(a) The Vilna Ga'on explains that the "merchant" is an allusion to the
Yetzer ha'Ra. The Zohar (Bereishis 80a) says that the Yetzer ha'Ra is called
a "merchant" because "it peddles all kinds of evil for the body." Rabah bar
bar Chanah is relating the lessons learned from his experience with this
"peddler" and his sales tactics.
The Yetzer ha'Ra is particularly interested in peddling its wares to
Talmidei Chachamim in order to prevent them from learning Torah. His tactic
in persuading the Talmid Chacham to listen to him is by portraying in
glowing colors the material and spiritual pleasures of wealth and power
which, the Yetzer ha'Ra claims, will certainly come to the Talmid Chacham if
he will stop learning Torah and involve himself in the activity of the
marketplace. The Yetzer ha'Ra argues that by working, the Talmid Chacham
will gain the best of both worlds -- he will have material success, and he
will be able to return to his studies later, with no financial burdens. He
promises to show the Talmid Chacham how he can have both heaven and earth --
spiritual achievement and material success. He will sho whim where "earth
and heaven touch."
(b) The Talmid Chacham, confused by the righteous talk of the Yetzer ha'Ra,
follows his advice. He leaves his Torah study and goes into business. He
works hard at achieving financial success, but to no avail. Recalling the
empty promise of guarantees of success that the Yetzer ha'Ra made to him, he
begins to see that he was fooled, and the truth becomes clear to him. No man
can assure himself of material success; it is Hashem Who decides who will be
rich and who will be poor. He sees that heaven is made all of windows, and
all the wealth in the world comes through them. It is Hashem Who opens His
gates according to His will and showers blessing upon His world, as we Daven
on Rosh Hashanah, "Open the gates of heaven, Your goodly storehouse fling
wide open."
(c) The Talmid Chacham, realizing that all blessing comes from Hashem, and
that man must only pray for Hashem's help, "places his basket in the window
of heaven." He recognizes that all his needs will be provided through
Hashem's mercy, and he goes to pray. Only when this is done is it time for
him to go and do business, with a heart full of trust that Hashem will send
success to his endeavors.
However, when he returns from his prayers, he finds that his basket is gone
and his prayers were not answered. His business endeavors were not
successful. He realizes that "there must be thieves here" -- meaning that he
himself has not been sufficiently honest and forthright in his business
dealings. For the flow of blessing to descend from heaven, man must first be
worthy of it. If he deceives his neighbor in any way, he ceases to be worthy
of receiving the flow of blessing from heaven and his prayer is useless. He
decides that he must be even more scrupulous in his transactions in order to
merit a flow of wealth from heaven.
(d) That is not necessarily the case, though. There is another aspect to
Hashem's Hashgachah other than rewarding man for good and punishing him for
evil. There is a "heavenly sphere that is turning." Hashem's ultimate goal
is not merely to reward man, but for all mankind to recognize Him as Creator
and King. To lead man to this recognition, Hashem brings to the world wealth
and poverty, happiness and sorrow, health and suffering, plagues and cures,
in order that man confront the problems of existence and ultimately realize
that only devotion to spirituality and self-effacement before Hashem's
sovereignty can solve his problems. This "heavenly sphere that is turning"
might require that there be certain circumstances (such as wealth, poverty,
well-being, or sickness) in the lives of certain nations or individuals,
even though according to their deeds they do not deserve to be in these
situations.
"Health, children, and sustenance are determined not by merit but by
'Mazal'" (Mo'ed Katan 28a). The aspect of Hashgachah that leads the world to
its destiny is called "Mazal," since, most of the time, man does not
understand its seemingly random guidance of human affairs. When a person's
situation has been determined by this aspect of Hashgachah, even prayer --
accompanied by the most scrupulous honesty -- might not be effective to
bring him material success (unless it is accompanied by acts of great merit
which are able to change one's Mazal). By serving Hashem in these situations
a person contributes (in a way often known only to Hashem) to the ultimate
purpose of history. Thus, it is not necessarily dishonesty ("thieves") that
prevented the Talmid Chacham's prayers from being answered. Rather, "it is
only the heavenly sphere turning."
(e) However, the Talmid Chacham was told that he should "wait until
tomorrow, and you will find it here." Justice is always done. "Today" refers
to Olam ha'Zeh, this world, when we must do the Mitzvos of Hashem. This
world is not the world of reward. "Wait until tomorrow" -- until the World
to Come -- "and you will find it there" -- one's reward awaits him there, in
full. The Talmid Chacham realizes that the most effective way to arrive at
that reward is to return to his Torah learning and his Avodas Hashem.
(Adapted from THE JUGGLER AND THE KING, Rav Aharon Feldman, 5750/1990,
Feldheim Publishers.)