The mashgiach, Rav Yechezkel Levenstein, said over in a talk about hishtadlut that all of a person's efforts to accomplish things in this world never change what Hashem has decreed for him. Between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Hashem determines what will happen to a person during the coming year, and whatever He decrees will take place. Of course, tefillah and good deeds have the power to change decrees, but the physical hishtadlut that we make never changes what Hashem has in store for us. The only reason we have to make hishtadlut is because Hashem wants to conceal His involvement in our lives. He wants things to look like they are happening through nature, and our efforts are what provide that concealment. But the hishtadlut itself never accomplishes anything. This is similar, he says, to what the Ramban explains regarding Yosef HaTzaddik. When Yaakov Avinu sent Yosef to check on his brothers, Yosef went to Shechem but couldn't find them. The Torah then says, וַיִּמְצָאֵהוּ אִישׁ וְהִנֵּה תֹעֶה בַּשָּׂדֶה — "A man found him, and he was wandering in the field." That man, Rashi tells us, was an angel who directed Yosef to his brothers. The Ramban asks, why does the Torah go out of its way to tell us all these details? He explains, first of all, the Torah wants to show us the great kibbud av of Yosef. He had every reason to turn back. He couldn't find his brothers, he was wandering around, and he knew they weren't happy with him. Yet he still continued because he wanted to do what his father asked him to. And then the Ramban adds that the Torah is also teaching us here, כִּי הַגְּזֵרָה אֱמֶת וְהַחֲרִיצוּת שֶׁקֶר — the decrees of Hashem are what is true, and our efforts never determine outcomes. Hashem had already decreed that Yosef was going to find his brothers and be sold to Mitzrayim. Therefore, Hashem arranged for the angel to be there to direct him. Even if Yosef had decided to turn around and go home earlier, the decree of Hashem would still have been fulfilled. The angel would have appeared whenever Yosef was giving up. Yosef gained tremendous reward for his efforts to honor his father, but those efforts were not what determined the outcome. Hashem's plan was going to take place no matter what. And this is how we have to look at our hishtadlut. We're obligated to do what Hashem asks us to, but we should never think that our efforts are what produce results. Whatever Hashem decrees is what is going to happen, and when we recognize that, it will bring us tremendous peace of mind as well. When something works out, we won't become overly impressed with ourselves, thinking how smart we were and how well we handled the situation. We'll recognize it was Hashem who brought us the success. And when things don't work out, we won't spend our time second-guessing ourselves, thinking, "If only I had made that phone call," or "If only I had gone to that meeting." We'll remind ourselves that Hashem was in control the entire time, and everything is happening exactly the way it's supposed to. But even more important than the peace of mind, is that this avodah can bring a person tremendous spiritual elevation. Every time we attribute something that happens to us to Hashem, we are strengthening our connection to Him. Instead of going throughout our day focused only on the physical things taking place around us, we can turn all of our experiences into opportunities to come closer to Hashem. The mashgiach explained that this is the deeper meaning of the words of David HaMelech, שִׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית ה׳ כָּל יְמֵי חַיַּי — "May I dwell in the house of Hashem all the days of my life." What was David HaMelech asking for here? Was he praying to sit in the beit midrash and learn Torah all day long? As much as he may have wanted that, it couldn't have been his actual request, because David was a king. He had a nation to lead, people to judge, and wars to fight. He couldn't spend every moment sitting in the beit midrash. Rather, the mashgiach explains, David was asking Hashem that wherever he would be, whatever he would be doing, it should be considered as though he were sitting in the house of Hashem. Even while fulfilling his physical responsibilities, his mind should remain connected to Hashem by recognizing Hashem's hand in everything taking place around him. That would make all of his days an opportunity for tremendous spiritual elevation. And this is something we can all do. A person goes to work, makes phone calls, goes to meetings, takes care of his family, and deals with his everyday responsibilities. Throughout the day, he can be thinking about Hashem. When something goes his way, he says, "Thank You, Hashem. You did that." And when something doesn't, he says, "I know that was from You, and this is for my best." Whenever an unexpected problem comes up, instead of getting frustrated, he'll remind himself that Hashem is running his life. A person who lives this way will spend his entire life in the house of Hashem. The place where he works will become a place of avodat Hashem. His home will become a place of avodat Hashem. And all his dealings throughout the day will become avodat Hashem. Hashem's decrees alone determine outcomes. Our efforts do not help or detract. All they do is conceal Hashem's involvement. And when we live with that recognition, we'll be living with Hashem all the days of our lives.
