Having It All

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

After serving Lavan for twenty years, Yaakov returned to Eretz Yisrael, which meant facing Esav. Yaakov therefore sent groups of messengers to Esav laden with gifts, and to relay the message: “So says your servant, Yaakov: I have been living with Lavan and have tarried until now. I acquired bulls, donkeys, sheep, slaves and maidservants, and I have sent word to my master, to find favor in your eyes” (Bereishis 32:5,6). With this, Yaakov hoped to appease Esav.

Rashi offers two explanations for the words, “I have been living with Lavan”:

1) Even though our father blessed me that I would become a powerful, ruling figure, you can see that this has not happened. Instead, I was with Lavan, and I managed there to acquire some livestock and servants, but certainly no fortune or ruling power. Therefore, you have no reason to be jealous of me.

2) When I lived with Lavan, I fulfilled Hashem’s 613 commandments (the Hebrew word “I lived — garti” has the numeric value 613).

What does Rashi’s second explanation have to do with Yaakov’s plan to appease Esav? Why should Yaakov’s keeping mitzvos when he was with Lavan be a reason for Esav not to hate him?

What Yaakov meant, explains Rav Moshe Sternbuch, is that what matters to me in life is mitzvos. Whatever wealth I have is important to me only because it enables me to do mitzvos, nothing more. I have no interest in amassing fortunes or living a life of luxuries. Therefore, you have no reason to be jealous of me.

This perspective of Yaakov’s on life was further highlighted when Yaakov met Esav himself. Esav at first rejected Yaakov’s gift, saying “I have a lot,” but Yaakov begged that Esav accept his gift nevertheless because “I have everything” (Bereishis 23:9,11).

Even a wealthy man can only say that he has “a lot.” He can never “have it all.” If he has a million dollars, he does not have ten million, and if he does, he is still far from those who have 100 million, and so on. Besides that, the more he has, the more he wants, as the Sages say, “one who has 100 wants 200” (Koheles Rabba 1:34).Yaakov, on the other hand, can testify about himself: “I do have it all, because what do I need money for? To enable me to do mitzvos, and the amount of money I need for that I really have.” (see Alei Shur II, 2,20).

This idea answers a question on a verse from Tehilim (34:11) that appears in Birkas hamazon, that “those who seek Hashem will not lack any good.” Is that true? Don’t we see many pious people who are poor?

The Shlah Hakadosh (Pesachim, Drush 5) answers that the verse is not claiming that those who seek Hashem will be wealthy. Rather, what they want money for is to serve Hashem with it, and this amount of money Hashem will always provide them.

This may seem like a very high spiritual level that few are capable of, but we can try to bring ourselves in this direction, little by little. One who lives this way has only to gain. Those who yearn for material success are invariably disappointed, and often have to deal with stress, anguish and even diseases that are traceable to their nervous lifestyle. The Sages (Bava Basra 16b) say that the Avos lived to serve Hashem alone, and through this their lives became a veritable olam haba.

Moreover, if we do not at least try to reach this level, we are actually putting ourselves at spiritual risk. Rav Eliyahu Lopian notes (based on Brachos 35b with the Maharsha’s commentary) that the second paragraph of Keriyas Shema begins by describing Jews who serve Hashem with all their heart and soul, but not with all their “might,” meaning all their resources. We would certainly view such people as dedicated Jews, yet when it comes to money, they have plans of their own that, even if they are not sins, still have nothing to do with avodas Hashem. Although Hashem promises such people that the rains will come for them in their proper time and other blessings, there is a most sobering warning: “Be careful lest you stray and serve other gods…”

Meaning, even if one serves Hashem with mesirus nefesh, if he views money as a means to achieve desires and not just to fulfill Hashem’s will, he is in danger. How often have we seen good Jews fall into the habit of compromising on Yiddishkeit in order to make money? It can begin with skipping an occasional minyan or shiur, but then move on to ignoring certain religious principles in the workplace. Such a Jew may no longer resist the temptation to “be like one of the guys,” even if he is in the company of gentiles. Next, he faces nisyonos in cheating, stealing, Shabbos, kashrus etc. This is what happens when a Jew sees money as the key to material success and not simply as a means of serving Hashem.

A businessman once complained to Rav Gamliel Rabinowitz that he had married off his daughters to bnei Torah, but it was already years after their marriages and yet he was still providing his sons-in-law significant financial assistance on a regular basis. Sometimes, supporting them meant being unable to use his money for things he had planned for himself.

“How long is this supposed to go on?” he asked, frustrated.

“I think you have to correct the way you view money,” answered Rav Gamliel. “The main reason for money is not to use it to have fun, but rather to use it for Torah and mitzvos. If you are unable to put in hours studying Torah and your sons-in-law can, then you should view your support for them as the main reason why you are working! This should be your main purpose in life!”

May we be zocheh to live for Torah and mitzvos!