Placing Limits on Human Efforts

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah

At the end of last week’s parsha, Yosef interpreted the dream of the Egyptian Sar Hamashkim. Yosef then asked him to appeal to Pharaoh to have him released from prison, as he had been punished unjustly. Chazal say that Yosef’s hope in the Sar Hamashkim constituted a lack of trust in Hashem. For Yosef, this simple request was an exaggerated form of hishtadlus (efforts to gain material benefit). For this he was punished with an extra two years in prison (Rashi 40:23).

In this week’s parsha, Yosef is brought before Pharaoh to interpret his dream, and after he does so, Yosef adds: “Now let Pharaoh seek out a discerning and wise man and set him over the land of Egypt: (41:33). Yosef was clearly trying to gain this position for himself (Ramban, ibid.). Asks          Rav Eliyahu Dessler: Isn’t Yosef again doing too much hishtadlus? He seems to be repeating the same mistake.

Rav Dessler answers that before, Yosef spoke in a somewhat desperate tone — “if only you would remember me…” — as if to say this was the only way he could see himself ever leaving prison. It was not so much his request of the Sar Hamashkim as it was his expectation that only this Egyptian could bring him redemption. On the one hand, we are commanded to do hishtadlus, on the other hand, we should never view hishtadlus as the vehicle by which we get what we need. Hashem can provide for us in unlimited ways, often seemingly unconnected to our form of hishtadlus.

After working to develop this attitude for two years in prison, the answer Yosef gave reflected the proper Torah attitude toward hishtadlus. When Pharaoh asked if Yosef knew how to interpret dreams, he replied: “That is beyond me; it is Hashem who will respond with Pharaoh’s welfare” (41:16).

Shouldn’t Yosef have been concerned that Pharaoh would frown on such an admission, and conclude that Yosef indeed knew nothing about dream interpretation and send him back to his prison cell? Rather, Yosef’s foremost concern was that he not fall into the trap of believing that his hishtadlus would determine the results. He therefore began by declaring, “I’m nothing at all! Only Hashem can help you, not me!”

After making such a declaration, Yosef could now make hishtadlus and it was even proper to do so. Therefore, after interpreting the dreams, he offered Pharaoh a solution and suggested himself for the job.

Chovas Halevavos (Shaar Habitachon 4) states that this is a challenge all of us face, daily. We are commanded to make hishtadlus, yet we must not rely on it. We must trust in Hashem that He has countless channels by which to bring to us bracha, but we should never view the efforts we make as if they are the sole channels by which bracha will reach us. Even when our livelihood seems to come to us as a direct result of our hishtadlus, we must remember that this is not true — it’s Hashem making this happen; He is behind it all. In Him we must place our trust, not in our hishtadlus.

Applying this attitude in our lives can make a tremendous difference. We should inculcate in ourselves the idea that Hashem is the sole source of parnassa. Hishtadlus is only a small part of the process.  One who masters this mindset lives a different life. For example, he would never overdo hishtadlus. Why should he? In any case the extent of his efforts will not determine how much he earns.

Such a person never resorts to means of questionable legality for hishtadlus, nor does he let his work cause him bitul Torah. Also, even if he is struggling financially in his trade, he does not hurry to train in another field. He understands that Hashem gave him particular talents to use for hishtadlus, but reward comes not from them but from Him.

As we go about making hishtadlus, how can we maintain the clarity that we are dependent on Hashem alone?

The Ramchal (Derech Hashem 5:2) says that by asking for our needs from Hashem in tefilla, we are in fact declaring our recognition that all we have comes from Him. The problem with many of us is that we just say the words. However, if a person starts his day expressing wholeheartedly his utter dependence on Hashem, the hishtadlus he does later will remain secondary.

Rabbeinu Yonah explains “In all your ways, know Him” (3:10 Mishlei). How can we do this? Rabbeinu Yonah advises that as we go about our daily lives, we should be in the habit of turning to Hashem in prayer, acknowledging that all depends on Him, and asking that He help us succeed in what we are undertaking. He advises that we do this for all matters, great or small. As we wait for the bus, or as we make a purchase at a store, we should pray: Hashem, let the bus come on time and arrive safely, or, may this product be of good quality and be a blessing to me.

If you’ll ask: So what if I wait another few minutes, or if the product isn’t so great? I should pray for such trivialities? Absolutely, says Rabbeinu Yonah. When it comes to big things, people generally know that they must turn to Hashem. Praying for the small things is our chance to build real trust in Him.

My father put his trust only in Hashem. As a result, he was able to limit his hishtadlus in ways that most of us cannot. Here is a remarkable story that teaches how limited hishtadlus reaped tremendous reward.

“Once, I needed $5,000 for a chasuna, so I decided to make one act of hishtadlus,” my father related. “I called up the bank and asked them if anything was left of an investment I had once made, even though I was almost positive that nothing remained. The secretary told me she would ask the branch president when he returned the following week from a trip he was taking overseas. Over a month went by and I never heard back, but I never followed up either, because I had already done the amount of hishtadlus I had decided on doing.

“One fine morning about a week before the chasuna, I saw the branch president park his car next to my house and get out, looking somewhat startled. He told me that the night before, he was told in a dream: ‘You have to give $5,000 to Rabbi Tzvi Krieger!’ and then he felt a powerful push. He woke up on the floor. It turned out that the secretary forgot to tell him about me, but Hashem has His ways of helping those who trust in Him.”

May we be zoche to grow in our trust in Hashem!