Question: Is it halachically permissible to work and place money in savings for the future or should this be forbidden because it may be construed as though one does not trust that Hashem will provide one with his daily needs?
Answer: The Midrash on Tehillim (Shocher Tov, Psalm 23) states: “Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov said: The verse states, ‘In order for Hashem, your G-d to bless you through all the products of your hands that you shall make.’ I might understand this to mean even if one just sits idly. It is for this reason that the verse states, ‘That you shall make,’ teaching us that if one makes, one shall be blessed and if one does not make anything, he shall not be blessed.” This means that one must put forth an effort to earn a livelihood; however, one must nevertheless fully believe that Hashem will provide one with sustenance as a result of one’s efforts. Hashem has programmed the world to run on nature, for Hashem does not wish for the world to run in a miraculous manner. Nevertheless, there are times when Hashem performs miracles for his nation and for those close to him; however, this is not the way Hashem usually behaves with us.
The Believers Have Ceased
On the other hand, the Mishnah (Sotah 48b) states that ever since the Bet Hamikdash has been destroyed, true believers have ceased, as the verse states, “Save us Hashem, for the pious have concluded and belief has ceased from mankind.” The Gemara explains “true believers in Hashem” refers to the teaching of Rabbi Eliezer the Great who taught that “whoever has bread in his basket (i.e. enough provision for that very day) and is worried about what he will eat the next day is considered a very minimal believer.” This is because one must believe that Hashem will provide him with sustenance every single day, for that very day.
Nonetheless, Meharsha points out that this level of belief in Hashem is not appropriate for every individual and is only meant for the truly pious who sincerely believe that with all of their hearts that Hashem sustains all of his creations, from the largest creatures to the smallest. It is for this reason that the Mishnah quotes the verse, “Save us Hashem, for the pious have concluded.” We can nevertheless derive from here that there is no prohibition for one to put forth effort to amass more than he requires for that specific day and to save up for the next day as long as one does not lose his complete trust in Hashem and does not begin to think that “My power and the might of my hand have produced this wealth.”
The Behavior of the Chazon Ish
Indeed, Hagaon Harav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz zt”l, the saintly Chazon Ish, would not regularly have any spare money in his home. His sister once exclaimed to him, “Look how much you have toiled and become great in Torah and yet Hashem has not provided you with wealth!” The Rav replied, “What do I lack? I do not need to place money in a bank account. Hashem replenishes what I lack on a daily basis!”
Nevertheless, as we have written above, such behavior is reserved for the truly righteous who place all of their trust in the King of Kings. However, a regular individual who saves up money for the future transgresses no prohibition.
The Proper Path
The Baraita (Berachot 35a) states: “What does the verse “And you shall gather your grain” teach us? Rather, since another verse states, “This book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth,” I may have thought that one may not halt one’s Torah study even to earn a living. That is why the verse states, “And you shall gather your grain,” in order to teach us that one should follow the way of the world and indeed go out and earn a living. This is the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael.” Rashi explains this opinion to mean that if one does not involve himself with any kind of trade and merely relies on others to support him, such as by living off Tzedakah (charity), one will eventually cease his Torah study as well. Although the above Gemara explains that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai disagrees with Rabbi Yishmael and maintains that one studying Torah should not be involved with any other (mundane) matters, nevertheless, the Gemara concludes that the majority of people follow the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael while the opinion of Rabbi Shimon applies to a select few.
The Opinion of the Ya’abetz
Although this is a much longer discussion and it seems from many sources that it is considered a lack of trust in Hashem when one is not confident enough that Hashem will provide for one’s needs, nevertheless, Hagaon Ya’abetz writes in his Sefer Migdal Oz that this also depends on one’s vocation. For instance, a farmer who harvests his crop only in the spring must make sure to save his earning carefully so that it lasts him all year. One cannot claim that doing so is a lack of trust in Hashem, for this is what Hashem provided for him. Based on the above, nowadays when most people work on a monthly salary and there are times when they need to spend on a large expense, it is absolutely appropriate to put some money into savings every month so that these funds will be available when needed.
We once asked Maran zt”l if it is appropriate to save money for our children’s weddings and he replied that there was nothing wrong with doing so and this is actually the appropriate course of action.
