We’ve been talking about choosing your job.
First we discussed our physical jobs, then our spiritual jobs.
The Hovot HaLevavot says regarding this that even our physical jobs can be spiritual.
How so?
ויכון בטרדת לבו וגופו בסבה מן הסבות והסבוב עליה לעמד במצות הבורא שצוה האדם להתעסק בסבות העולם
If someone has the following intention in his mental and physical involvement in whatever he chose as his cause:
I am standing in G-d’s command. G-d commanded us to work. It’s not our choice. We learn this in sefer Bereshit, after Adam sinned, when G-d told him he had to work. He was charged with the responsibility of making money, building a home, get married, having children... etc.
So we have a great opportunity to turn our mundane work into a mitzvah. With the right mindset, even if you didn’t make a sale, you still did a great thing - you went to work!
Going to work is a great mitzva- G-d told you to go to work!
But, it all depends on your attitude.
The Hovot HaLevavot continues:
ויהיה נשכר על כונתו בהם לאלהים בלבו ומצפונו בין שיגמר לו חפצו בין שלא יגמר לו חפצו .
You get the reward for the intentions in your heart and conscience, whether you accomplished or not, for serving Hashem, not for succeeding.
He quotes from a pasuk in tehilim:
כמו שכתוב (תהלים קכח ב) יגיע כפיך כי תאכל אשריך וטוב לך, ואמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה
"If you eat from the toil of your palms, you are praiseworthy, and it is good for you" (Tehilim 128:2),
The rabbis tell us these words “praiseworthy” and “it’s good for you,” apply to both this world and the next.
But this is not contingent on success. This is not because you were successful at your job. Your reward is for trying. This is a tremendous concept. It can turn your whole day around.
He brings another proof from mishna:
וכל מעשיך יהיו לשם שמים
All of your activities should be for the sake of G-d.
We already know that this applies to eating, as we learn from Rambam: When we eat and drink to serve G-d, we get rewarded every second of the day.
But now we have a Hiddush. We are learning that our Hishtadlut is considered a mitzvah activity, rewarded by G-d as well.
The Hovot HaLevavot tells us that if we have this attitude and have Bitachon, our activities won’t bring us down. If you have the right intentions, then you’re involved in a mitzvah when you work.
This is an important point to consider, especially during the summer when men are traveling and toiling, and spend a lot of time and effort commuting. Don’t think that’s a waste. Travel time counts too. It’s toil and effort and it can be back- breaking.
The same is true for a mother, when her kids are all home during the times between camp and school.
Man’s punishment after the sin is to go to work.
And a woman’s is raising children.
But we can turn these curses into blessings with the right intentions.
That’s the Hiddush.
מעשיך יהיו לשם שמים
That’s the beauty of Bitachon. Understanding that all our efforts can be for the sake of Hashem.
One can erroneously think that they go to work to make money, and believe that their acts and toil brings the money. But then, if they don’t succeed, they feel they’ve wasted their time.
That line of thinking is sad. It’s a shame.
But if you go to work because it’s a mitzvah just like putting on Tefillin, and know that the money is decided on Rosh Hashanah, and of course hope for success but realize that if you don’t make a great sale everyday it wasn’t a waste because toil is accomplishing, that is a mitzvah.
It’s interesting how we say at a Siyum: “They toil and don’t get rewarded, we toil and get rewarded.”
The Chafetz Chaim asks a famous question about this: Whom does this apply to? Does anyone work for free? The simple answer is that while in the secular world you get paid for production (for example a tailor doesn’t get paid if he doesn’t complete the job), in Learning, if you toil - even if you don’t accomplish, you get rewarded.
Here we see that this applies even to our work. We get rewarded by G-d for toiling, because we believe in Him, we are relying on Him and because we are doing what He told us to do- to go to work.