A Person Receives Income in a Natural Manner So He Will See Only God’s Grandeur When a person prays for income, God does not send it to him in an immediate, miraculous manner but gradually, subject to the laws of cause and effect. The reason for this is as follows. A Jew derives his sustenance from the King. The King’s sovereignty and glory are commensurate with His humility: “In the place that you find His greatness, there you find His humility” (Megillah 31a). The sustenance that the King sends down to this world is divided into various classes — animal food, food for all human beings, kosher food, and so forth. The finest foods of the King give a person the ability to express beautiful words of blessings, prayers and other expressions of serving God. These words of beauty create a crown for the King that a person can “see.” A person should see the King only when He is in His state of beauty and grandeur, not in His state of smallness. If a person were to receive his income immediately, he would conceivably see the King at a time of His smallness, at the time that He diminishes Himself in His humility. But since a person’s income arrives by means of natural cause and effect, it comes only at certain times, when the person sees the King in His beauty and not in His diminished state. Gaining Income with Honor “The eyes of all turn to You, and You give them their food in its time. You open your hand and satisfy the desire of all living beings.”
Master of the world, give me income with honor before I need it, so that I will turn aside from evil and always do that which is good in Your eyes, and always truly be in accordance with Your good will.
Master of the world, I know that I am extremely far from earning a living honorably, because I have brought about so many blemishes that keep me away from You. I myself have compromised my actions and cheated myself of my income.
I come to You Who are filled with compassion like a poor person at the gate, like an indigent pauper begging from door to door, stretching out his hand and begging for an undeserved gift of lovingkindness.
Solely in Your vast compassion, solely in Your mighty lovingkindness, be gracious to me. Send me my income from Heaven. Provide me with all of my needs, and all of the needs of my family and all who depend on me and all who are connected to us, before we are in need, because our eyes are lifted to You alone. Our eyes hope in You and turn to You alone.
Master of the world, You transcend all cause and effect. In Your vast compassion, You can bring about a chain of events for the good so that income will come to us easily, without any distractions, difficulties, drudgery or natural series of cause and effect.
May our eating and drinking create beautiful words — blessings and praises to Your great and holy Name. And may these beautiful words rise and be bound with the King, and make a crown for You.
May we see this crown. As the verse states, “Daughters of Zion, go forth and see King Solomon in the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding and on the day of the joy of his heart.”
You can bring about a positive chain of cause and effect so that income will come to us with great swiftness, without any impediment at all, and without any drudgery, antecedent or difficulty at all. And with this, may we see the King in His beauty, “in the crown with which his mother crowned him,” which is composed of the beautiful words that are purified as a result of a person’s holy income and holy eating.
May the verse be realized in us, “May He Who redeems your life from the pit, He Who crowns You with lovingkindness and compassion, satiate your mouth with goodness so that your youth will be renewed like the eagle.”
Our Father in Heaven, act for Your sake. Have compassion on us and bring about a positive chain of cause and effect so that income will come to us before we need it. Send us everything we need, honorably, easily, permissibly, in great holiness and with tremendous breadth and ease.
You know that having debts and loans greatly distracts us from even the little bit of true Divine service that we are always preparing ourselves to begin.
Have compassion on me and on us, our compassionate Father, You Who sustain the entire world with Your goodness, graciousness, lovingkindness and compassion. Give us — all of our companions and all of the Jewish people — an honorable livelihood before we need it, so that we will not have to trouble our minds about income at all.
Do not make us dependent on the gifts and loans of flesh and blood, but on Your full, open, holy and broad hand, so that we will never be ashamed or humiliated.
May the verse quickly be realized in us, “Your eyes shall see the King in His beauty; they will see from a distant land” — quickly, in our days. Amen. May it be Your will.
[עַל־פִּי תּוֹרָה ט"ז - הִקְשׁוּ לְעִנְיָן הַפַּרְנָסָה]
עֵינֵי כֹל אֵלֶיךָ יְשַׂבֵּרוּ וְאַתָּה נוֹתֵן לָהֶם אֶת אָכְלָם בְּעִתּוֹ, פּוֹתֵחַ אֶת יָדֶיךָ וּמַשְׂבִּיעַ לְכָל חַי רָצוֹן.
A Person Receives Income in a Natural Manner So He Will See Only God’s Grandeur
When a person prays for income, God does not send it to him in an immediate, miraculous manner but gradually, subject to the laws of cause and effect. The reason for this is as follows.
A Jew derives his sustenance from the King.
The King’s sovereignty and glory are commensurate with His humility: “In the place that you find His greatness, there you find His humility” (Megillah 31a).
The sustenance that the King sends down to this world is divided into various classes — animal food, food for all human beings, kosher food, and so forth. The finest foods of the King give a person the ability to express beautiful words of blessings, prayers and other expressions of serving God. These words of beauty create a crown for the King that a person can “see.”
A person should see the King only when He is in His state of beauty and grandeur, not in His state of smallness.
If a person were to receive his income immediately, he would conceivably see the King at a time of His smallness, at the time that He diminishes Himself in His humility. But since a person’s income arrives by means of natural cause and effect, it comes only at certain times, when the person sees the King in His beauty and not in His diminished state.
Gaining Income with Honor
“The eyes of all turn to You, and You give them their food in its time. You open your hand and satisfy the desire of all living beings.”
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, תֶּן לִי פַּרְנָסָה בְּכָבוֹד קֹדֶם שֶׁאֶצְטָרֵךְ לָהּ, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לָסוּר מֵרַע וְלַעֲשׂוֹת הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ תָמִיד, וְלִהְיוֹת כִּרְצוֹנְךָ הַטּוֹב בֶּאֱמֶת,
Master of the world, give me income with honor before I need it, so that I will turn aside from evil and always do that which is good in Your eyes, and always truly be in accordance with Your good will.
כִּי אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ כַּמָּה הַפַּרְנָסָה מְבַלְבֶּלֶת אוֹתִי וּמוֹנַעַת אוֹתִי וּמַחְלֶשֶׁת דַּעְתִּי מִלְּהִתְחַזֵּק בַּעֲבוֹדָתֶךָ.
You know how much the need to earn a living diverts me, hinders me and weakens my consciousness, so that I do not strengthen myself in serving You.
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אֲנִי רָחוֹק מִפַּרְנָסָה בְּכָבוֹד מְאֹד מְאֹד, כִּי פָּגַמְתִּי נֶגְדְּךָ מְאֹד, הֲרֵעוֹתִי אֶת מַעֲשַׂי וְקִפַּחְתִּי אֶת פַּרְנָסָתִי.
Master of the world, I know that I am extremely far from earning a living honorably, because I have brought about so many blemishes that keep me away from You. I myself have compromised my actions and cheated myself of my income.
אֲבָל בָּאתִי לְפָנֶיךָ מָלֵא רַחֲמִים, כְּעָנִי בַּפֶּתַח כְּדַל וְאֶבְיוֹן הַמַּחֲזִיר עַל הַפְּתָחִים, פּוֹרֵשׂ כַּפָּיו, שׁוֹאֵל וּמְבַקֵּשׁ מַתְּנַת חִנָּם וְנִדְבַת חֶסֶד,
I come to You Who are filled with compassion like a poor person at the gate, like an indigent pauper begging from door to door, stretching out his hand and begging for an undeserved gift of lovingkindness.
שֶׁתְּחָנֵּנִי בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים לְבַד, בַּחֲסָדֶיךָ הָעֲצוּמִים לְבַד, וְתַזְמִין לִי פַּרְנָסָתִי מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וְתִתֶּן לִי כָּל צְרָכַי וְכָל צָרְכֵי אַנְשֵׁי בֵיתִי וְכָל הַתְּלוּיִם בִּי וְכָל הַנִּלְוִים אֵלֵינוּ קֹדֶם שֶׁנִּצְטָרֵךְ לָהֶם, כִּי עֵינֵינוּ לְךָ לְבַד תְּלוּיוֹת, עֵינֵינוּ לְךָ לְבַד מְצַפּוֹת וּמְחַכּוֹת:
Solely in Your vast compassion, solely in Your mighty lovingkindness, be gracious to me. Send me my income from Heaven. Provide me with all of my needs, and all of the needs of my family and all who depend on me and all who are connected to us, before we are in need, because our eyes are lifted to You alone. Our eyes hope in You and turn to You alone.
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אַנְתְּ הוּא לְעֵלָּא מִן כָּל הָעִלּוֹת וְהַסִּבּוֹת, וְאַתָּה יָכוֹל לְסַבֵּב סִבּוֹת לְטוֹבָה בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ לָנוּ הַפַּרְנָסָה בְּנָקֵל בְּלִי שׁוּם בִּלְבּוּלִים וּבְלִי שׁוּם טִרְדּוֹת וִיגִיעוֹת, וּבְלִי שׁוּם סִבּוֹת עַל פִּי דֶרֶךְ הַטֶּבַע,
Master of the world, You transcend all cause and effect. In Your vast compassion, You can bring about a chain of events for the good so that income will come to us easily, without any distractions, difficulties, drudgery or natural series of cause and effect.
רַק שֶׁתַּזְמִין לָנוּ בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים הַפַּרְנָסָה בְּנָקֵל וּבִמְהִירוּת גָּדוֹל, וְתִהְיֶה נִמְשֶׁכֶת הַפַּרְנָסָה אֵלֵינוּ לְטוֹבָה בְּהַרְחָבָה גְּדוֹלָה.
In Your vast compassion, send us income easily and swiftly. May our livelihood come to us for the good with great ease.
וְנִזְכֶּה לְבָרֵר הַפַּרְנָסָה בִּקְדֻשָּׁה גְּדוֹלָה, שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לֶאֱכֹל וְלִשְׁתּוֹת בִּקְדֻשָּׁה וּבְטָהֳרָה גְּדוֹלָה, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה שֶּׁתִּתְבָּרֵר אֲכִילָתֵינוּ וּשְׁתִיָּתֵנוּ, וְיִהְיוּ נַעֲשִׂים מֵהֶם בֵּרוּרִים קְדוֹשִׁים בִּבְחִינַת קְטֹרֶת,
May we purify our income with great holiness. May our eating and drinking be so holy and pure that they will correspond to the incense-offering.
עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ נַעֲשִׂים מֵהֶם אִמְרֵי שָׁפֶר, שֶׁהֵם בְּרָכוֹת וְהוֹדָאוֹת לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ. וְאֵלּוּ הָאִמְרֵי שָׁפֶר יַעֲלוּ וְיִתְחַבְּרוּ עִם הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְיִהְיֶה נַעֲשָׂה מֵהֶם עֲטָרָה לְהַמֶּלֶךְ,
May our eating and drinking create beautiful words — blessings and praises to Your great and holy Name. And may these beautiful words rise and be bound with the King, and make a crown for You.
וְנִזְכֶּה לִרְאוֹת הָעֲטָרָה הַזֹּאת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב, צְאֵינָה וּרְאֵינָה בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן בַּמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה, בָּעֲטָרָה שֶׁעִטְּרָה לּוֹ אִמּוֹ בְּיוֹם חֲתֻנָּתוֹ וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ.
May we see this crown. As the verse states, “Daughters of Zion, go forth and see King Solomon in the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding and on the day of the joy of his heart.”
וְנִזְכֶּה לִרְאוֹת אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּיָפְיוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב, מֶלֶךְ בְּיָפְיוֹ תֶּחֱזֶינָה עֵינֶיךָ,
May we see the King in his beauty. As the verse states, “Your eyes will see the King in his beauty.”
וְאַל תְּעַכֵּב פַּרְנָסוֹתֵינוּ בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה, כִּי אַתָּה כֹּל תּוּכָל וְלֹא יִבָּצֵר מִמְּךָ מְזִמָּה.
Do not delay our income. “You can do everything; no purpose can be withheld from You.”
כִּי אַתָּה יָכוֹל לְסַבֵּב סִבּוֹת לְטוֹבָה בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁתָּבוֹא לָנוּ הַפַּרְנָסָה בִּמְהִירוּת גָּדוֹל בְּלִי שׁוּם עִכּוּב כְּלָל, וּבְלִי שׁוּם עֵסֶק וְסִבָּה וּבְלִי שׁוּם טִרְדָּא כְּלָל, וְעִם כָּל זֶה נִזְכֶּה לִרְאוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּיָפְיוֹ בָּעֲטָרָה שֶׁעִטְּרָה לּוֹ אִמּוֹ, הַנַּעֲשֵׂית מִן הָאִמְרֵי שָׁפֶר הַמִּתְבָּרְרִים עַל־יְדֵי הַפַּרְנָסָה וְהָאֲכִילָה דִּקְדֻשָּׁה.
You can bring about a positive chain of cause and effect so that income will come to us with great swiftness, without any impediment at all, and without any drudgery, antecedent or difficulty at all. And with this, may we see the King in His beauty, “in the crown with which his mother crowned him,” which is composed of the beautiful words that are purified as a result of a person’s holy income and holy eating.
וְקַיֵּם לָנוּ מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב, הַגּוֹאֵל מִשַּׁחַת חַיָּיְכִי הַמְּעַטְּרֵכִי חֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים, הַמַּשְּׂבִּיעַ בַּטּוֹב עֶדְיֵךְ תִּתְחַדֵּשׁ כַּנֶּשֶׁר נְעוּרָיְכִי:
May the verse be realized in us, “May He Who redeems your life from the pit, He Who crowns You with lovingkindness and compassion, satiate your mouth with goodness so that your youth will be renewed like the eagle.”
אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַנְךָ וְרַחֵם עָלֵינוּ וּתְסַבֵּב סִבּוֹת לְטוֹבָה, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁתַּגִּיעַ לָנוּ הַפַּרְנָסָה קֹדֶם שֶׁנִּצְטָרֵךְ לָהּ, וְתַזְמִין כָּל צָרְכֵינוּ בְּכָבוֹד וּבְנַחַת וּבְהֶתֵּר וּבִקְדֻשָּׁה גְּדוֹלָה וּבְהַרְחָבָה וְנַחַת גָּדוֹל.
Our Father in Heaven, act for Your sake. Have compassion on us and bring about a positive chain of cause and effect so that income will come to us before we need it. Send us everything we need, honorably, easily, permissibly, in great holiness and with tremendous breadth and ease.
וְתַצִּילֵנוּ מֵחוֹבוֹת וְהַלְוָאוֹת, וְתַעַזְרֵנוּ לְסַלֵּק מְהֵרָה כָּל הַחוֹבוֹת וְהַלְוָאוֹת שֶׁאָנוּ מְחֻיָּבִים מִכְּבָר, וְתִשְׁמְרֵנוּ מֵעַתָּה מִלָּבוֹא לִידֵי חוֹב עוֹד לְעוֹלָם,
Keep us from incurring debts and loans. Help us quickly pay off all of our debts and loans, and guard us from ever being in debt again.
כִּי אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהַחוֹבוֹת וְהַהַלְוָאוֹת מְבַלְבְּלִים אוֹתָנוּ מְאֹד מִמְּעַט עֲבוֹדָתֶיךָ שֶׁאָנוּ מְכִינִים עַצְמֵינוּ בְּכָל עֵת לְהַתְחִיל בַּעֲבוֹדָתְךָ בֶּאֱמֶת.
You know that having debts and loans greatly distracts us from even the little bit of true Divine service that we are always preparing ourselves to begin.
רַחֵם עָלַי וְעָלֵינוּ אָבִינוּ אָב הָרַחֲמָן, הַזָּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ בְּטוּבוֹ בְּחֵן וּבְחֶסֶד וּבְרַחֲמִים, וְתֵן לִי וּלְכָל חֶבְרָתֵנוּ וּלְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל פַּרְנָסָה בְּכָבוֹד קֹדֶם שֶׁנִּצְטָרֵךְ לָהּ. בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁלֹּא נִצְטָרֵךְ לְהַטְרִיד דַּעְתֵּנוּ בְּהַפַּרְנָסָה כְּלָל,
Have compassion on me and on us, our compassionate Father, You Who sustain the entire world with Your goodness, graciousness, lovingkindness and compassion. Give us — all of our companions and all of the Jewish people — an honorable livelihood before we need it, so that we will not have to trouble our minds about income at all.
וְאַל תַּצְרִיכֵנוּ לֹא לִידֵי מַתְּנַת בָּשָׂר וָדָם וְלֹא לִידֵי הַלְוָאָתָם, כִּי אִם לְיָדְךָ הַמְּלֵאָה הַפְּתוּחָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה וְהָרְחָבָה, שֶׁלֹּא נֵבוֹשׁ וְלֹא נִכָּלֵם לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.
Do not make us dependent on the gifts and loans of flesh and blood, but on Your full, open, holy and broad hand, so that we will never be ashamed or humiliated.
וְנִזְכֶּה לְבָרֵר הַפַּרְנָסָה בִּקְדֻשָּׁה וּבְטָהֳרָה גְּדוֹלָה בִּבְחִינַת קְטֹרֶת הַמְשַׂמֵּחַ אֶת הַלֵּב.
May we purify our income with great holiness and purity, corresponding to the incenseoffering, which gives joy to the heart.
וְתָבִיא לָנוּ אֶת מְשִׁיחַ צִדְקֵנוּ בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ, וְיִמְלֹךְ עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְעַל כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ,
Bring us our righteous Mashiach quickly, in our days. May he rule over us, over all of the Jewish people, and over the entire world.
וִיקֻיַּם בָּנוּ מְהֵרָה מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב, מֶלֶךְ בְּיָפְיוֹ תֶּחֱזֶינָה עֵינֶיךָ תִּרְאֶינָה אֶרֶץ מַרְחַקִּים. בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
May the verse quickly be realized in us, “Your eyes shall see the King in His beauty; they will see from a distant land” — quickly, in our days. Amen. May it be Your will.