TODAY – SEGULAH FOR PARNASSAH: Recite Parshas of the Mana
Today, Tuesday of Parshas Beshalach, is a special day. Seforim tell us that it is extremely prudent to utilize this day to pray for parnassah, livelihood, for the next 12 months.
It is a widespread and accepted custom to recite "Parshas Hamonn," the portion in the Torah that describes the way Hashem provided monn (i.e., parnassah from heaven) for the Yidden in the Midbar. This can be found in Sefer Shemos, Perek 16: 4-36. It is customary to read the pesukim twice and the Targum once, and also to recite a short tefillah for sustenance beforehand. (Click here for the tefillah as well as for the ArtScroll English translation of these pesukim. Click here for the parsha, including the Targum Onkelos.)
Reciting this parsha reminds us that just as Hashem sustained the Jews then, so too, He – and He alone – provides for each and every one of us now.
With Hashgacha Pratis, Divine Providence, Hashem looks after our every need down to the most minute and seemingly mundane detail.
The following is a short yet powerful essay by Rav Yissocher Frand, which teaches us an important lesson:
One Who Cheats In His Business Doesn't Believe in G-d
By: Rav Yissocher Frand
Parshas
Mishpatim begins "And these are the statutes that you shall place
before them." There is a very famous Rashi on the words "And these".
Normally "these" would mean "to the exclusion of others". But Rashi says
that the conjunction "and" adds to what came before (vov mosif), in
Parshas Yisro.
In
Parshas Yisro, G-d gave us the Ten Commandments. Rashi here says that
just as the Ten Commandments were given at Sinai, so too the laws that
are recorded in Parshas Mishpatim were also given at Sinai.
The
truth of the matter is that this Rashi requires understanding. There is
another famous Rashi [Vayikra 25:1] on the words "On Mount Sinai"
(mentioned in connection with Shmita) which asks, "What is the
connection between Shmitah and Mount Sinai?" Rashi there answers that
just like the laws of Shmita were given with all their rules and
intricate details at Sinai, so too all other commands were given with
their rules and intricate details at Sinai.
If
that is the case, what is Rashi adding here, by telling us that the
laws of Parshas Mishpatim were given at Sinai? We know that — the whole
Torah was given at Sinai!
The
Ramba"n says a very interesting thing. According to the Ramba"n,
Parshas Mishpatim and the Parsha of the Ten Commandments were said
together at the initial meeting of G-d with Moshe on Sinai (prior to the
40 day period when Moshe learned the rest of the Torah). Subsequent to
that, Moshe Rabbeinu came down, taught the Jewish people what he had
learned from G-d and then went back up to Mount Sinai to learn more.
What
emerges from this Ramba"n is that the laws of one ox goring another ox,
of digging a hole in the public domain, or paying workers on time, all
the mundane intricacies of life have the same status and were given at
the same time as the Ten Commandments. Therefore, Rashi is stating
something significant.
But,
is it not peculiar that almost in the same breath as G-d spoke "I am
the L-rd your G-d who took you out from Egypt…", the foundation of
Judaism, He also told us about our responsibilities when we borrow our
neighbor's car?
Why does Parshas Mishpatim rate the same session as "I am the L-rd your G-d"?
Rav
Moshe Feinstein, zt"l, said that this comes to teach us that if a
person does not keep Parshas Mishpatim (monetary laws), he doesn't
believe in "I am the L-rd your G-d" either.
"I
am the L-rd your G-d" is the theory — I believe. But the other side of
the coin, the practice, is do you cheat in your business? If you cheat
in your business, you do not believe in "I am the L-rd your G-d".
Rav
Moshe continues, if a person believes in G-d with more than lip
service, then the person believes that G-d provides him with a
livelihood. If a person believes that G-d provides the livelihood, then
what reason is there to cheat? "A person's livelihood is fixed for him
from Rosh HaShannah" [Beitzah 16a]. If one believes that, there is no
need to cheat. Anyone who cheats, does not believe it.
That is why "I am the L-rd your G-d" is in the same session as the law of how to pay one's workers.
There
was recently a meeting in New York of the Association of Jewish
Certified Public Accountants; an organization appropriately called
Cheshbon. Rav Schwab told this group that a person who is dishonest in
business is a Kofer b'Ikkar (He denies G-d). For the same reason that we
just mentioned — that if a person really believed, he would not need to
cheat. One cheats because he thinks — "this will get me the parnossah".
Cheating indicates that he does not believe that G-d will take care of
him.
Then
Rav Schwab continued by saying the following. "You will ask that we see
people who cheat a tremendous amount and are nonetheless, successful.
Now if parnossah comes from G-d, how can that be?"
Rav
Schwab explained that such people's money comes from the 'Sitra Achra',
from the forces of impurity in the world, not from G-d. No good will
ever come out of the money that comes from the powers of impurity
(Kochos HaTumah) in the world. He or his children or someone down the
line will never see satisfaction (nachas) from that money.
The
'test' of earning a livelihood is not only a test of telling the truth,
of not stealing, etc. It is a test of 'I am the L-rd your G-d'. Daily,
we are put to the 'test' of whether or not we really believe. If we
really, really believe, then there is never a reason to be less than
100% honest in our dealings with other people and with ourselves.
{Matzav.com Newscenter}
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