On Tuesday, January 23, Mrs. Dina Schoonmaker, teacher, popular lecturer, and relationship counselor, and staff member of Michlalah Jerusalem College for over 20 years, delivered a virtual musar class on behalf of Midreshet Adina. It was the last of an eight-class series.
She shared musar teachings of Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz on Parshas B’Shalach. He taught that there is a s’gulah to recite Parshas HaMann on the Tuesday of the week of Parshas B’Shalach. The main thing we learn from the mann, according to Rav Shmuelevitz, is bitachon. The idea that mann symbolizes bitachon is a lesson for all generations.
The mann came daily. Yirmiyahu taught the people that they were not learning enough Torah, and the people responded that they didn’t have time because they had to devote time to parnasah. He took out a jar with something representing mann and pointed to it. He explained that the concept of mann is forever. It means trusting that Hashem will provide, and not being nervous about parnasah. The mann reminds you that parnasah is from Shamayim.
The Gemara teaches us that a person’s money is allotted yearly from Shamayim. If a person’s yearly income doesn’t match the amount he is supposed to be allotted, then he will receive an inheritance or an unexpected gift of something that will increase his income to the amount allotted by Hashem. If his yearly income exceeds the amount allotted by Hashem, then expenses like leaks, and other expenses will come to even things out.
B’nei Yisrael lived with tangible reality that their parnasah comes only from Hashem. Each person received exactly the amount he was supposed to receive each day. If he over-collected mann, he would still end up with what he was supposed to have. This teaches us that working super hard, and overtime, will not make a difference in what you are supposed to receive. You will still end up with the amount you are allotted by Hashem.
This is an important message for us. The mann symbolizes that no matter what effort you put in to earn money, you will end up with the amount you are supposed to earn.
She shared a mashal. If there is one gumball in a gumball machine, then even if you stuff tons of coins into it, you will only receive one gumball. You can’t receive more than the amount that is there.
She acknowledged that we could become frustrated at financial losses. We should keep a visual representation of the mann to remind us of the attitude we should have about parnasah.
Mrs. Schoonmaker shared a personal story that emphasized the need for bitachon. She had a full wallet of cash when she went into a grocery store, and someone pickpocketed her. If it had happened 30 minutes earlier, there would not have been any money in her wallet. She said it was clear to her that Hashem was working out the exact amount she was supposed to have. It was hashgachah that she had a full month’s salary in her wallet. “It was very clear to me that money is allotted from Shamayim.”
She noted how a Jewish song, “Hashem Melech,” was playing in the background in this grocery story in Israel when this happened. She was supposed to visit her son and she had left the money for him in the car, so when she was pickpocketed, only she was challenged. She added that Hashem has many ways to even the score, so to speak.
Sometimes, when there is a financial loss, we become so frustrated. We need to reframe that if only money is lost, then we are lucky.
She explained that the yearly amount you make and the amount you are allotted from Hashem must match.
She quoted a great rav who said that he never saw a person who was m’vater lose as a result of being m’vater.
We learn from Parshas HaMann that B’nei Yisrael were living with bitachon. A complete nation in a parched desert for 40 years only had the food they needed for that day. This helped build bitachon. Sh’mitah is also built on bitachon.
Adam was originally created with no financial worries. So, the actual default for man was no worries about finances. One of Adam’s punishments was that he would have to eat bread from the sweat of his brow. The generation of the midbar were on the highest level, but since Adam had sinned, they had to do some work for their food. They had to go out to collect the mann. An added gift was that they realized they were just making the effort but it was all a gift from Hashem.
On Shabbos, they didn’t have to collect because they received a double portion on Friday. Mrs. Schoonmaker said that we should remember that the two challos we have are a reminder of the two portions of mann.
There’s an idea that we should believe that Shabbos shopping is covered by Hashem. It’s not included in yearly salary or amount allotted to us for the year by Hashem. So, when buying for Shabbos, we can have the attitude that Hashem is taking care of this, even if it’s expensive.
There was a machlokes between Shamai and Hillel in the Gemara regarding purchasing things for Shabbos. Shamai taught that if he found something special in the middle of the week, he would save it for Shabbos. The midah was k’vod Shabbos. Hillel, on the other hand, taught that all his actions were l’sheim Shamayim. If he found something special, he would eat it the same day. His midah was bitachon. He trusted he would find a nicer item before Shabbos. He trained himself not to save things. Hillel was not worrying about the future.
In T’hilim, it says that Hashem will pile what I need every day. It says that He burdens us with blessings. So, Hillel was working off the concept that Shabbos food comes without effort.
To take this to a practical level, we can think about this financially. Don’t worry about prices when we purchase something for Shabbos.
Man started in Gan Eden with no effort for sustenance. Then, in the midbar, he was sustained with little effort. We have the ability not to worry about parnasah.
Mrs. Schoonmaker concluded that the message of bitachon is that in whatever area you may struggle, you need to believe that Hashem provides for you today and He will provide for you tomorrow.
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By Susie Garber
