The Talmud Yerushalmi (Shevi’is Perek 9 ) tells us that R’ Shimon Bar Yochai wanted to see what was taking place in the outside world. He emerged from the cave where he had been hiding for more than twelve years and observed a hunter spreading out a net in order to capture the bird that was flying overhead. A Heavenly Voice called out: “Dimus – mercy,” and the bird was saved. R’ Shimon Bar Yochai remarked, “Just as anything that happens to the bird must be decreed from Heaven, certainly any experience of the human being is controlled by the Word of Heaven.” And he left the cave.

The gemara tells us in Kiddushin (82a), “L’olam yilmad odom es bno umnus nekiyah v’kalah – a person should instruct his son in an occupation that is clean and light, i.e. not heavy labor.”

The Aruch and the Maharsha expand on this a little more. The Aruch says

The pasuk states in Bereishis (5:24), “And Chanoch walked with Hashem; then he was no more, for Hashem had taken him.”

The medrash relates that when Chanoch was ready to go up to Shamayim, Hashem Himself accompanied him.

R’ Yisroel Salanter asks:

R’ Yisroel of Rizhin noted that one of the major challenges that people will face in the ikvesa d’meshicha – the days before the arrival of Moshiach -- will involve economic issues and financial matters.

The gemara describes two phases of life as being