Why is it so difficult?
In order to understand why finding a job idea is so difficult, we must go back to the beginning of time! Follow the instructions!
The Sin of Adam
In order to understand why finding a job idea is so difficult, we must go back to the beginning of time. Adam was in the Garden of Eden. The garden was filled with wonderful trees, including the Tree of Life and the Tree of Wisdom. G-d told him that he may eat from all the trees, except for the Tree of Wisdom. He did not listen, and he ate from the wrong tree. So, G-d cursed Adam that from now on it will be very hard for him to make a living. The earth will be cursed, only with great difficulty and sadness will he be able to earn a living. In addition, Adam was supposed to live forever and now he is destined to die. G-d then expelled them from the Garden of Eden. He placed a sword that swings quickly from side to side at the entrance of the Garden, thus blocking their re-entry. For if they entered the garden and ate from the Tree of Life, they would live forever.
The deeper meaning behind the story
The state of Adam before the Sin was very clear. G-d gave them clear advice how to go about making a living. Eat from all the trees except from the Tree of Wisdom of Good and Bad. However, they did not listen to G-ds clear instructions and made the deadly mistake of eating from the forbidden Tree. This caused them to lose that clarity of decision. This lack of clarity is in essence their expulsion from The Garden, which represented the utopian state of clarity. This lack of confidence and clarity is represented by the sword at the entrance of the path leading to the tree of life. The sword is constantly swinging from side to side, representing a person’s mind after the Sin[1]. He is in a constant state of turmoil about how to proceed. This sorry state is the curse G-d gave to Adam.
G-d gave Adam clear advice how to go about making a living: Eat from all the trees except from the Tree of Wisdom of Good and Bad!
Adam was out of a job. He was banished from the Garden of Eden where the “fruit” was plentiful and easy to get. His mind became clouded due to his Sin. Now it was going to be very difficult to make a living, as he did not have that clear idea how to procced. This lack of clarity is the greatest curse possible[2], as we established the main thing is the idea. He was cursed that he would produce “fruit” but with sadness and difficulty. A deep sadness, like death itself, sucking out his vitality and excitement for life.
The good news is that the curse is not absolute!
Is there a way out of this curse?
The question is, does it have to be so hard or is there a way to rectify Adams’s sin and thus be spared the punishment? Is there a way we can unclog our mind and start having clarity? Then we will be able to have the right ideas and confidently make the right decisions.
So, the good news is that the curse is not absolute. We can make our livelihood easily, happily and get closer to G-d at the same time.
What was the cause of the sin?
In order to understand how we can fix Adams’s sin; we must first know what he did wrong. G-d told Adam to get his livelihood in a specific way, by eating from certain trees and Adam did not follow his instructions. We can explain this to represent that G-d wants a person to earn his livelihood together with Him. He wants us to know that He is the Provider, and He is the one that gives us the idea of how to make a living. Adam eating the fruit that G-d said not to eat, represents him saying “I can do it myself” “I will come up with an idea how of to provide for myself”. Now we can understand better the curse that G-d gave to Adam. He cursed him that from now on it will be very difficult to get an idea of how to make a living. It is G-ds way of saying “you can do it by yourself, lets see”. But hidden in this curse is a great blessing and the remedy for Adams’s sin.
Find out more next week. Questions or comments welcome at [email protected]
[1] ליקוטי הלכות- אורח חיים ג הלכות סוכה ז אות ג
כִּי עִקַּר חֲלֻקַּת הָעֵצָה הוּא בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה’ מַה שֶּׁמְּסֻפָּקִין לִפְעָמִים אֵיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג וְזֶה נִמְשָׁךְ מִפְּגַם עֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע שֶׁעַל-יְדֵי זֶה נִתְעָרֵב טוֹב וָרָע עַד שֶׁאֵין יוֹדְעִין לְהַבְחִין בֵּין טוֹב לְרַע. וְכָל אֵלּוּ הַסְּפֵקוֹת וְהַבִּלְבּוּלִים וַחֲלֻקַּת הָעֵצָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה’, כָּל זֶה הוּא בְּחִינַת לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת לִשְׁמֹר אֶת דֶּרֶךְ עֵץ הַחַיִּים, כִּי אִם לֹא הָיָה אוֹכֵל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן מֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ הַדֶּרֶךְ הַנָּכוֹן אֵיךְ לְהִתְדַּבֵּק תָּמִיד בַּה’ וְלִכְלֹל בְּחִינַת הַחַיִּים, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת דֶּרֶךְ עֵץ הַחַיִּים. אַךְ מֵחֲמַת שֶׁחָטָא וְאָכַל מֵעֵץ הַדַּעַת טוֹב וָרָע וְנִתְגָּרֵשׁ מִגַּן עֵדֶן, עַל-כֵּן שָׂם ה’ אֶת לַהַט הַחֶרֶב הַמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת שֶׁמִּשָּׁם נִמְשָׁכִין כָּל הַהִפּוּכִים וְהַתְּמוּרוֹת שֶׁמִּתְהַפֶּכֶת דַּעְתּוֹ מִמַּחֲשָׁבָה לְמַחֲשָׁבָה וּמֵעֵצָה לְעֵצָה, כִּי אֵין יוֹדְעִין בְּאֵיזֶה דֶּרֶךְ לְהִתְקָרֵב לְעֵץ הַחַיִּים לִזְכּוֹת לְחַיִּים נִצְחִיִּים…
[2] ראש חודש הלכה ז אות ג
כִּי זֶה מוּבָן לְכָל מַשְׂכִּיל שֶׁחֲלֻקַּת וְהַסְתָּרַת הָעֵצָה זֶה קָשֶׁה מִכָּל הַצָּרוֹת והייסורים שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, כִּי בוודאי אֵין שׁוּם צַעַר וְצָרָה וְצוּקָה שֶׁלֹּא תִּמְצָא עֵצָה להינצל מִמֶּנָּה, אַךְ עִקַּר הַצָּרָה, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן, הוּא מַה שֶּׁנֶּעְלָם מִמֶּנּוּ וְאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ הָעֵצָה אֵיךְ להינצל מִמֶּנָּה. וְלִפְעָמִים נִרְאֶה לוֹ אֵיזֶה עֵצָה אַךְ עֲצָתוֹ חֲלוּקָה לִשְׁתַּיִם, כִּי יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת שֶׁעַל-יְדֵי עֵצָה זֹאת יְקַלְקֵל יוֹתֵר וְצָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּהֵפֶךְ, כַּמּוּבָן לְכָל בַּר דַּעַת בְּכָל מַה שֶּׁעוֹבֵר עָלָיו בְּעִנְיַן מַשָּא וּמַתָּן וּפַרְנָסָה שֶׁעִקַּר הָרֶוַח הוּא כְּשֶׁיּוֹדְעִין הָעֵצָה מַה לִּסְחֹר וּמָתַי לִמְכֹּר וְכוּ’. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאִיתָא, אֲרֵי הוּא יָהִיב לָךְ עֵיטָא לְמִיקְנֵי נִכְסִין וְכוּ’. וְכַמְבֹאָר מִזֶּה הַרְבֵּה בִּדְבָרֵינוּ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר בְּהִלְכוֹת סֻכָּה הֲלָכָה ז’ וּבְמָקוֹם אַחֵר ) וְכֵן בִּשְׁאָרֵי דְּבָרִים, אַךְ עִקַּר הַצָּרָה וְהַיִּסּוּרִים מֵחֲלֻקַּת הָעֵצָה הוּא בְּעִנְיַן הִתְקָרְבוּת לַה’ יִתְבָּרַךְ מִכָּל הַמְּקוֹמוֹת שֶׁנִּדַּח לְשָׁם בַּעֲוֹנוֹתָיו הָרַבִּים, כִּי חוּץ מִזֶּה הַכֹּל הֶבֶל, וְאִם יַרְוִיחַ וְאִם לֹא יַרְוִיחַ מָמוֹן, אֵיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה יְבַלֶּה יְמֵי חַיָּיו וְיָשׁוּב אֶל הֶעָפָר כְּשֶׁהָיָה, אֲבָל חֲלֻקַּת הָעֵצָה בְּעִנְיַן קְדֻשַּׁת יַהֲדוּתוֹ, שֶׁזֶּה תַּכְלִיתוֹ הַנִּצְחִי, זֶה עִקַּר הַצָּרָה הַגְּדוֹלָה מֵהַכֹּל, כַּמּוּבָן הֵיטֵב לְכָל הַמִּסְתַּכֵּל עַל סוֹפוֹ וְתַכְלִיתוֹ הָאַחֲרוֹן.