Paths of Faith: Attributing Our Successes to Hashem

At times, we tend to feel that our success is due to our own efforts. We must remember to attribute it to Hashem. Indeed, we make efforts to achieve our goals, but talents and outcomes, they all come from Hashem! To know this, live this, and speak this aloud!

Leah named all her children with reference to Hashem – to show that everything comes from Him. Reuben – because "Hashem hath looked upon my affliction," Simeon – "because Hashem has heard," and so on, for she deeply recognized that all is from Him, blessed be He.

The "Kedushat Levi" explains that every success should be attributed to Hashem. Don’t say: my child is successful because of my educational principles... I succeeded because Hashem helped. Similarly, when prosperity comes in abundance, do not attribute it to your business acumen, ability to seize opportunities, or even diligence and readiness for hard work – remember that Hashem is the nourisher and provider and to Him is the salvation.

(Further on livelihood – and faith that one does not touch what is prepared for another – extensively discussed in the fifth chapter dealing with trust in provision.)

We must know that Hashem granted free will to man and it seems to a person as if he is acting, doing, and succeeding, but the truth is that if he succeeds, it is only because it has been predetermined that he should succeed and that Hashem caused him to succeed. So it is told in the Midrash Rabbah (Parshat Vayishlach Parsha 79), that when Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai emerged from the cave, he saw a man hunting birds, and Rabbi Shimon, in his high level, heard how each time he shot an arrow, a heavenly voice proclaimed whether the hunter would succeed in catching the bird or not. The hunter surely thought to himself that he was a skilled hunter and that he succeeded then because he aimed better, while the heavenly voice was hidden from him...

When a person becomes boastful in his success and believes he can do everything, Hashem causes him not to succeed. A chilling story is told by our sages about Bar Kochba, who was immensely strong, such that he would catch catapult stones with his hands and throw them back to kill several people (Jerusalem Talmud, Taanit Chapter 4, Halacha 5). Bar Kochba launched a massive revolt against Rome, coming with a mighty and enormous army of soldiers. Bar Kochba’s army soldiers were particularly brave, as our sages recount. To enlist in his army, one had to pass a test amputating a finger, later replaced with a test that enlisted only those able to uproot a cedar from its place while on horseback.

When Bar Kochba went forth with his heroic soldiers in a revolt against Rome, he arrogantly declared to Hashem: "Ruler of the universe, neither aid nor disgrace us," “Have You not cast us off, O Hashem? You no longer march with our armies.”

Hashem saw how he attributed his success to his own strength and forgot that everything was from Hashem – and did not assist him, delivering him into the hands of the Romans. They killed half a million of his soldiers, so many were the dead, that for seven years, blood flowed in the city of Betar and there was no need to water the soil.

Everything is from Hashem, and whoever takes by force loses it all

Writes the author of "Sefer Chasidim" that in reality, no one can take anything from a person – because if taken, it is not truly theirs, for it has been decreed in heaven that it should not be theirs. Why, then, is it considered an expiation of sins when a person loses something? Because Hashem makes it appear as if it was theirs, so that the loss would serve as atonement for their soul. What is destined for you will come to you specifically through faith and not by force. The story of Korach proves it.

According to the author of "Chidushei HaRim," Korach was destined to be a "Great Levi" – just as there is a "High Priest" there had to be a "Great Levi." This role was assigned to him due to his greatness – this can also be seen from the fact that when he did not receive the position, no one else could take it in his place. To be worthy of the great role, Korach had to pass an appropriate test for the rank designated to him – for as great as the level, so is the test. What was Korach's test? It was a great trial to accept the leadership of Moses and Aaron and not to rebel against them to seek leadership for himself. If he had passed this test, he would have obtained the high status of "Great Levi," but he revolted and wanted to seize everything by force – and ended up in a complete disagreement against Moses and Aaron. Therefore, he lost everything. This was essentially Korach's entire mistake. He thought that a person could take for himself by force. He forgot that all power and abilities – they are from Hashem, and precisely because of this, he lost everything. Just as one cannot turn day into night and vice versa – one cannot change Hashem’s choice to elevate someone to leadership.

Moses our teacher said to Korach and his assembly: "In the morning, Hashem will show who belongs to Him" (Numbers 16:5). The Midrash Tanchuma states: "Moses said to them, God has set boundaries in His world, can you turn morning into evening? So you cannot annul this [just as you cannot turn morning into evening, so you cannot take a role not meant for you.] As it is said, it was evening and it was morning (Genesis 1:5) and He separated (there 4), so He separated Aaron to sanctify him etc. (Chronicles 1 23:13) [just as Hashem separated between morning and evening, so He separated Aaron for his role, and you cannot take it by force]." And in the Talmud (Nedarim 39b), it is brought down that the sun and the moon said that if this is how Korach and his assembly behave, they will not shine upon the world, and the righteous explain that the distinction between what one person should receive and what another should receive is a stronger separation than the laws of nature!

As a Jew lives with faith, they will know that taking by force does not yield results. Faith is to remember that what is yours will remain yours, and what isn’t – you will not acquire even if you turn the world upside down.

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