We live in a world where no truth can be taken for granted. It is difficult for me to imagine that the premise of this article would even need to be discussed in any prior generation, let alone bear the status of an “underdog” opinion. Nevertheless, the notion that it is an obligation for Jewish males to support themselves and those dependent on them has become so unpopular that in many circles those who work for a living are looked down upon as Jews who somehow do not have a proper fear of heaven.
In the absence of prophets, Hashem speaks to us in two ways: through His Torah and through His handiwork. Indeed, the very nature of the world that Hashem created reflects the necessity for Man to work. If it were true that the ideal lifestyle is to completely immerse oneself in Torah study, then a critical mass of people attaining this ideal lifestyle would spell the death of the human race.
It is inconceivable that the ideal state of existence in this world would be one that could not sustain itself without nature-defying miracles. (This is one of the great refutations of the Christian sects that promote celibacy as the holiest lifestyle.) Consequently, the nature of Hashem’s handiwork dictates the necessity to work as a component of the ideal and intended lifestyle.
The physical frailty of human beings also indicates that Hashem intended for Man to work. Had Man been created in such a way that he did not require constant expenditures on physical needs, the average person would have little interest in working – and the world would grind to a halt. It is only because of our physical needs and interdependence on one another for survival that society functions and can progress.
Although Hashem indeed made it necessary for people to work in order to survive, the reasons to work do not end at survival. After all, the need for survival is merely the mechanism by which Hashem compels people to work. But there is a deeper purpose to working that transcends one’s selfish needs: contributing to yishuv ha’olam, the needs and development of society.
When viewed in this light, whether one is a world-class surgeon or a truck driver, he fulfulls the will of Hashem through his worldly labor. The world needs a healthy supply of manpower and talent in all occupations, and the Jewish people should be amply represented – should, in fact, serve as a role models for others.
Of course, Hashem expects one to properly balance his physical pursuits with spiritual pursuits. The proper balance will vary from person to person, but it is not a mainstream Jewish lifestyle to be engaged exclusively in the physical or the spiritual, nor is involvement in the physical world to be denigrated as less than ideal. It is in the physical realm that one’s achievements in the spiritual realm are brought to life and have the greatest impact on civilization.
While there is certainly no shortage of Torah sources that admonish us not to place primary importance on the physical world, which is temporary, there is also a wealth of Torah sources that emphasize the importance of working and supporting oneself. In Parshas Noach the dove returned to the ark with an olive branch to indicate that it is preferable to subsist on a bitter substance that nevertheless comes directly from Hashem (throught one’s own work being blessed) than to subsist on handouts (Sanhedrin 108B). The Maharsha nites that we in fact pray for this regularly in Birkas Hamazon: “Please, Hashem our God, don’t cause us to be dependent on the gifts of people nor even their loans, but on Your full, open hand in order that we not be humiliated.”
Indeed, subsisting on charity is consistently portrayed in Torah literature as the harshest of fates. “A poor man is considered like a dead man” (Nedarim 64B). “Make your Shabbos profane (by not honoring the day with special food) rather than make yourself dependent on others” (Shabbos 118A).
Our parents and grandparents understood and appreciated the degradation of accepting a handout, let alone asking for one. Many of them scraped by week after week, yet continued to work all kinds of unglamorous jobs with pride and determination to support themselves and their families. Accept charity? Over their dead bodies, they would have snapped.
Nowadays, it has become fashionable to snub supporting oneself as being beneath a true Torah Jew, and prominent rabbis regularly endorse charitable “causes” that our ancestors would have treated with a wary eye. Their determination, work ethic, pride, and keen sense of priorities are largely absent in our generation. The ideal is now portrayed as someone who is “completely immersed” in Torah study to the exclusion of all worldly interest and involvement.
In Torah literature, however, supporting oneself through the labor of one’s hands, is portrayed as the ideal. Working for a living – and working as a contribution to society and personal development – is consistently spoken of in the highest of terms. In fact, an entire chapter of Pirkei Avos D’Rabbi Nasan, chapter 22, has been dedicated just to drive home this point, filled with statements by many of the most prominent authors of the Mishna. A selection:
