Parshat Va'Etchanan In Memory of Shimshon Ben Shalom
וְאַתֶּם֙ הַדְּבֵקִ֔ים בַּיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם חַיִּ֥ים כֻּלְּכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃

while you, who held fast to your God יהוה, are all alive today.

The Holy Ohr HaChaim says that if one examines this verse, it would seem clear that the word 'Your God' is an extra word in this verse. The verse should have just said 'While you who held fast to HaShem, are all alive today'

To preface, there is what to say based on the words of the Holy Baal Shem Tov, may his merit rest upon us, based on the following teaching from the Talmud -

כִּי הֲווֹ מִפַּטְרִי רַבָּנַן מִבֵּי רַבִּי אַמֵּי, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ מִבֵּי רַבִּי חֲנִינָא, אָמְרִי לֵיהּ הָכִי: ״עוֹלָמְךָ תִּרְאֶה בְּחַיֶּיךָ,

When the Sages took leave of the study hall of Rabbi Ami, and some say it was the study hall of Rabbi Ḥanina, they would say to him the following blessing:
May you see your world in your lifetime

And on this teaching, Rashi explains the intent of the blessing below.

עולמך תראה בחייך – כל צרכיך תמצא:

May you see your world in your lifetime - All your needs will find you

Our question is regarding what does it mean 'your world', implying its literarily your world, does the world and its glory belong to HaShem? It should have said, 'This world you will see in your life", and then another question is on Rashi who says this blessing means all your needs will be met.. how can we infer and understand Rashi's interpretation from the teaching itself?

And the explanation is as follows. Prior to a human descending down to this world, all of his needs are preprepared for him, in order that his/her heart can be dedicated towards the service of HaShem with tranquility of the mind and zero lackings/worry. Rather, sin that we commit ends up blocking this channel of this good bounty thats been stored up for us and it never reaches you. And after ones death, they get to see all the goodness that had been stored up and destined for them in the physical world if only he/she had served HaShem with a whole heart. And through your sins, it was you yourself that had ruined the channel of bounty and goodness that was stored up for you and created blockages.


However, someone who serves HaShem with a whole heart, gets to see in this world what was prepared for him for his lifetime on Earth. And this is the meaning of what the Rabbis said, 'You shall see your world in your life', which Rashi had said it means, 'All your needs', which means your world, which was already prepared for you prior to your birth you will see in your life, which is referring to this world, and it wont be blocked from reaching you through your sins, G-D forbid. Until here are his words.

And based on his words we can explain the below teaching from the sages of Israel -

וְאָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַמֵּי מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּעוּלָּא: גָּדוֹל הַנֶּהֱנֶה מִיגִיעוֹ יוֹתֵר מִיְּרֵא שָׁמַיִם,

And Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Ami said in the name of Ulla: One who benefits from his hard labor is greater than a God-fearing person.

And on this teaching our sages have established a strong question, if there is a man that works hard with his hands, but does not fear the Heavens, how is it possible to suggest and say that he is greater than a man who is G-D fearing?! And if you are a G-D fearing person, why are we measuring your greatness together with how much you enjoy the fruits of your labor? Isn't the main purpose of life the fear/awareness? As we see below -

רֵ֘אשִׁ֤ית חׇכְמָ֨ה ׀ יִרְאַ֬ת יְהֹוָ֗ה..

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD..

And based on the words of the Holy Baal Shem Tov we can fully understand the matter. That when it says the fruit of the labor of his hands, it means to say that he enjoys the goodness of the world that comes to his hands (And the word for arriving to him (Yagea) does not mean to arrive, rather to fall upon him). As behold, it is from the bounty that was prepared for him prior to his arrival to this world, and he never stuffed and damaged his channels due to his sins. A person of this caliber is on a higher level that a regular person who simply fears G-D who never reached such a level, which is why we teach the enjoyment is more to a man who enjoys what comes to his hands, more than just a G-D fearing person.

And this is what King David, may he be loved by Heaven was saying in Pslams -

יְגִ֣יעַ כַּ֭פֶּיךָ כִּ֣י תֹאכֵ֑ל אַ֝שְׁרֶ֗יךָ וְט֣וֹב לָֽךְ׃
You shall enjoy the fruit of your labors;
you shall be happy and you shall prosper.

And based on this our Sages teach -

וְאָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַמֵּי מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּעוּלָּא: גָּדוֹל הַנֶּהֱנֶה מִיגִיעוֹ יוֹתֵר מִיְּרֵא שָׁמַיִם, דְּאִילּוּ גַּבֵּי יְרֵא שָׁמַיִם כְּתִיב ״אַשְׁרֵי אִישׁ יָרֵא אֶת ה׳״, וְאִילּוּ גַּבֵּי נֶהֱנָה מִיגִיעוֹ כְּתִיב: ״יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ״. ״אַשְׁרֶיךָ״ — בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, ״וְטוֹב לָךְ״ — לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, וּלְגַבֵּי יְרֵא שָׁמַיִם, ״וְטוֹב לָךְ״ לָא כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ.

“By the labor of your hands you will live; you are happy and it is good for you” (Psalms 128:2). The Gemara explains this verse to mean that you are happy in this world, and it is good for you in the World-to-Come.

On this let us investigate.. One can understand it being good for you in the world to come, as you don't have to worry about sustenance then, rather you will be enjoying the fruits of your labors in the world to come. But how can we say that a man is praiseworthy in this world on a person that is tired and worn out from all the hard work in order that he enjoy the fruits of his labor. But based on what we said above it can make sense, that the intention fruit of your labors comes from the wording of something arriving to you, as we explained before. That this person is worthy to enjoy what was prepared for him, as he never ruined that channel due to sin, and on this it makes sense to say this person is fortunate in this world, since he never clogged his piping from above, and he has all that he needs, and only goodness and kindness rest upon him.

And behold it is known that the main worship of the people of Israel is to know HaShem in all of our ways. As it says -

בְּכׇל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ דָעֵ֑הוּ וְ֝ה֗וּא יְיַשֵּׁ֥ר אֹֽרְחֹתֶֽיךָ׃
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths smooth.

And from this we learn that even someone who has to be involved in this mundane world, must do it for the sake of heaven, to due the will of his maker, may His name be blessed. And as we see below in the Rambam -

צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם שֶׁיְּכַוִּן לִבּוֹ וְכָל מַעֲשָׂיו כֻּלָּם לֵידַע אֶת הַשֵּׁם בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּלְבַד,

It is necessary for man to set his heart and all his efforts solely to know the Name, blessed is He!

הַמַּנְהִיג עַצְמוֹ עַל פִּי הָרְפוּאָה. אִם שָׂם עַל לִבּוֹ שֶיִּהְיֶה כָּל גּוּפוֹ וְאֵיבָרָיו שְׁלֵמִים בִּלְבַד וְשֶׁיִּהְיוּ לוֹ בָּנִים עוֹשִׂין מְלַאכְתּוֹ וַעֲמֵלִין לְצָרְכּוֹ אֵין זוֹ דֶּרֶךְ טוֹבָה. אֶלָּא יָשִׂים עַל לִבּוֹ שֶׁיְּהֵא גּוּפוֹ שָׁלֵם וְחָזָק כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּהְיֶה נַפְשׁוֹ יְשָׁרָה לָדַעַת אֶת ה'. שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיָּבִין וְיִשְׂתַּכֵּל בַּחָכְמוֹת וְהוּא רָעֵב וְחוֹלֶה אוֹ אֶחָד מֵאֵיבָרָיו כּוֹאֵב. וְיָשִׂים עַל לִבּוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ בֵּן אוּלַי יִהְיֶה חָכָם וְגָדוֹל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. נִמְצָא הַמְהַלֵּךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ זוֹ כָּל יָמָיו עוֹבֵד אֶת ה' תָּמִיד. אֲפִלּוּ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנּוֹשֵׂא וְנוֹתֵן וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבּוֹעֵל. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמַּחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ בַּכּל כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּמְצָא צְרָכָיו עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה גּוּפוֹ שָׁלֵם לַעֲבֹד אֶת ה'. וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא יָשֵׁן אִם יָשֵׁן לְדַעַת כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּנוּחַ דַּעְתּוֹ עָלָיו וְיָנוּחַ גּוּפוֹ כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֶחֱלֶה וְלֹא יוּכַל לַעֲבֹד אֶת ה' וְהוּא חוֹלֶה, נִמְצֵאת שֵׁנָה שֶׁלּוֹ עֲבוֹדָה לַמָּקוֹם בָּרוּךְ הוּא. וְעַל עִנְיָן זֶה צִוּוּ חֲכָמִים וְאָמְרוּ (משנה אבות ב יב) "וְכָל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יִהְיוּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם". וְהוּא שֶׁאָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה בְּחָכְמָתוֹ (משלי ג ו) "בְּכָל דְּרָכֶיךָ דָעֵהוּ וְהוּא יְיַשֵּׁר אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ":

He who follows the medical directions, but sets his heart merely to keep his body and limbs healthy and beget children to do his work and strive for his needs, such is not the good way. But he should set his heart to have a sound and strong body so that his soul be tranquil to acquire the knowledge of the Lord; for, it is impossible that one should comprehend and improve himself in scholarship when he is hungry, or sick, or when one of his limbs pains; but he should set his heart to have a son who, perhaps will be a great sage in Israel Consequently, one who follows such way all of his life, is constantly in God's service, even when he is buying and selling, even when he performs the grossest duty, seeing that his thought beneath it all is to find enough to satisfy his wants, so that his body be sound, ready to serve God. Even when one sleeps, if his sleep be purposeful so that his mind be rested, and rests his body so as to prevent himself from becoming sick and be unable to serve God as a result of sickness, it will be found that even his very sleep is part of his service to God, blessed is He! And on this subject the sages commanded and said: "And let all thine actions be with devotion to the Name of God" (Pir. Av. 2.12); and, concerning this Solomon in his wisdom said: "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will make level thy paths" (Prov. 3.6).

And on this we can explain the verse -"while you, who held fast to your God יהוה, are all alive today.", as we know the words of our ancient ones, that the word HeTeva (the natural world) has the same numerical value as Elohim (G-D), and the verse is coming to hint to us that even when one is steeped in the mundane world, the natural world, one can still be attached to HaShem, as his intentions are to do things for the sake of Heaven. And when one acts this way, his pipe from above that has everything prepared for him, will not be blocked or have any separating partitions, then only will that person be worthy of being alive 'today' which means that even in this world, he/she will have all goodness from that which was stored for you prior to your departure to this world, and this is correct, with the help of the Heavens.