Parnasa

From Halachipedia

Until legitimate sources have been added for each halacha, please note that the halacha's without sources on this page may be questionable.

The importance of earning a living

  1. Regardless of a person's stature, one must toil for his bread. This was a result of Adam's sin and the subsequent curse put on mankind.[1] One's degree of toil depends on their degree of closeness to HaShem.[2]
  2. One must live a Torah fulfilling life in the "way of the land".[3]
  3. It is better to resort to embarrassing work in public than to rely on gifts from people for one's living.[4]

Learning a trade and/or craft

  1. G-d implanted within every human being a desire and ability to succeed within a certain activity. This was done so the world would not lack anything. Therefore, it is one's obligation to seek out his/her talent(s) in order to benefit the world and thereby earn their sustenance. One who fails to do so forgoes a world of pleasure and will have to answer why they didn't partake in their talents. [5]
  2. A man must learn a trade and/or craft as well as teach his son a trade and/or craft in order to prevent his son(and himself) from theivery. [6]
  3. One must love "melacha"(creative activity). [7]

Sources

  1. Bereshit 3:19
  2. EVERY HALACHA ON HALACHIPEDIA STRICTLY REQUIRES A SOURCE. PLEASE ADD SOURCE HERE, OTHERWISE THIS HALACHA WILL BE REMOVED.
  3. Berachot 35b. There is a discussion between R' Yishmael and R' Shimon Bar Yochai as to how a person should live a Torah fulfilling life; R' Yishmael taught that one should live by "the way of the land" and gather in one's grain while R' Shimon Bar Yochai taught that one should do the will of HaShem and their work would be done by others. The Gemara continues by stating that many did like R' Yishmael and it worked, while many did like R' Shimon Bar Yochai and it didn't work. For further support see Mishnah Avot 2:2, Berachot 8a.
  4. Pesachim 113a
  5. EVERY HALACHA ON HALACHIPEDIA STRICTLY REQUIRES A SOURCE. PLEASE ADD SOURCE HERE, OTHERWISE THIS HALACHA WILL BE REMOVED.
  6. Kiddushin 29a, 30b, Makot 8b
  7. Mishnah Avot 1:10