Let’s turn to the Ramchal to find our answer. Ramchal writes in his great mussar work Messilas Yesharim: “All life situations in the world are tests for man. There is wealth on one side, and poverty on the other. There is tranquility on one side, and suffering on the other. Will one become rich and deny Hashem or will one become poor and steal?” The Ramchal is teaching that man must struggle in each life setting to do the right thing, and each life setting provides a different challenge.
But perhaps we can understand this at an even deeper level. Let’s turn to another one of Ramchal’s sefarim, Derech Hashem. “Man’s task is to choose good… and not evil. Mercy is a good trait, while callousness is not. Being happy with what one has is a good trait, while the opposite is bad… Man must choose from these good qualities and turn from the evil ones. In order for this to be possible, it is necessary for individuals to be put in different stations in life. Whichever station a person is placed in is a test for him, an opportunity to let him strive for the good and turn from the bad. If there were no such thing as poverty or wealth, there would be no opportunity for people to choose generosity over indifference. Will the rich man be haughty or humble? Wealth enables one to be tested in this aforesaid manner. The poor are likewise tested to see if they will be satisfied and thank Hashem for their lot.”
I think we now can understand what is special about the workplace. Hashem created the world because He wanted to be able to reward us for choosing good. The angels wanted the Torah, but Hashem told them that they couldn’t fulfill it. “Do you have parents to honor or bodies that pull you to sin?” The only way to fulfill the Torah is in the physical world. The challenges that the real world throws at us are not impediments to a life of spiritual growth; they are the means through which we live lives of spiritual growth. The workplace is where it’s at! Only there can the Torah be kept.
The Zohar teaches, “Hashem looked into the Torah and created the world.” What this means is not that that since people are born of parents, Hashem therefore commanded us to honor them. Rather, since Hashem saw that it is good and holy to honor parents, He therefore created a world in which people are born of parents – thereby enabling people to become holy by honoring their parents!
Let’s pull it all together with one final thought about Menashe. The Torah writes that Menashe was the royal interpreter (Rashi, Bereishis 42:23). What is the significance of this fact? The answer is, Menashe was the one who understood what the king wanted and managed to translate the king’s words to the common people. He conveyed the king’s will to the more mundane areas of the kingdom, and enabled the king’s will to be fulfilled. May we all merit being a Menashe this month and making Hashem proud. Have an accomplishing Cheshvan.