Until now the Hovot HaLevavot has been talking about our hishtadlut, our effort, when it comes to our health. We have to view it like a mitzva. Taking care of your heath is no different than taking care of someone else’s health. Brushing teeth and exercising, these are mitzvot, because this is what Hashem wants us to do. It’s the Ratzon Hashem (G-d’s will).
The Hovot HaLevavot continues on to discuss working, and he has the same beautiful approach. He says people that go to work:
מצווין לחזור על הטרף בהם עם הבטחון באלוקים
They’re commanded to go out and try to get sustenance with the reliance on G-d.
That’s a Hiddush. It is a mitzva to go to work. You’re not wasting your time. G-d commanded you to go out and do your hashtadlut. It’s a mitzva.
At the same time though, you’re relying on Hashem that everything is in His hands. Regardless of what you do or don’t do, the gezera will come through. And yet, He commanded us to go to work.
The sefer Esh Daat, from one of the Aharonim, brings down the source for this command. He says there’s a Sifri, one of the Tanna’im, that brings a halachic midrash, that explains a pasuk in Parashat Re’eh, where it says:
וברכך ה׳ אלוקיך, בכל אשר תעשה
Hashem your G-d will bless you, in all you do.
The Sifri adds two words to the middle of this pasuk, turning it into a question and answer.
וברכך ה׳ אלוקיך Hashem will bless you....
— יכול בטל and you should just do nothing?—
The pasuk continues, תלמוד לומר
בכל אשר תעשה
(Hashem will bless you in) whatever you do..
You have to do. You are commanded to do.
So it’s a mitzva to go out and work.
Some may ask what difference does it make if working is a mitzva or not? Well, first of all, everyone likes to do mitzvot. We look forward to doing mitzvot such as buying our lulav, building a beautiful Succah, hanging up nice mezuzot. We enjoy our mitzvot. We are good, spiritual, religious people. But going to work, traveling, commuting, that doesn’t feel like a mitzva. Now we see it’s a mitzva. Hashem said:
בכל אשר תעשה
Whatever you Do
(Of course, you’re relying on Hashem at the time.)
There’s an unbelievable commentary from the של”ה (ShLaH- which stands for Shnei Luchot Habrit), a rabbi from 300 years ago.
First he talks about the need to always say you’re doing everything with the name of G-d, B’Shem Hashem. “With the name of G-d Naaseh v’Nasliach. “ We will do and we will accomplish. He says we should always use the words “Im Yirtzeh Hashem” ( if Hashem wants) for every little thing we do.
He says man has many ideas in his mind However:
עצת ה׳ היא תקום
G-d’s idea is the one that will succeed.
He says there is a hint to this in the word: היא -spelled backwards it’s an acronym for
אם ירצה השם If Hashem wants
If someone uses this phrase, Im Yirtzeh Hashem, then the advice of G-d will come to the forefront and he will see success. Therefore we should always say that we are relying on Hashem, or B’ezrat Hashem. Because we understand that everything comes from Hashem. Beautiful. We have to work, and it’s a mitzva, but we have to say this too, and believe it.
And he adds a Hiddush: before a person prays or does a mitzva, many people say the phrase
לשם ייחוד קודשא בריך הוא
“I am doing this to unite the name of G-d”
( the Kabbalists say this and understand what this means)
He says when you go out to work, it’s not enough to say בשם ה׳ אני עושה In the name of Hashem I do ....”. That’s not enough.
we have to say לשם יחוד
I’m doing this, as a mitzva.
It’s not enough to invoke your Bitachon. There’s more to it than that. You’re involved in a mitzva no different than tefilin. It’s a command of G-d.
This is a powerful way to look at to work. That’s the beracha of בכל אשר תעשה.