How do you find the balance? How do you make a decision knowing that you’re acting as the Torah wants you to act? So one of the rules I think that’s easiest to apply is to take Hashem out of the picture. Imagine for a minute that Hashem was not active in running your world. Imagine for a minute Hashem wasn’t orchestrating your life. What would a financial analyst say to you? What would a business professional say to you? You have this many children, you have these types of expenses, these are your skill sets. From the ways of the world what would a wise man say is the right approach? You take Hashem out of the picture and you judge the situation based on the ways of the world, and then based on that you make your decision.
And then obviously you put Hashem back in. You know that once you’ve made your decision exactly that which Hashem determined will be will happen. You won’t make a penny more; you won’t make a penny less. But to make the right decision you have to go in the derech hateva (way of nature). The way of the world demands that you act in a certain way. Provided that your actions are within the framework of a Torah approach, provided that they fit within all the Torah lifestyle that’s expected of you, you ask yourself according to the ways of the world what the wisest approach is, what’s the right approach. That’s how you make your determination. And then you go about your decision knowing fully well that you’ve done your part and Hashem will bring about exactly that which Hashem feels is the best for you.
