אֵין אָדָם נוֹגֵעַ בְּמוּכָן לַחֲבֵרוֹ אֲפִלּוּ כִּמְלוֹא הַנִּימָה

ביטוי (אנגלית)

No person touches what is prepared for his fellow, even by the width of a hair

הגדרה (אנגלית)

A person cannot take from what Divine Providence has designated for his fellow. By extension: the higher providence has allotted each person his sustenance, and it is impossible to harm what is destined for each one (a 'nima' means a thread or a strand of hair).

("And what is yours will be given to you—no person touches what is prepared for his fellow, and no kingdom touches the other, even by the width of a hair"—Yoma 38b; and also: "As our sages said in their words (Beitzah 16): all of a person's sustenance is allotted from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, and so they said (Yoma 38): no person touches what is prepared for his fellow even by the width of a hair... Therefore, a person must make some effort for his livelihood, for so decreed the Supreme King"—Ramchal, Mesillat Yesharim, chapter 21, On the Ways of Acquiring Piety and Avoiding Its Loss, and also: "And behold, the inclination of a man's heart is evil and desires to be unique in his generation in wisdom and deeds... so he suffers when there is another like him or greater and better than him, and he envies him and seeks his harm... all his days are painful and he eats the bread of anxiety, and he has no beloved friends, and he multiplies strife, and he rejoices in the misfortune of others... (one must) believe with complete faith that no person touches what is prepared for his fellow"—Pele Yoetz, entry 'K'-Kinah)