

If you're forcing it hard enough,

then I'll agree to you,

right?

But not that it was best for you.

So you must be careful how you דאווען.

You must דאווען in a way which is fitting your values in line with

השם values and in a way leaving it general enough,

or I'd say going deep enough within yourself to understand what your values really

are,

that you don't have to limit it to a particular thing.

So let me give you another example.

I'll stay within the world of marriage.

Let's say a person,

let's say a girl meets a boy who she thinks that that's a good

fit for her to be a husband.

And she says,

"It has to be him,

it has to be him,

it has to be him,

it has to be him." And then he says no.

So then she gets depressed.

"That was the one I was supposed to marry,

that was the one." And then he gets married to someone else.

"Oh,

I'm never getting married now,

there's no chance." Because that was foolish.

It was foolish.

But if she's a little deeper,

she can say,

"What was it in him that I saw that I liked that was a

value that's important to me that I should therefore look for in who will

be my potential spouse?" And she thinks about it.

Okay,

doesn't have to be him.

What was in him that I liked?

She says,

"You know what it was in him that I liked?

It was he's someone who I feel that I could trust him.

Someone who I feel is like loyal." dedicated,

trustworthy.

That’s what I saw in that man.

Okay,

doesn’t have to be him.

You went one level deeper and you thought what was it in that person

specifically that I liked?

Being trustworthy.

Let me find someone who’s trustworthy and she’ll find the person who’s the right

person for her because she’s not on an external level saying it has to

be this way.

People who get stuck on the very external.

I have to live in this house and it has to be in this

institution and it has to be this car and they’re like very fixed on

the external expression.

They’re going to be frustrated and they’re going to accuse השם.

השם,

I דאוונד.

Why didn’t you give it to me the way that I wanted?

And השם will say,

well,

that wasn’t what was good for you.

No,

but it was.

I know what’s good for me.

And השם will say,

well,

I know what’s good for you better than you know.

And you’re right.

You do know what’s good for you.

You do.

The values that you’re looking for were in that one,

but they’re going to be better expressed in the next one that I’m going

to bring your way.

So don’t דאוון on the external level that it has to be דוקא this.

Rather,

identify what is the inner value that you see in that which you want?

Go to the core.

You know what it is that I really want?

It’s—and you have a deeper understanding of what it was that triggered by that

in you that you now realize that’s what I really want.

And then דאוון for the core.

השם,

this—what a girl will say,

I’m not asking to marry דוקא that man.

Doesn’t have to be him.

But through him I came to understand that what I really want is to

marry someone who’s trustworthy.

השם,

please help me find a husband that will be a trustworthy husband.

Oh,

that’s a great prayer.

Great prayer.

Perfect.

It’s in line with the will of השם.

It’s in line with what her values are and it’s not limiting it to

have to be this guy.

That’s a very good prayer.

When a person asks for השם to give healing,

he should דאוון to הקדוש ברוך הוא that He’ll bring the healing.

But he shouldn’t דאוון exactly how it’s going to come.

I want it to come in the perfect way,

in the best way.

And we have here a number of examples where השם brought healing through a

way which is ironically something bad,

something which is bitter.

It’s not the way you would think.

And I’ll just say that the חובת הלבבות couldn’t say this because it wasn’t

discovered yet,

but it’s phenomenal how what he’s speaking about here is ממש—why did it take

them so long to discover antibiotics?

What took so long?

Why didn’t they discover it earlier?

Where does antibiotics come from?

From germs,

weakened germs.

Wow,

look at that.

It’s like mold,

right?

It’s שלילי,

it’s negative.

It’s something which on a surface level is bad.

It’s exactly what we just read.

That the source of healing in all these stories comes from the thing that’s

a negative thing and on an external level looks like it’s a damaging thing.

And דוקא from that which looks damaging,

which everyone in earlier history was staying away from,

'oh that's a bad thing,

stay away from it,

it's germs,

it's bad.'

I don't know if they mentioned germs,

but they knew that it had a negative effect as well.

They knew that it had a damaging effect too.

So they stayed away.

And then פונקט פארקערט.

דוקא from that which you were running away from.

And nowadays when they give a vaccine,

what do they give?

They give a bit of the sickness.

That’s what you’re giving?

You’re injecting the person with the sickness?

Yes,

because when you inject a bit of the sickness in the person,

then the body can build antibodies and then when it comes in a bigger

way,

your body has the answer to it that it can already handle it.

Yeah,

but you’re injecting the person with a bit of the disease?

Yes,

yes,

that’s what we do.

So don’t determine that הקדוש ברוך הוא,

if He is going to bring healing,

it has to be in your way.

דוקא sometimes what you would—the last thing you would think to look for antibiotics

in mold,

that’s the last place you would go and look.

דוקא that’s where הקדוש ברוך הוא's going to bring it from.

But if you’re fixated on this has to be your way,

it might not happen.

If you hand it over to הקדוש ברוך הוא,

'השם,

I don’t want the healing to be in this way,

I just want there to be healing.

I want to be strong.'

Why do you want to be strong?

'I want to be strong to serve You,

השם.

That’s what I really want.'

So really,

really השם,

what I’m saying,

השם,

is,

'Give me the כוחות that I can be עבד נאמן.

Give me the כוחות that I can be dedicated to You.'

However You determine that’s going to come,

השם says,

'Okay,

you’ve given me the freedom now to heal you through something negative as well.

Now I can do it,' השם can say.

And why does השם do it דוקא that way?

This doesn’t say this,

but I’m adding a thought.

דוקא so you’ll recognize that it comes from Him.

In all these stories,

if it would have come from a more natural way,

the healing,

then you would say that’s not השם,

that’s just like that has the ability to heal.

Everyone knows that.

That’s not something of a חידוש.

That’s nature.

That’s just the way the nature works.

But when all of these—משה רבינו's throwing something bitter and it makes the water

sweet,

people say,

'Like,

that doesn’t make sense.

That must be השם's doing that.'

And then it strengthens the בטחון.

So דוקא from seeing that it’s the illogical way,

you recognize I’m handing it over to השם.

Because if I were running the world,

I wouldn’t do it that way.

That’s not the natural way of doing things.

And then you strengthen your faith in השם.

ופירוש הבטחון הנכון שיש להשתמש בחלק השני הכוללת עניינים הנוגעים לרכוש האדם דרכי התנהגותו

ועסקיו מסחר מלאכה נסיעה בדרכים התמנות שכירות עבודה בשירות המלוכה סוכנות קבלנות מסחר באשראי

והלוואות פקידות ושאר מיני עבודות ונסיעות דרך המדבר והים ודברים דומים.

So we're talking now not about your physical body on the one hand,

not about your spiritual matters on the other hand,

but all your daily interactions.

Your traveling,

your work,

all the different types of work,

all the events that are taking place in your life that you're doing for

the sake of your business,

that you're doing for just the general functioning and running of the world.

What's the way of having בטחון in respect to those matters?

הצורה הנכונה של הבטחון על השם בדברים אלו שיעסוק במה שהזמין לו הבורא מדברים

אלו כדי צורך מחייתו ומזונו בלבד כדי להשיג על ידם ענייני העולם רק את

מה שהוא הכרחי לקיומו.

There's a healthy balance which is we're always looking for that middle ground where

you do work hard enough that you're being loyal,

responsible,

taking care of yourself and your family.

But it doesn't become an end goal in of itself,

the work or the money.

Let me just say that in a different way.

People have their highest value and their highest value is what's pushing them and

they frame everything else through their highest value.

Some people's highest value is their family and because their highest value is their

family they're going to go and work so they can be supportive of their

family.

That's why they're working.

מאי נפקא מינא?

The נפקא מינא is if it's a choice between their family and their work,

they'll choose their family.

They won't work overtime at the expense of their family because the goal was

always the family.

Some people's highest value is the work,

not the money,

the work.

The doing the work,

they enjoy the work,

they're productive in the work,

they're successful in the work and they love their work.

That's why they're doing it.

מאי נפקא מינא?

If they have enough money already to retire they'll carry on working because it's

not about the money,

it's about the work.

If there's family time they'll give up on the family time because they're enjoying

their work.

Their highest value is their work.

The work in and of itself is what they do and enjoy doing.

Some people's highest value is the money.

The money is the highest value.

So if they find a way to invest their money in such a way

that will give them dividends which are higher and not have to work,

of course they'll give up the work because it's all about making more money,

wherever they're going to make the most money.

So here you have three and there's more,

there's many more values which are the highest value,

but you have to identify like what's your highest value?

When people are interviewing someone for a job,

right?

It's super important to them to identify what's the value that you're coming to

work for us for?

I'll give you a true story.

My uncle he works in a company in America and he was interviewing to

hire someone new on his team.

And he said that this guy he lived in a different state,

he lived in Washington but the work was in Manhattan.

That's a distance.

So my uncle said to him like you're going to travel.

So he said no I'll move so I can be close to work.

Okay.

And my uncle asked a couple of questions.

He said is there anything holding you back in Washington?

So he said yeah my parents are older and I'm dedicated to them.

So my uncle started like asking question after question to identify if this guy's

highest value was his work or his highest value was his family.

Now I might say that it's better to have your highest value being your

family,

right?

I might say that.

It's better than work.

My uncle wasn't looking to see how valuable this guy is in his מדות.

He was looking about how value is going to be to the company,

that was what he was looking for.

So this guy,

my uncle got out of this guy that if it's a choice between the

work and his family,

he's going to be with his family.

And his parents were a bit older and my uncle foresaw that this person

is going to be dedicated to the job,

he's willing to move and like hire a small place in Manhattan just to

do the work,

but anytime there's any issues with his parents that's where he is at the

expense of the work.

So my uncle didn't hire him.

Now you might say as far as respecting him,

my uncle may have respected him more for that.

If that's the question,

it's like evaluating this person as a person,

he may have respected him more.

But as far as hiring him for this job,

well my uncle wanted someone whose the highest value was the work.

Is that best for their family?

Not necessarily.

That's best for his company so that's who he's looking to hire for that

job.

So interesting story.

So you have to identify what's the highest value when you're coming to do

your work and be involved in the world.

What's your highest value?

So the חובות הלבבות is saying that From the world of בטחון *bitachon*,

the highest value must be your עבודת השם *avodas Hashem*.

Work is a part of your עבודת השם *avodas Hashem*.

Work fits into your highest priority.

I'm working because I need to take care of my family.

I'm working because הקדוש ברוך הוא *Hakadosh Baruch Hu* is present in this world

and He's given us the ציווי *tzivui* to be responsible and independent financially.

So I'm working.

It's all in my highest value,

עבודת השם *avodas Hashem*.

If there would be a נפקא מינה *nafka mina* and you have to choose

between your work and a חיוב *chiyuv* of עבודת השם *avodas Hashem*,

עבודת השם *avodas Hashem*.

If someone says to you,

in this job,

you're going to have to tell לשון הרע *lashon hara*,

just how the job works.

If you don't tell לשון הרע *lashon hara*,

we're going to fire you.

Fire me.

If it's a choice between either or,

I'll be fired.

I can't transgress a לאו *lav*.

No matter what you tell me,

I can't transgress a לאו *lav*.

If it's between not דאווענינג *davening* with a מנין *minyan*,

then there's room to talk.

Because there,

it's not a לאו *lav*,

it's a הידור *hiddur*,

it's a חיוב *chiyuv*,

but it's a חיוב *chiyuv* which under certain circumstances one doesn't have to have.

But a לאו *lav*,

I can't transgress a לאו *lav* no matter what you tell me to do.

I can't tell לשון הרע *lashon hara*.

I can never do that,

even if it means my job.

So if your primary value,

highest value is your work and it's also important to your עבודת השם *avodas

Hashem*,

then you'll get the best job possible and you'll try and be the best

עובד השם *oved Hashem* within that job.

But you see what the highest one was?

Within that job.

But if there's a friction between them,

if there's a clash,

my work is my highest value.

If money's your highest value,

then you'll be the best עובד השם *oved Hashem* you can be and try

and make the most money at the same time,

but when there's a choice between making more money and it's not exactly ישר

*yosher*,

then okay,

money will override.

What's your highest value?

So בטחון *bitachon* is where you say I'm working,

I'm being involved in the world,

I'm responsible,

I'm doing everything.

It's not foolish בטחון *bitachon* where השם *Hashem*,

I'm not going to do any work,

just give me money.

It's not foolish בטחון *bitachon*.

But it's בטחון *bitachon* saying הקדוש ברוך הוא *Hakadosh Baruch Hu* You're my highest

value.

עבודת השם *avodas Hashem*,

that is my highest value.

הצורה הנכונה של בטחון בהשם בדברים האלה שיעסוק במה שיזדמן לו הבורא *Hatzura hanchona

shel bitachon baHashem badvarim ha'eileh sheya'asok bema sheyizdamen lo haBorei*.

I'm going to take care and be invested for everything that הקדוש ברוך הוא

*Hakadosh Baruch Hu* gives me to do.

כדי צורך מחייתו ומזונו בלבד *Kedei tzorech michyaso umzono bilvad*.

So that I can take care of myself,

support my family,

paying for school,

paying for electricity,

paying for camp,

putting money away for savings that when I'll be older I'll be able to

live and I won't be dependent.

All the money that I need to earn in a logical way I'm earning.

כדי להשיג על ידם ענייני העולם רק את מה שהכרחי לקיומו *Kedei lehasig al

yadam inyanei ha'olam rak es ma shehechrachi lekiyumo*.

But only what I need.

I'm not going to allow the money or the work to become the higher

value.

Whatever I need,

I need.

I'll put in all the effort that I need to have that.

But I'm never going to allow my work to be a higher value than

my עבודת השם *avodas Hashem*.

I'm never going to allow earning more money to become a higher value than

עבודת השם *avodas Hashem*.

ואם הבורא גזר שיהיה לו יותר מזה תבוא עליו תוספת זו גם בלי טרחה

*Ve'im haBorei gazar sheyehiyeh lo yoser mizeh tavo alav tosefes zo gam bli tircha*.

Maybe השם *Hashem* wants me to have more.

You do your work.

If השם *Hashem* wants you to have more,

you'll have more without extra effort.

כשיבטח על השם בתוספת זו לא ירבה לחזר אחר האמצעים כדי להשיג אותה ולא

יסמוך עליו בלבו *Kesheyivtach al Hashem betosefes zo lo yarbeh lechazer achar ha'emtza'im kedei

lehasig osa velo yisomach alav belibo*.

So just imagine someone who worked a certain amount.

He has now a certain amount of money.

He can put it in a savings fund where it will earn a good

amount,

enough to keep him going.

Or he could start getting involved in,

very very involved in all new opportunities and enterprises and etc.

But if he does that then זהו נגמרה העבודת השם שלו *zehu nigmera ha'avodas

Hashem shelo*.

Because then it's going to be all day every day focused on these new

deals and involved in the deals.

He doesn't need it for his פרנסה *parnassah* because he's earned enough already that

he can put that in the savings fund and it's going to be enough

for him and his kids and so what does he choose?

So it's a hard call,

you know.

But from a בטחון *bitachon* perspective,

once you've got to the stage when you've got enough money or you're set

up to get enough money for what you need for you and your family's

expenses,

you focus more on עבודת השם *avodas Hashem*.

You don't need to earn more money for the sake of having more money,

you don't need to work more for the sake of the work.

Channel your חשק *cheshek* into עבודת השם *avodas Hashem*.

ואם הבורא גזר שלא יהיה לו יותר מכדי מחייתו *Ve'im haBorei gazar shelo yehiyeh

lo yoser mekdei michyaso*.

And if השם *Hashem* determined you're not going to get more.

אז גם אם ישתדלו כל הברואים ברואי שמים וארץ להוסיף לו *Az gam im

yishtadlu kol habruim bru'ei shamayim va'aretz lehosif lo*.

If השם *Hashem* determined you're not going to get the amount that you think

you need,

even if you put in all the efforts in the world it's not going

to happen because that's not what השם *Hashem* determined.

Here's where you place your trust in השם *Hashem*.

And you have מנוחת הנפש *menuchas hanefesh* and שלוות הנפש *shalvas hanefesh*.

מה שנקצב לו לא יעבור לידי אחרים *Ma sheniktzav lo lo ya'avor liyedei acherim*.

What's yours won't go elsewhere.

שלא יבוא יותר מוקדם ולא מאוחר מהזמן שנגזר עליו *Shelo yavo yoser mukdam velo

me'uchar mehazman shenigzar alav*.

And he doesn't say it here but we learn that from the מן *man*.

It says by the מן *man* that there was a specific portion that everyone

had to have.

And if they were to take less and if they were to take more

when they would come back they would find they had the portion they needed

to have.

I don't know if they took less.

I'm not sure about that.

Even if they were to take more.

When they would come back they would find that they would have the exact

portion that they need to have.

So you see the מן was a lesson in בטחון of how to relate

to פרנסה for those forty years for the Jews for the rest of history.

And they kept one portion of the מן in the בית המקדש so that

if the Jews would ever say,

"I can't fulfill my obligations to השם.

Of course I can't,

I need to work for a living." They could take that מן out,

and ירמיהו once did,

and they could show them the מן and they'd say,

"How did the Jews survive in the desert?

You know how?

They worked the amount they needed to work.

They worked.

They went out to find the מן and they collected it and they brought

it back in.

That was the amount of work they needed to do there,

but they had to go out.

It didn't just come to them.

They had to go out,

they collected it,

they brought it back.

When they would come back they would find it was exactly the amount that

they needed.

And even if they would collect more,

somehow it was always the same amount exactly that they,

I don't know what happened to it on the way.

It was מצטמצם,

מצטמק.

They would come back.

So if you put in your efforts and you work the exact amount that

you need,

you'll get what you need to get.

If you work more,

לאו דווקא you'll get more,

or לאו דווקא you'll be able to benefit from the more that you get.

It won't necessarily be something which benefits you.

So that's a perspective of בטחון towards working.

יישר כוח.

Thank השם for some extra time today.

תודה רבה.

Continue בעזרת השם on Sunday.