In his bestselling book The Garden of Emuna, Shalom Arush discusses the overarching Divine providence governing the sale of any item:
A merchant with emuna needs to know that every article in his or her inventory is under the influence of absolute Divine providence. Hashem decides when a certain object – whether a twenty-room mansion or tube of toothpaste – is sold, to whom, and at what price. According to Kabbalistic thought, each object has spiritual sparks of holiness that belong or gravitate to a certain soul; that soul will ultimately acquire the object, as a soul correction both for the object and for itself. Elaborating on this concept, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov writes (Likutei Moharan I:52) that everything has its hour, when it ultimately returns to its spiritual root.For example, if the sparks of holiness in a particular carrot are rooted in the soul of a tzaddik, the tzaddik's wife will eventually go to a certain vegetable stand on a certain day and pay a certain price for a certain pound of carrots. She'll then come home and feed her husband the certain carrot whose spiritual sparks are rooted in the tzaddik's soul. Once the tzaddik makes a blessing over the carrot and eats it, the carrot attains a lofty spiritual correction. In the case of a carrot or another foodstuff, it physically becomes a part of the tzaddik!In light of the above example (which is none other than a drop of water from a vast sea, for the subject of soul corrections necessitates an entire volume in itself), any business deal – barter, trade, purchase, or sale – occurs only when and where Hashem decides. When the time is ripe for a certain commodity or piece of merchandise to reach the domain of a particular soul, the transaction is completed – not before and not after. To facilitate our understanding, let's see an additional example:Suppose that certain inanimate objects, such as a certain tiny nuts, bolts and screws, must attain their soul correction by way of Benjamin. When the time comes for those objects to be corrected, or to elevate their spiritual status, they became parts of a watch. Hashem gives Benjamin the desire and the wherewithal to purchase a new watch; this particular watch is the exact model he wants at the exact price in the store of his choice. No one else will be able to obtain the watch, unless it's destined to be a gift for Benjamin. Either way, Benjamin and the watch come together. The watch now helps Benjamin wake up in time to pray, to reach the synagogue on time, or to perform any number of other mitzvoth. As such, the watch attains its soul correction by way of Benjamin.If a purchaser and an object don't have a spiritual common denominator, they won't come together at any price or under any circumstance. Therefore, it's senseless for a pushy salesman or overpowering merchant to try and force something on a customer that he or she doesn't want.Many businesspeople have related stories about seemingly useless merchandise that they sold at a tremendous profit, or about products that they thought would be best sellers that ended up collecting dust on the shelves. Realtors have all experienced prospective buyers that turn their noses up at a certain house or piece of property, and three months later end up purchasing the very same piece of real estate. Every field has its own examples of divine providence. Everything has its hour.
Beautiful,
ReplyDeleteBut, I think that God does not determine who is going to do anything, like buy a toohpaste or phone card.
People's honesty is tested when the Divine Providence opens the ways for success. One can get rich by selling healthy and idoneous items or arms. One can sell illusions and fantasy. One can sell fear and awe. One can sell life.
The Almighty provides the tools and one takes the chance and use it for best.
Things, even not physical, have not self-spiritual powers, just like status can not bestow anything to anyone but shadow or to lay on, as any object.
On the other hand, things bare some characteristics of the society in which it was conceived. Truth can be seen as reality, which can be turned into artificial flavours to please as many people as possible.
Certainly the one who gets God's hands on, will prosper even when the situation is completely odd. In that situation, he will find ways to turn bad into good, but no one will be forced to make business with the gifted person for every situation has its evens and odds.
Many are gifted and given the opportunities, however, they will be cowards or too negative to realize. If there is a lake full of fishes and someone who lives by there and does not go for it, he will starve. Everything depends on choices and consequences stemming from. For each path we choose, we'll have signals of His providence. Even if one chooses, let's say, a wrong way, he will be provided wealth for that situation. Many times the opportunity of change is not seen but at a blink of an eye.
Revelation of Sinai is a sign of non-predestined life.
Berakhoth for the blog. I did not know it yet!
L. De Lopes :D