מתני׳ ... רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר ראית מימיך חיה ועוף שיש להם אומנות והן מתפרנסין שלא בצער והלא לא נבראו אלא לשמשני ואני נבראתי לשמש את קוני אינו דין שאתפרנס שלא בצער אלא שהורעתי מעשי וקפחתי את פרנסתי ...
All such actions are permitted for the sake of Heaven. In other words, if one is acting out of familial affection, without any element of licentiousness, they are permitted. MISHNA: A bachelor may not act as a teacher of children, nor may a woman act as a teacher of children. Rabbi Elazar says: Even one who does not have a wife may not act as a teacher of children. Rabbi Yehuda says: A bachelor may not herd cattle, nor may two bachelors sleep with one covering, lest they transgress the prohibition against homosexual intercourse, but the Rabbis permit it. GEMARA: What is the reason that a bachelor may not teach children? If we say it is due to the children themselves, that it is suspected that he may engage in homosexual intercourse with them, but isn’t it taught in a baraita (Tosefta 5:10): They said to Rabbi Yehuda: Jews are not suspected of engaging in homosexual intercourse nor of engaging in intercourse with an animal. Rather, the reason is as follows: A bachelor may not be a teacher of children due to the mothers of the children, who come to the school from time to time, with whom he might sin. Similarly, a woman may not serve as a teacher to children because she may come to be secluded with the fathers of the children. The mishna teaches that Rabbi Elazar says: Even one who does not have a wife may not act as a teacher of children. A dilemma was raised before the students in the study hall: Does Rabbi Elazar mean one who does not have a wife at all, or perhaps he is referring even to one who has a wife, in a circumstance where she is not residing with him? Come and hear: Even one who has a wife but she is not residing with him may not act as a teacher of children. This statement is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Elazar and indicates that his restriction applies even if the man is married. The mishna teaches that Rabbi Yehuda says: A bachelor may not herd cattle, nor may two bachelors sleep with one covering. It is taught in the Tosefta (5:10): They said to Rabbi Yehuda: Jews are not suspected of engaging in homosexual intercourse nor of engaging in intercourse with an animal. MISHNA: Anyone who has professional dealings primarily with women may not be secluded with women. There is more of a concern that such a man might sin due to his familiarity with the women. And a person may not teach his son a trade that necessitates frequent interaction with women, for the same reason. With regard to teaching one’s son a trade, Rabbi Meir says: A person should always teach his son a clean and easy trade and pray for success to the One to Whom wealth and property belong, as ultimately there is no trade that does not include both poverty and wealth, since a person can become rich from any profession. Poverty does not come from a particular trade, nor does wealth come from a particular trade, but rather, all is in accordance with a person’s merit. Therefore, one should choose a clean and easy trade, and pray to God for success. Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Have you ever seen a beast or a bird that has a trade? And yet they earn their livelihood without anguish. But all these were created only to serve me, and I, a human being, was created to serve the One Who formed me. Is it not right that I should earn my livelihood without anguish? But I, i.e., humanity, have committed evil actions and have lost my livelihood. This is why people must work to earn a living. Abba Guryan of Tzadyan says in the name of Abba Gurya: A person may not teach his son the trades of a donkey driver, a camel driver, a pot maker, a sailor, a shepherd, or a storekeeper. The reason for all these is the same, as their trades are the trades of robbers; all of these professions involve a measure of dishonesty and are likely to lead to robbery. Rabbi Yehuda says in Abba Gurya’s name: Most donkey drivers are wicked, since they engage in deceit, and most camel drivers, who traverse dangerous places such as deserts, are of fit character, as they pray to God to protect them on their journeys. Most sailors are pious, since the great danger of the seas instills in them the fear of Heaven. The best of doctors is to Gehenna, and even the fittest of butchers is a partner of Amalek. Rabbi Nehorai says: I set aside all the trades in the world, and I teach my son only Torah, as a person partakes of its reward in this world and the principal reward remains for him in the World-to-Come, which is not true of other professions, whose rewards are only in this world. Furthermore, if a person comes to be ill, or old, or undergoes suffering, and is unable to be involved in his trade, behold, he dies in hunger. But with regard to the Torah it is not so, since one can study it under all circumstances. Rather, it preserves him from all evil and sin in his youth, and provides him with a future and hope in his old age. The mishna explains: With regard to his youth, what does it say about a Torah scholar? “But they that wait for the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). With regard to his old age, what does it say? “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age” (Psalms 92:15), and it likewise states with regard to Abraham our forefather: “And Abraham was old, well stricken in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things” (Genesis 24:1). We found that Abraham our forefather fulfilled the entire Torah before it was given, as it is stated: “Because that Abraham listened to My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws” (Genesis 26:5), which indicates that Abraham observed all the mitzvot of his own accord and was rewarded in his old age as a result. GEMARA: The Sages taught: With regard to anyone who has professional dealings primarily with women, his practice and company are bad, and it is best to keep away from him. This category includes, for example, the smiths, and the carders, and the fixers of hand mills of women, and the peddlers of jewelry and perfume to women, and the weavers [gardiyyim], and the barbers, and the launderers, and the bloodletter, and the bathhouse attendant [ballan], and the tanner [burseki]. One may not appoint from among those who have these professions neither a king nor a High Priest. What is the reason for this? It is not because they are disqualified, since there is nothing wrong with these jobs, but because their trades are demeaning, and they would not be respected when appointed to a position of authority. The Sages taught: Ten things were stated with regard to a bloodletter: He walks on his side, i.e., in a haughty manner; and his spirit is arrogant; and he leans and sits, i.e., he does not sit down like others do but leans on an object in a conceited fashion; and he is stingy; and he is envious; and he eats much and discharges only a little; and he is suspected of engaging in intercourse with those with whom relations are forbidden, and of stealing, and of bloodshed in the course of his work. Bar Kappara taught: A person should always teach his son a clean and easy trade. The Gemara asks: What is such a profession? Rav Yehuda said: Needlework for embroidery is a clean and easy trade. It is taught in the Tosefta (5:12): Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: There is no trade that disappears from the world, since all occupations are needed, but fortunate is he who sees his parents in an elevated trade; woe is he who sees his parents in a lowly trade and follows them into their trade. Similarly, it is impossible for the world to continue without a perfumer and without a tanner. Fortunate is he whose trade is as a perfumer, and woe is he whose trade is as a tanner, who works with materials that have a foul smell. Likewise, it is impossible for the world to exist without males and without females, yet fortunate is he whose children are males, and woe is he whose children are females. Rabbi Meir says: A person should always teach his son a clean and easy trade, and he should request compassion from the One to Whom wealth and property belong, as poverty does not come from a trade, nor does wealth come from a trade; rather, they come from the One to Whom wealth belongs, as it is stated: “Mine is the silver, and Mine the gold, says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8). The mishna taught that Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Have you ever seen a beast or a bird that has a trade? It is taught in the Tosefta (5:13): Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: I never saw a deer work as one who dries figs, nor a lion work as a porter, nor a fox work as a storekeeper. And yet they earn their livelihood without anguish. But all these were created only to serve me, and I, a human being, was created to serve the One Who formed me. If these, who were created only to serve me, earn their livelihood without anguish, then is it not right that I, who was created to serve the One Who formed me, should earn my livelihood without anguish? But I, i.e., humanity, have committed evil actions and have lost my livelihood, as it is stated: “Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have held back good from you” (Jeremiah 5:25). The mishna taught that Rabbi Nehorai says: I set aside all the trades and I teach my son only Torah. It is taught in the Tosefta (5:14): Rabbi Nehorai says: I set aside all the trades in the world, and I teach my son only Torah, as all other trades serve one only in the days of his youth, when he has enough strength to work, but in the days of his old age, behold, he is left to lie in hunger. But Torah is not like this: It serves a person in the time of his youth and provides him with a future and hope in the time of his old age. With regard to the time of his youth, what does it say about a Torah scholar? “But they that wait for the Lord shall renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). With regard to the time of his old age, what does it say? “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age, they shall be full of sap and richness” (Psalms 92:15).
מהר"ל חידושי אגדות קדושין פב.
אם ראית חיה ועוף וכו' - פי' הפרנסה לאדם הוא קיומו, ואם היה אדם חסר פרנסה שהוא קיום מציאותו אין זה מפעולת הפועל שיפעל פעולה שאין לה קיום ועמידה, אבל מגדר הפועל השלם שיהיה פעולתו בשלימות. ולפיכך נמצא בכל הנמצאים שיש להם פרנסה בלא טורח ובלא עמל כאשר ראוי, ומכ"ש היה ראוי דבר זה לאדם אשר הוא מבחר מן הנמצאים, וכן היה קודם שחטא האדם עד שהרע את מעשיו וקפח פרנסתו, והנה ג"כ אחר הקללה אם הוא רשע הוא מוסיף עוד קללה על הקללה הראשונה.
ואם יבוא לו טרפו על פנים מאפני הסבות אשר התעסק בהן ראוי לו שלא יבטח על הסבה ההיא וישמח בה ויוסיף להחזיק בה ויטה לבו אליה כי יחלש בטחונו באלהיו. אך אין ראוי לו לחשב כי תועילנו יותר ממה שקדם בדעת הבורא ואל ישמח בהדבקו בה וסבובו עליה אך יודה הבורא אשר הטריפו אחר יגעתו ולא שם עמלו וטרחו לריק כמו שכתוב (תהלים קכח ב) יגיע כפיך כי תאכל אשריך וטוב לך.
If one's livelihood comes through one of the means he worked on, it is proper for him not to trust in this source, rejoice in it, intensify in it, and turn his heart to it, because this will weaken his trust in the Al-mighty. It is improper to think that this source will be more beneficial to him than what was predecreed from the Creator. He should not rejoice for having pursued and engaged in it. Rather, he should thank the Creator who provided for him after his labor, and that He did not make his work and struggle result in nothing, as written "If you eat the toil of your hands, you are praiseworthy, and it is good for you" (Tehilim 128:2).