You need a source of income and you have no idea of where to start. Welcome, you are up to the hardest part of making money!
You need a source of income and you have no idea of where to start. Welcome, you are up to the hardest part of making money[1], getting the right idea. Once you have a good idea of a sucacessful product, invention, talent or a service you can provide, you have overcome the main hurdle.
For example, let us say you want to sell a product online. If you have a product idea you know is going to be successful, the rest is simple. But how do you get that idea, the options are endless. You can spend hours doing market research or reading how to get rich quick books. You can spend thousands of dollars on courses from people who “made it big”.
I know many people who tried these methods, without bringing G-d and his Tzadikim into the picture and it did not get them very far. Many of them ended off worse than they started. They put in tremendous efforts and fell into thousands of dollars of debt and into depression. So, what is the G-dly way to get that good idea?
What makes an idea “good?”
Before we discuss how to get a good idea. We must know what is called a “good” idea. If it is an idea that will make me rich, does that mean it is a good idea?
We must go back another step. Why do I want to make money? What is my ultimate goal?
Our goal in this world is to get close to G-d. Money is something we need in order to fulfill this goal. One of the main ways we get close to Him is by raising a family that will get close to Him as well. In order to be able to have a family one needs the means to provide them with their needs. Just the basic needs of family such as a place to live, food and clothes etc. costs a lot of money. We also need money to perform Hashems commandments such as giving Tzedakah, buying Tefillin, Mezuzah, Tzitzits etc…
People put in tremendous efforts and fell into thousands of dollars of debt and into depression. So, what is the G-dly way to get that good idea?
We need an idea that will make us money but that will not take us away from our goal of getting close to Hashem. Only then can it be called a good idea. For example, if one’s work makes money but causes him to be sad and nervous, can that be called a good idea? If his work fills him with a burning passion for money leaving him with no time or energy to learn, daven, spend time with his family and all the other things he needs to do to fulfill his ultimate goal; then it can’t be called a good idea. Or let us say he is dis-honest, or he comprises on his purity in order to make money, this also is not a good idea.
In order to be able to have a family one needs the means to provide them with their needs…
Even if a person earns money in the proper way, it also is not necessarily a good idea. It depends on how the person relates and what the person does with the money that he makes. If he falls into the pursuit of material desires because of his money and forgets about the next world his original idea cannot be called “good”. The same is true if the more money he makes the more he wants, always trying to up his lifestyle to a new level, leaving him constantly unhappy and lacking. Where did his money take him? He would have been better off without it[2].
The right idea for you
Another facet of getting a good idea, is getting the idea that is right for you[3]. Just because somebody else makes their livelihood in a certain way does not mean that it will work for you as well. Earning a livelihood is supposed to be a meaningful experience. An experience that helps him perfect himself and the world around him. It’s something that can cause him to grow in his connection to the creator of the world. Each person needs their own niche that is meant for them. A job that will earn them money, that will make them happy and close to G-d.
So how do we get this dream idea. This is not a simple task. Why did G-d make it so difficult? Is there a way to make this search for a successful idea, a little easier?
Find out more next week.
Questions or comments welcome at [email protected]
[1] ליקוטי הלכות- אורח חיים ג הלכות סוכה ז אות ו
כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת עִקַּר כְּבֵדוּת הַפַּרְנָסָה הוּא מֵחֲמַת חֶסְרוֹן הָעֵצָה שֶׁאֵין הָאָדָם יָכוֹל לָתֵת עֵצוֹת בְּנַפְשׁוֹ בְּמַשָּא וּמַתָּן אֵיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג, כִּי אֵין אָדָם יוֹדֵעַ בַּמֶּה יִשְׂתַּכֵּר, כִּי בוודאי בְּכָל עֵת וּבְכָל מָקוֹם יֵשׁ דְּבַר סְחוֹרָה שֶׁיְּכוֹלִין לְהִשְׂתַּכֵּר בּוֹ הַרְבֵּה, כִּי אֵין לְךָ דָּבָר שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מָקוֹם, כִּי לְכָל דְּבַר סְחוֹרָה יֵשׁ עֵת וּמָקוֹם רַק שֶׁאֵין אָדָם יוֹדֵעַ בְּאֵיזֶה סְחוֹרָה יַצְלִיחַ עַתָּה. אִם בשעווה אִם בחיטים וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן (זֶה יָדוּעַ לְמִי שֶׁבָּקִי קְצָת בְּטִיב מַשָּא וּמַתָּן). וְעַל-כֵּן עִקַּר הַצְלָחַת הַמַּשָּא וּמַתָּן הוּא כְּשֶׁזּוֹכֶה לְעֵצָה שְׁלֵמָה לֵידַע מַה לִּסְחֹר וְלִקְנוֹת וְלִמְכֹּר בִּזְמַנּוֹ וּשְׁעָתוֹ וּמְקוֹמוֹ בְּאֹפֶן שירוויחַ. וְאָז יָכוֹל להרוויחַ הַרְבֵּה בְּנָקֵל בְּלִי יְגִיעָה..
וַאֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁזּוֹכֶה לְעֵצָה שְׁלֵמָה בְּהַמַּשָּא וּמַתָּן שֶׁלּוֹ ומרוויחַ מָמוֹן עֲדַיִן אֵין הָעֵצָה בִּשְׁלֵמוּת כִּי אִם כְּשֶׁזּוֹכֶה לְהִתְנַהֵג עִם הַמָּמוֹן בִּקְדֻשָּׁה כָּרָאוּי. לָתֵת צְדָקָה הַרְבֵּה וְלִהְיוֹת שָׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ וְאַל יִהְיֶה אָץ לְהַעֲשִׁיר וְלֹא יִתְאַוֶּה בְּכָל פַּעַם יוֹתֵר. בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה עַל-יְדֵי הַמָּמוֹן וְהַפַּרְנָסָה שֶׁהִמְשִׁיךְ לַעֲסֹק בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה’ בֶּאֱמֶת, כִּי תַּכְלִית הַמַּשָּא וּמַתָּן וְהַפַּרְנָסָה הוּא בִּשְׁבִיל הַתּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זיכרונם לִבְרָכָה, טוֹב תּוֹרָה עִם דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ. וְזֶה עִקַּר הָעֵצָה הַשְּׁלֵמָה הַטּוֹבָה כְּשֶׁזּוֹכֶה עַל -יְדֵי עֲצָתוֹ שֶׁהֵאִיר לוֹ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ במשא וּמַתָּן, שֶׁעַל-יְדֵי זֶה הרוויחַ מָמוֹן לְהַצְלִיחַ עַל-יְדֵי זֶה הַהַצְלָחָה הַנִּצְחִית והאמיתית לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹן הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ עַל-יְדֵי זֶה. וְאָז דווקא נֶחֱשָׁב עֵצָה טוֹבָה וּשְׁלֵמָה, אֲבָל אִם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, הוּא מרוויחַ מָמוֹן וְאֵינוֹ מִתְנַהֵג בּוֹ כַּשּׁוּרָה, מִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן כְּשֶׁחַס וְשָׁלוֹם, נוֹפֵל וְיוֹרֵד עַל-יְדֵי זֶה וּמְמַעֵט עֲבוֹדָתוֹ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, זֶהוּ בְּחִינַת עֹשֶׁר שָׁמוּר לִבְעָלָיו לְרָעָתוֹ וַאֲזַי בוודאי אֵינוֹ נֶחֱשָׁב לָעֵצָה שְׁלֵמָה שהרוויחַ מָמוֹן לְרָעָתוֹ מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַצְלִיחַ בְּסוֹפוֹ וְתַכְלִיתוֹ עַל-יְדֵי זֶה, כִּי עִקַּר תִּקּוּן הָעֵצָה הַטּוֹבָה הוּא כְּשֶׁזּוֹכֶה לְהַצְלִיחַ עַל-יְדֵי עֲצָתוֹ בְּאַחֲרִיתוֹ לְסוֹפוֹ לָעַד וְלָנֶצַח בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ אָרֹךְ וְטוֹב וְנִצְחִי
וְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד עֲצָתוֹ מְשֻׁנָּה מֵחֲבֵרוֹ, כִּי זֶה חוֹשֵׁק לִסְחֹר בְּמִינֵי תְּבוּאָה, וְזֶה בְּיַיִן וְזֶה בְּמִינֵי בְּגָדִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא שְׁאָר הַשִּׁנּוּיִים רַבִּים וְעַל-פִּי רֹב כָּל אֶחָד אֵינוֹ מְסֻגָּל לְהַצְלִיחַ כִּי אִם בְּמִין סְחוֹרָה זֶה דַּיְקָא, כִּי כָּל מַה שֶּׁהוּא נוֹשֵׂא וְנוֹתֵן בּוֹ, הַכֹּל הוּא בִּשְׁבִיל הַבֵּרוּר שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הַמְתָּקַת הַדִּין כַּנַּ”ל, שֶׁזֶּה הָאָדָם צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵר וּלְהַמְתִּיק דִּין זֶה כְּפִי שֹׁרֶשׁ שִׂכְלוֹ שֶׁעַל-יְדֵי זֶה נִמְשָׁךְ לוֹ עֵצָה לַעֲסֹק בְּמִין סְחוֹרָה זֹאת דַּיְקָא וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהִשְׂתַּכֵּר כִּי אִם בִּסְחוֹרָה זֹאת דַּיְקָא וְאָדָם אַחֵר בִּסְחוֹרָה אַחֶרֶת דַּיְקָא הַכֹּל כְּפִי הַשֵּכֶל שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ