The businessman's formula: "Ninety-five percent luck and five percent shekel; if I could, I would reduce the shekel component even more and add to luck"" • Rabbi Menachem Brod's column
What should a believing Jew do when faced with a challenge - try to solve the problem in earthly and natural ways or pray to God to save him?
Some see a contradiction between these two axes of action, but the truth is that Judaism requires them to be integrated with each other.
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Here, this week's Torah warns against a situation where a person attributes his success to his own strength and power, but rather he must remember that his success comes from God. But first, the abundance that a person achieves is described: "You will eat and be satisfied, and you will build good houses and live in them."."And your herds and your flocks shall multiply, and your silver and gold shall increase, and all that you have shall increase." This success did not fall to man from the sky, but he worked to achieve it - he built houses, raised herds of cattle and sheep, did business and accumulated silver and gold.
There is nothing wrong with this action. On the contrary, even in the parshah "And it came to pass, that if a man hears," which is included in our parshah, the actions of man are described: "And he shall gather in his grain, and shall inherit it, and shall make it fruitful." He does not sit idly by, but plows and sows, reaps and gathers, cultivates vineyards and grows olive trees. This is the order of life for most human beings (except for those of high spiritual stature, who can trust in God without having to act in the ways of nature).
Action as a tool for blessing
But with all human endeavor, we are required to remember that success itself comes from God. Man needs to know that "it was not by my power or the might of my hand that I gained this army for myself.""", but it was the divine blessing that bestowed upon him abundance and success: "And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the power to wage war.".
The business world also recognizes the centrality of divine blessing to success.
There is a story about one of the most successful businessmen in the world, who was asked what the secret of his success was, and he replied: "Ninety-five percent luck and five percent shekel; if I could, I would reduce the shekel component even more and add to luck." And what exactly is 'luck’? – It is the divine blessing that comes from above.
A person can do all the right things and fail, and can make every possible mistake – and succeed. Because with all due respect to our actions, they are merely a 'vessel' for receiving God's blessing, but the abundance itself depends on God's will.
Therefore, alongside natural and earthly activity, the Jew knows that success itself depends on trust in God, prayer, Torah study, observance of the mitzvot, and giving charity. All of these open the channels of abundance from above, and then our actions are successful.
To do and to believe
And as mentioned, faith does not contradict dealing with challenges with rational tools. If there is a medical problem – we go to a doctor. When there is a financial problem – we turn to a financial expert. Against a security challenge, we need to equip ourselves with appropriate weapons and provide a defensive or offensive response, as required.
But alongside all of this, we should not attribute success to ourselves, our skills, or our wisdom, but rather we should know that it is a blessing from heaven. When a Jew embarks on a certain action, he says that he hopes to do it 'with God's help,' and when he succeeds in it, he thanks God, the Almighty; because ultimately everything depends on the will of the Creator.
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