A Thought on Parashat Bechukotai: What Type Of Work Ethic Do You Really Have?

There is a well know pasuk in Iyov that says אדם לעמל יולד, a person was born to toil. What kind of toiling is this referring to?

Last week we discussed the concept of seeing our growth in avodat Hashem as an עול,  a yoke. It is crucial that we work on ourselves and not just do what comes easy in our service to Hashem. Rather, we should strive to toil and improve in areas that may be more difficult for us.

This idea connects beautifully to the first pasuk and Rashi in this week’s parasha.

״אם בחקתי תלכו״

רש׳׳י - שתהיו עמלים בתורה

Loosely translated, the Torah explains, “If you walk in My ways….” And what ways are these? To toil in Torah. To toil in avodat Hashem.

The Talmud in Mesechet Megilah (6b) says:

אם יאמר לך אדם יגעתי ולא מצאתי - אל תאמין

לא יגעתי ומצאתי - אל תאמין

יגעתי ומצאתי - תאמין

“If a person tells you I have worked hard and not been successful - don’t believe him,

If he says I have not worked hard, and have been successful - don’t believe him,

But if he says I worked hard and was successful - believe him.”

The Talmud is referring to our work in our Torah learning and avodat Hashem. If a person toils to study and understand Torah, he will surely accomplish this. But even after understanding the concepts, it will feel like he found a lost object, like he found something that he is fortunate to have. He will not see it as something he had it coming to him. He won’t see it as something he accomplished himself. Certainly, he he won't maintain it without continued work. He recognizes that he has to toil to both acquire and maintain it. That's why the Talmud said, if you don't toil and say you found it anyway, that can’t be true.

The Talmud continues: הני מלילי בדברי תורה, אבל במשא ומתן סייעתא דשמיא

״This need to toil is only by Torah. But parnasa, our livelihood is all from Hashem. What does this mean?

The sefer Otzrot Hatorah explains that this means that we work hard for livelihood, not because it will produce more money. Rather, we work hard due to the curse of Adam Harishon, בזעת אפך תאכל לחם, that is just our reality. But we should not mistakenly think that if we devote 24 hours a day to work and leave our avodat Hashem aside that we will make a better or even the same livelihood. Our livelihood is set by Hashem on Rosh Hashanah as the Talmud in Beitza 16 says, מזונותיו של אדם קבוצין לו מראש השנה עד ראש השנה.

The message of this week’s parasha is that we must not misplace our priorities. Some people reverse things and  they toil only in parnasa but when it comes to Torah they say "Hashem will help.” The reality is just the opposite. It is our spirituality that needs constant toiling.

There is a story with the great Rabbi Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik (grandfather of the The Rav) who once asked a student, “how are you doing?” and the student proceeded to tell him all the details of his professional successes and how he was seeing blessing from his toil. Rabbi Soloveitchik again asked, “how are you doing?” The student thought the Rabbi didn’t hear him the first time and repeated his answer about his financial successes. The Rabbi responded, I did not ask you how Hashem is doing, I asked how you are doing!”

The lessons seem obvious. We can all devote ourselves to learning more Torah, more often. There are so many shiurim in the community or online that we should take advantage of these opportunities to continue our learning. We are able to maximize the “downtime” we have, the in between moments when we can add a few drops of extra Torah into our lives.