How Much Effort Should You Make? Understanding Faith and Personal Responsibility in Judaism

A foundational truth about trusting in God is that the Creator does not desire that His children suffer or toil excessively for their livelihood. On the contrary, God would prefer to see His children living in peace of mind and tranquility, dedicating their time to Torah study and acts of kindness.

However, that ideal state could lead some to forget God and betray their spiritual responsibilities. Therefore, if we can prove to God that even if He grants us material abundance and peace, we will use it for good, humble our hearts before Him, and constantly seek how to bring Him joy, then surely God will be pleased to bestow upon us ample sustenance and serenity, so we can serve Him wholeheartedly.

The Central Question: How Much Effort Is Required?

The key question in the realm of faith is how much effort (hishtadlut) must we make?

• Should I take on extra work hours when finances are tight?

• Should I look for a second job?

• Should I go to a doctor when I feel unwell? Or find the best possible doctor?

• Should I take a loan from the bank to buy a house, or wait for God to send the full amount?

• Should a couple seek fertility treatments after years without children?

• Should I ask my boss for a raise, or trust that God will provide through another source?

• Should I undergo medical tests during pregnancy to ensure the baby’s health?

• Should a kollel (Torah-studying) husband go to work if the household is struggling?

• Should I contact more matchmakers if I haven't found my match yet?

• Should I use a realtor to find a home, or keep searching on my own?

God Created the Need for Effort, As a Test

God embedded effort into the natural world, partly to test human beings: Will they still believe that the results come solely from Him, even after making their own efforts?

Consider a person who works hard all month and gets his paycheck from his employer. This creates a great spiritual test: Will he remember that this money was already decreed for him on Rosh Hashanah?

As the Talmud (Beitzah 16) teaches: “A person’s livelihood is set for him from Rosh Hashanah to Rosh Hashanah.” His month of labor didn’t change that decree in the slightest.

The same is true when someone goes to a doctor and gets better after treatment. Will he recognize that it wasn’t the medicine that healed him, but God’s will?

In every form of effort we make, the outcome is from God alone.
God commands us to make efforts, to test whether we believe that those efforts are only a command from Him, and in themselves have no real power.

As King David said (Psalms 40:5): “Happy is the man who puts his trust in the Lord, and does not turn to the arrogant or those who stray into lies.”

The Sages explain that this verse refers to Joseph the Righteous, who asked Pharaoh’s butler to help him get out of prison. Because of this small request: “remember me” and “mention me”, Joseph was punished with two extra years in prison.

Was this really a sin? After all, he was in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Isn’t it reasonable to ask for help when an influential person crosses your path? Why was this minor effort recorded in Psalms as a permanent blemish?

The answer is simple: Joseph was on a unique spiritual level.
As it says (Genesis 39:2): “And God was with Joseph, and he was a successful man.”

The Sages explain that God’s Presence rested upon everything Joseph did, and all his efforts succeeded beyond the laws of nature.
He had learned Torah with Jacob, the greatest of the patriarchs, and had seen open miracles in his life. For this reason, God expected more from him: He should have known that asking a wicked Egyptian, who even spoke of him disrespectfully to Pharaoh (Genesis 41:12, "a Hebrew youth, a servant"), was beneath his level of faith.

Joseph’s punishment was not because effort is forbidden, but because at his elevated level, any reliance on human help reflected a lack of full trust in God, who could have released him instantly.

“God Will Bless You in All That You Do” (Deuteronomy 14:29) The Sages explain (Yalkut Shimoni, Devarim): “You must act, and God will assist you so that you succeed.”

What Is the Proper Level of Effort?

On one hand, we are obligated to make an effort, but on the  other, we are taught that our livelihood is already determined. 
What’s the point of putting in effort, if we’re going to get what’s been decreed for us anyway?

The level of effort depends on a person’s trust in God. Not only the type of effort, but the amount of effort as well.

Health and Livelihood

Health: If a person feels a mild stomach ache, and truly believes that God can heal him without any medicine, and thinks: “It’s not serious, it will pass soon,” and if he sincerely feels that no doctor is needed, then he is not obligated to seek treatment, and can trust that God will heal him directly.

However, if a person is experiencing intense pain and truly feels that only medication or a doctor’s intervention will help, then he is required to take action, because his faith isn’t yet strong enough to rely on healing without effort.

Livelihood: If someone genuinely believes that working just two hours a day is enough for God to send him all his needs through that channel, then he is not required to work more than that.
He should spend the rest of his time on Torah and good deeds, and trust that God will provide.

As it says (Psalms 55:23): “Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you.” If however a person feels anxious about relying on just two hours of work and believes that more effort is needed to earn a proper living, then he must do more, until he reaches the level where he is confident that the effort is enough.

The greater one’s trust in God, the less effort is needed. In truth, God doesn’t need our efforts at all in order to provide for us. He only requires effort from us in proportion to the level of our faith — to test us and help us grow.

The more we trust Him, the more we’ll see that even with minimal effort, He can shower us with all that we need.