“See to it that all of your actions come about with reference to God, and your thoughts will be established.” (Mishlei, 16:3) A man shall cast all of his actions to God, meaning that all the intentions of his actions are done for the glory of Heaven, and then his thoughts will be established. Then even if he cannot bring his intentions into action, nevertheless he will be strengthened from God and they will be established forever. We find this with David haMelech, who thought to build the Holy Temple even though he had been told that this endeavor was not in his portion, but rather for his son Shlomo. At first glance it seems that this thought was in vain. Nonetheless, God illuminated into him that it was well and good that this was in his heart, as it was God’s will that the first thought of the building of the Holy Temple would come to David haMelech, and the completion of the action be done by Shlomo.
“It is up to God to measure man’s actions on the scales of justice, all weights in the pocket for the scale are His work.” (Mishlei, 16:11) “It is up to God to measure man’s actions on the scales of justice” means that all mitzvot and good actions are very precious in the eyes of God. However, “His work,” meaning whom God will choose, all are “weights for the scale.” This means an action that man made the effort to make happen. These are the “weights in the pocket,”9A great effort as opposed to a small effort, like a heavy or a light weight, will be equal to a similar reward on the other side of the scale. or a place where he makes a greater effort. This is similar to Rashi’s explanation to the chapter, “if it gets dark while one is on the way” (Shabbat, 153a), on the necessity of entrusting his purse to a Gentile at the onset of Shabbat. The Gemara asks why this is taught concerning his money and not a valuable object he happened to find. Rashi answers that his money is something that he exerted himself to gain, and therefore would be more likely to want to keep it. Even the smallest of the small is willing to do a good action that does not require a monetary sacrifice. But when one is asked to exert himself and spend money, there you see all the difference in levels of people in the world.
גֹּל אֶל ה' מַעֲשֶׂיךָ וְיִכֹּנוּ מַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ. הַיְינוּ שֶׁהָאָדָם יְגַלְגֵּל כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו אֶל ה' וְהוּא שֶׁכָּל כַּוָּנָתוֹ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו לֹא יִהְיֶה רַק לִכְבוֹד שָׁמַיִם וְאָז יִכּוֹנוּ מַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו. וְהוּא, כִּי אַף שֶׁלֹּא יוּכְלוּ לָצֵאת לַפֹּעַל עַל הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, מִכָּל מָקוֹם יִתְחַזְּקוּ מֵאֵת הַש"י וְיִתְקַיְּמוּ לְעוֹלָם, וְכֵן מָצִינוּ בְּדָוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם שֶׁחָשַׁב לִבְנוֹת אֶת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ וְאַף שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ שֶׁאֵין זֶה שַׁיָּךְ לְחֶלְקוֹ רַק לִבְנוֹ שְׁלֹמֹה, וּלְפִי רְאוּת עַיִן יִתְרָאֶה כִּי הַמַּחְשָׁבָה הַזֹּאת הָיְתָה דָּבָר בָּטֵל, וְעִם כָּל זֶה הֵאִיר לוֹ הַש"י כִּי הֵיטִיב אֲשֶׁר הָיָה עִם לְבָבוֹ, כִּי כָּךְ הָיָה רְצוֹן הַש"י שֶׁרֵאשִׁית הַמַּחְשָׁבָה עַל בִּנְיַן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ יִהְיֶה לְדָוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם וְהַמַּעֲשֶׂה יִגָּמֵר עַל יְדֵי שְׁלֹמֹה.
“See to it that all of your actions come about with reference to God, and your thoughts will be established.” (Mishlei, 16:3)
A man shall cast all of his actions to God, meaning that all the intentions of his actions are done for the glory of Heaven, and then his thoughts will be established. Then even if he cannot bring his intentions into action, nevertheless he will be strengthened from God and they will be established forever. We find this with David haMelech, who thought to build the Holy Temple even though he had been told that this endeavor was not in his portion, but rather for his son Shlomo. At first glance it seems that this thought was in vain. Nonetheless, God illuminated into him that it was well and good that this was in his heart, as it was God’s will that the first thought of the building of the Holy Temple would come to David haMelech, and the completion of the action be done by Shlomo.
פֶּלֶס וּמֹאזְנֵי מִשְׁפָּט לַה' מַעֲשֵׂהוּ כָּל אַבְנֵי כִיס. "פֶּלֶס וּמֹאזְנֵי מִשְׁפָּט לַה'" הַיְינוּ כִּי כָל הַמִּצְוֹת וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים הֵם מְאֹד יְקָרִים בְּעֵינֵי הַש"י, אַךְ "מַעֲשֵׂהוּ" הַיְינוּ בְּמִי בּוֹחֵר הַש"י, "כָּל אַבְנֵי כִיס" הַיְינוּ מַעֲשֵׂה טוֹבָה הַבָּאָה לָאָדָם עַל יְדֵי שֶׁיּוֹצִיא עַל זֶה מָה, וְזֶהוּ "כָּל אַבְנֵי כִיס" הַיְינוּ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁיּוֹצִיא עַל זֶה יְגִיעָה וּכְמוֹ שֶׁפֵּירֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י בְּפֶרֶק מִי שֶׁהֶחְשִׁיךְ (שבת קנ"ג.) עַל מַאֲמַר הַגְּמָרָא פְּשִׁיטָא כִּסוֹ תְּנַן וּפֵי' שֶׁבָּא בִּיגִיעָה, כִּי לְמַעֲשֶׂה טוֹב שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ חֶסְרוֹן כִּיס וִיגִיעָה, לָזֶה מוּכָנִים כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ אַף הַקָּטָן שֶׁבַּקְּטַנִּים, אַךְ בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁיָּבֹא לָאָדָם בִּיגִיעָה וְחֶסְרוֹן כִּיס בָּזֶה יִמָּצְאוּ כָּל הַמַּדְרֵגוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם.
“It is up to God to measure man’s actions on the scales of justice, all weights in the pocket for the scale are His work.” (Mishlei, 16:11)
“It is up to God to measure man’s actions on the scales of justice” means that all mitzvot and good actions are very precious in the eyes of God. However, “His work,” meaning whom God will choose, all are “weights for the scale.” This means an action that man made the effort to make happen. These are the “weights in the pocket,”9A great effort as opposed to a small effort, like a heavy or a light weight, will be equal to a similar reward on the other side of the scale. or a place where he makes a greater effort. This is similar to Rashi’s explanation to the chapter, “if it gets dark while one is on the way” (Shabbat, 153a), on the necessity of entrusting his purse to a Gentile at the onset of Shabbat. The Gemara asks why this is taught concerning his money and not a valuable object he happened to find. Rashi answers that his money is something that he exerted himself to gain, and therefore would be more likely to want to keep it. Even the smallest of the small is willing to do a good action that does not require a monetary sacrifice. But when one is asked to exert himself and spend money, there you see all the difference in levels of people in the world.