The Hovot HaLevavot moves on to Unit Two: Bitachon when it comes to one’s assets.
We have previously discussed Bitachon related to food and health. We’re now talking about assets. He lists various jobs of the time such as treasurer, contractor, scribe, desert traveler, hunter, and other things people do to amass wealth. This is not about working day to day just for food, but to amass wealth. The proper attitude and intent, says the Hovot HaLevavot, is to work in order to have what you need to survive.
For example, a person with a family of four children needs a certain amount, let’s say $250,000 (just a random number, not based on research) to pay tuition and other expenses and live comfortably in Flatbush. So he should go out and get a job in order to earn enough to balance his budget and try to cover his expenses.
What happens, says the Hovot HaLevavot,
ואם יגזר לו הבורא בתוספת על זה
If G-d says He wants you to make more.
For example if G-d wants you to make 2.5 million instead of $250,000.
תבואהו מבלי טרח ויגיעה
It will come without any extra effort and toil
כאשר יבטח על האלהים בה
If you rely on G-d for it.
This is a big Hiddush!
What is considered a proper work ethic? Let’s say you go into the office at nine, you stay until six or seven and maybe you go sample shopping on weekends. Whatever is considered the normal effort is what is needed to make the $250,000.
There is no such thing, he says, as a new type of hishtadlut/effort called the millionaire/ billionaire effort. Billionaires don’t necessarily work longer or harder hours; the billionaires have merited a decree from G-d. If a person is covering his expenses with his efforts, and now wants to be super-wealthy, there is no more to do except maybe increase his Bitachon.
The Hovot HaLevavot bases this on the system: there’s a decree from G-d, you put in your efforts, there are intermediaries, and then G-d brings down the blessing.
That’s the way it works.
One might then assume that there must be different levels of effort, one for middle class, another for millionaires and then another for billionaires. The Hovot HaLevavot says no.
You figure out your expenses, put in the effort necessary to cover your expenses and lifestyle, and then if G-d decides to give you excess, that’s called beracha.
And he says:
ולא ירבה לחזר על הסבות ולא יסמך עליהן בלבו
Don’t start adding more intermediaries and don’t start relying on them.
Because if there was no decree for more,
אם היו משתדלים כל אשר בשמים ובארץ להוסיף עליו לא היו יכולים בשום פנים ולא בשום סבה.
If the whole heaven and earth were trying for you, they wouldn’t add any more. But if you rely on Hashem, He’ll bring you whatever serenity and peace of mind you need.
That’s a Hiddush in my humble opinion: That our hishtadlut boils down to the normal work ethic.
Research it if you like.
There are many, good people who work hard and remain middle class and there are very successful people who don’t work much harder (of course there are always exceptions).
Don’t assume that you’re not working hard enough if you’re not making more money.
What’s the key? The key is Bitachon. We can go through stories of people who hit on the right account, deal or product. Those are things that there is no hishtadlut for.
It’s been said that Warren Buffet spends most of his day thinking, until he gets the right deal. He’s not working harder, he’s working smarter.
That’s our rule:
Don’t work hard. Work smart. What does work smart mean? Work smart means put some Bitachon into your story.