When your business is going through difficult times, or you’re having a hard time finding a job, the Jewish perspective on parnassah means doing your hishtadlus and then relying on Hashem. Use a segulah for parnassah and parnassah prayer to help you in times of financial hardship.
Jewish Tradition and Parnassah
In all aspects of life, Jewish tradition tells us that there is a concept of Hashgachah Pratis (Divine Providence). This means that Hashem is watching over each of us and deciding exactly what will happen to us at each moment.
This is true in all areas of life, but it’s especially true in the area of parnassah.
Topics covered in this section:
Topics covered in this section:
- Guide to Segulah for Parnassah
- Balancing Hishtadlus for Parnassah
- Parnassah Problems: How Jewish Finances Can Work
Jewish Tradition and Parnassah
In all aspects of life, Jewish tradition tells us that there is a concept of Hashgachah Pratis (Divine Providence). This means that Hashem is watching over each of
us and deciding exactly what will happen to us at each moment.
This is true in all areas of life, but
it’s especially true in the area of parnassah.
The Talmud teaches that the area of parnassah is something that Hashem takes care of without delegating any part of it to angels or to nature. Our finances are directly controlled by Hashem, and our efforts aren’t the true cause to bring us material blessing. Rather, Hashem sends us the money we need, in the amount that will help us fulfill our life goals in the best way possible.
Because Jewish tradition teaches that our efforts don’t control the results of our finances, we are encouraged to leave behind all the worrying about money. Instead, we should rely on Hashem that we will have what we need. Jewish tradition presents ideas about finances that are worth learning about when one is facing any kind of financial hardship. There are encouraging and enlightening perspectives that Jewish sources teach.
Hashem provides all material blessings, and it comes based on what we need. So if your needs increase, Hashem will increase the flow of blessing to you as well. This is why there is no need to wait until one can support a family before getting married. The marriage itself will bring blessing to the person’s livelihood. Hashem sends more success to a person’s efforts for livelihood in the merit of his family.
Similarly, Jewish tradition teaches that as each additional child is born, a new flow of blessing is sent into the world as well. For the parents, this means that they don’t need to worry about splitting up their income between more dependents, because Hashem will make sure to send the child his own sustenance once he is born.
This underlying idea teaches us a lot about the Jewish perspective on parnassah. While it’s important to do our hishtadlus (put forth effort) in order to earn a livelihood, ultimately we know that it is Hashem’s blessing that gives us our income. Saying a parnassah prayer that acknowledges this, or doing a segulah for parnassah, can be very effective in bringing Hashem’s blessing to us as well.
No matter what kind of parnassah struggles you are dealing with, realizing that Hashem is in charge of the outcome changes your perspective. Whether you choose to enlist a segulah for parnassah, want some clarity on balancing hishtadlus for parnassah, or are in need of practical tips to help balance a Jewish budget, see the guides below for helpful information in all these areas.
Guide to Segulah for Parnassah
Guide to Segulah for Parnassah
Helpful segulos for parnassah difficulties or concerns
An overview of how segulos work, along with a list of 6 popular segulos for parnassah. Each of these segulos is source-based and has been passed down in Jewish tradition as merit for parnassah or wealth.
In this article, you’ll also find tefillah for parnassah and tehillim that you can recite.
Balancing Hishtadlus for Parnassah
Balancing Hishtadlus for Parnassah
Perspectives on putting in the proper hishtadlus for parnassah
We know that Hashem is in charge of giving us parnassah, but we still have to put in hishtadlus and make the proper effort. What is the right amount of hishtadlus to do, and when can we decrease our hishtadlus? Also included are tips to help improve one’s bitachon, which helps us receive our livelihood with less hishtadlus.
Parnassah Problems: How Jewish Finances Can Work
Parnassah Problems: How Jewish Finances Can Work
The uniqueness of Jewish finances with common problems and solutions
The cost of living for a Jewish family can be more expensive than for an average household. But there’s an unexpected plus side to Jewish finances, like organizations that can help and a strong community network.
Also included are tips to help balance a Jewish budget, and perspective on Jewish financial hardship.
Balancing Hishtadlus for Parnassah
Ways to Deal with the Shidduch Crisis
Know the causes and solutions to the shidduch crisis
No matter what your current involvement in the shidduch scene, you can take part in solutions for the shidduch crisis. Knowing the causes and what role you can play can help many frum singles in shidduchim today.
Tzedakah (Charity) and Jewish Finances
A big part of the Jewish outlook on money includes the mitzvah of tzedakah (charity.) Once we acknowledge that Hashem gives us money, it’s easy to understand how we can be expected to give some of it away as a mitzvah.
Jewish communities are full of worthy organizations that are supported only through tzedakah.Tzedakah is more than being charitable, which is just a nice thing to do. Giving tzedakah is a huge source of merit according to Jewish tradition. It’s a spiritual act that can bring a person to higher spiritual levels.
In parnassah specifically, giving tzedakah is a way of showing that you realize where your money is truly coming from. This realization is what makes you worthy of continued and increased blessing in parnassah.
Simplifying Standards According to Jewish Perspective
Every person’s standard of living is different. A person can always rely on Hashem for his basic needs to be covered, because that’s something that every person is entitled to. He doesn’t have to worry that he won’t have basic food to eat when he’s out of a job or getting paid too little. Hashem will send him what he needs in other ways, as long as he does the right amount of hishtadlus for his situation.
But someone who lives on a very high standard of living and splurges on luxuries may not be able to rely that Hashem will provide him with enough income to cover such a budget. In fact, Jewish tradition teaches that one should not focus on materialistic pleasures. The more someone is busy with a lot of materialistic things, the less space they have for the spiritual. Therefore, living a very luxurious lifestyle can make it hard to focus on spiritual pursuits.
The proper Jewish perspective on parnassah is to live within or below one’s means. Although a Jewish Orthodox lifestyle can be expensive by its definition, with expenses such as tuition and kosher food, there are also sometimes high living standards that cause people to spend above their budget. Keeping up with others shouldn’t be a reason to buy more than what you need.
FAQs About Parnassah and Jewish Finances
What does Judaism say about money?
The Jewish perspective is that all income for the year is decreed on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Working for an income is a stand-alone obligation that doesn’t necessarily correlate to having more money to spend.
Why do people struggle for parnassah?
The Jewish Orthodox lifestyle is expensive. But the truth is that all parnassah struggles are given to people as part of their larger mission in life.
What can improve parnassah?
There are many actions one can take as hishtadlus (personal efforts) to try to improve his parnassah, including looking for a better job or decreasing his expenses, fulfilling a segulah for parnassah or saying a parnassah prayer, and of course, working on bitachon that Hashem provides parnassah.
