http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2006/05/pleasurable_par.htmlPleasurable Parnassa - part 1
Today and tomorrow, we'll be talking about how to take the pain and aggravation out of making a living
A fundamental principle in emuna that underlies parnassa, one's effort to earn money and make a living, is that a person's livelihood for the year is predetermined from Rosh Hashanna. You don't have to chase money with a net - Hashem gives it to you.
The practical manifestation of emuna is one's level of trust in Hashem. Trust includes the awareness that Hashem sustains all His creations, and that He does His job dependably. Therefore, those who trust Hashem aren't worried where their next meal is coming from; they know that He who has fed them in the past will continue to do so in the future. They also know that their livelihood doesn't depend on their craftiness or on their cunning – it depends on Hashem only.
No one can detract from the income that Hashem designates for a person. The Talmud states emphatically (tractate Yoma 38b) that one human is incapable of touching a fellow human's intended portion. Equipped with this basic fact, a person need not worry nor fear anyone or anything.
Trust in Hashem – internalizing the fundamental principle of emuna that one's livelihood is predetermined and exclusively from Hashem – enables a person to conduct his or her business affairs with confidence, a clear mind, and a healthy outlook. Stress, anxiety, and worry fall by the wayside. With trust in Hashem, a person goes through life with inner peace, avoiding the pitfalls of crazy wheeling, dealing, and chasing money at the expense of their physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Sound exaggerated? Here's what futile chases after money do to a person:
· Emotional damages – worry, anger, stress, and anxiety that also result in depression and severe changes of mood;
· Physical damages – the above emotional strains increase chances of heart disease, digestion disorders, strokes, and cardiovascular problems, heaven forbid. Also, they are springboards for substance use and addiction, namely, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.
· Spiritual damages – money chasers forget the Torah's laws, and often resort to dishonesty, fraud, thievery, and other transgressions, all of which severely blemish a person's soul.