Create Vessels for Blessing

Picture the entrepreneur who lands the deal after a year of pitching, or the artist who finally sells a painting after countless rejections. In that moment of triumph, we face an ancient paradox: does our success spring from relentless effort, or flow from a higher source? This question challenges everything we believe about work, faith, and human potential.

The Torah provides an intriguing perspective on this tension. In Exodus 35:2, instead of commanding, “You shall work for six days,” it states, “Work may be done for six days.” This passive phrasing suggests something profound: perhaps we aren’t entirely in control of our success.

Consider a farmer’s relationship with their land. They can pray for rain endlessly, but without planting seeds, nothing will grow. Conversely, they might plant perfect rows, use premium fertilizer, and follow every agricultural best practice, but without rain and sunshine – elements entirely beyond their control – the field remains barren.

This pattern repeats throughout our lives. Think of our work as creating a vessel to receive blessing – much like choosing the right container to collect rainwater. A vessel too small limits what we can receive, while one too large might lead to unnecessary strain and worry. A merchant once asked his rabbi why, despite working longer hours than his competitor, his business struggled while his rival thrived. The rabbi observed that his competitor closed his shop for the Sabbath without worry, trusting that six days sufficed to create his vessel for blessing. The struggling merchant, however, kept his shop open seven days a week, constantly anxious about making ends meet. The more he worried, the more elusive success became. The lesson? Create an appropriate vessel through honest work, maintain it through ethical practices, and trust that G-d will fill it with exactly what we need.

The next time success or failure hangs in the balance, remember: our effort matters, but it’s not the complete story. We’re all creating channels for blessings to flow through. And often, the real blessing lies hidden within the work itself.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Yonatan Hambourger, y@tasteoftorah.org