‫‪Parsha‬‬ ‫‪Preview

Harav Hagaon Shmuel Friedman Shlita

Finances are Fundamental

Parashas Vayishlach

Harav Hagaon Shmuel Friedman Shlita

 

In this week’s parashah, the Torah describes how Yaakov Avinu crossed the river Yabok with his family and belongings. Immediately afterward, the Torah tells us that Yaakov was alone: וַיִּוָּתֵר יַעֲקֹב לְבַדּוֹ. The obvious question is, if Yaakov crossed with his whole family, how did he end up alone?

Rashi cites Chazal’s statement in Chullin that Yaakov went back to retrieve pachim ketanim he had forgotten, and that’s why he was alone. Why did he go back for these pachim ketanim, putting himself in danger by traveling alone at night? The Gemara says: מכאן לצדיקים שחביב עליהם ממונם יותר מגופם וכל כך למה לפי שאין פושטין ידיהן בגזל. Tzaddikim are very careful about avoiding theft, and these pachim ketanim were valuable to Yaakov because they were free of gezel, so he didn’t want to lose them.

Regarding the battle that ensued between Yaakov and the Sar of Eisav, the Torah says: וַיַּרְא כִּי לֹא יָכֹל לוֹ וַיִּגַּע בְּכַף יְרֵכוֹ וַתֵּקַע כַּף יֶרֶךְ יַעֲקֹב בְּהֵאָבְקוֹ עִמּוֹ. From the word בְּהֵאָבְקוֹ, Chazal derive that the dust created by this battle ascended all the way to the Kisei Hakavod.

There are several puzzling aspects to this incident. For one thing, what connection is there between Yaakov’s returning for the pachim ketanim and the arrival of the Sar of Eisav to fight with him? What about the pachim ketanim caused the Sar of Eisav to come exactly then?

Furthermore, why do Chazal consider it praiseworthy that tzaddikim value their money more than their bodies? Chazal actually make this puzzling statement not only about Yaakov, but in another place as well. On the passuk: וַתִּקַּח לוֹ תֵּבַת גֹּמֶא, describing how Moshe was placed in a box in the river, the Gemara in Sotah wonders why the box was made out of גֹּמֶא, which, Rashi explains, is a cheap material, less strong and durable than other types of wood. The Gemara answers, yet again, that we see from here that tzaddikim value their money more than their bodies, since they are careful to avoid theft.

Why is it commendable that tzaddikim are willing to endanger their bodies to save their money? We would think that someone who values his money is on a lower madreigah than someone who values his body! How could chances be taken with Moshe Rabbeinu’s life just to save some money?

Lastly, what is the meaning of Chazal’s statement that the dust of the battle between Yaakov and the Sar of Eisav ascended all the way to the Kisei Hakavod? Even the most heated battle doesn’t kick up that much dust!

Protecting the Investment

I heard a beautiful mashal from Rav Yisrael Belsky to illustrate the concept that tzaddikim value their money more than their bodies since their money is completely kosher and free of any trace of gezel.

Imagine that someone spent a couple of months studying under poskim and rabbanim to learn the detailed halachos of dalet minim. Then, before Succos, he spent hours and hours searching for the perfect dalet minim, until finally, after a full day of looking, he managed to find a beautiful set. Exhausted, he boarded a bus to go home, and promptly dozed off. When the bus pulled up at his stop, he awoke with a jolt, and suddenly realized it was time to get off. So disoriented was he that he ran off the bus, forgetting his dalet minim.

The deep agmas nefesh he would subsequently experience, upon realizing that he had left his dalet minim on the bus, would not be because of the monetary loss, but because of all the time and energy he invested into those dalet minim.

Similarly, tzaddikim are so scrupulous about the halachos of Choshen Mishpat that every penny of theirs is like an esrog mehudar. Major sections of the Torah are devoted to the need to be careful with financial matters, and one of these sections is the Torah’s lengthy description of Yaakov Avinu’s zehirus in these matters in his interactions with Lavan. The reason Yaakov was loath to abandon his pachim ketanim was that he earned them with yashrus, and they were therefore very precious to him.

Hashem is in Every Detail

The Be’er Yosef, citing the Arizal, offers a deeper explanation of why tzaddikim value their money so much. He explains that when the Ribbono Shel Olam grants a person money, or belongings, the person’s attitude should not be, “What do I need this for? It’s not important.” Rather, he should realize that if Hashem gave it to him, it means it’s something he needs to fulfill his tachlis.

Had Yaakov not returned to retrieve the pachim ketanim, it would have seemed as though he didn’t want them, and didn’t recognize that Hashem had given them to him for a purpose. To the Avos, to tzaddikim, to Klal Yisrael, the money and possessions of Olam Hazeh exist for the purpose of ruchniyus and Olam Haba. Anything that a person acquires involves a specific Hashgachah from Shomayim: this item has been designated for him to use for his avodah. Just as a person’s talents are granted to him for the sake of his avodah, his possessions are as well, as Chazal teach that שדה פלוני לפלוני.

If our money was for the purpose of Olam Hazeh, we could be mevater on it and say, “I’ll just leave it, it’s no big deal, I don’t need it.” But since everything we have is given specifically to us to perform our tafkid, we have to be very careful with what Hashem gives us and recognize the Hashgachah that brought it into our possession.

This explains why the Sar of Eisav attacked Yaakov precisely when he went to retrieve the pachim ketanim. Eisav’s attitude is that money is entirely for the purpose of gashmiyus and Olam Hazeh – not for ruchniyus, not for Olam Haba, not connected to any Hashgachah. The Sar of Eisav comes to a person and tells him, “The Ribbono Shel Olam doesn’t get involved in these minor details, in these trivial pachim ketanim. These small amounts of money are not important.”

Eisav’s battle, says the Be’er Yosef, is against the idea that small things are significant. And that’s why Chazal emphasize that the dust of this battle went all the way up to the Kisei Hakavod: They are teaching us that the little details count. Every tiny thing that happens to a person, down to the trifling details of his finances, is decided by the Ribbono Shel Olam and tailor-made for this particular person. Nothing is too small for the Kisei Hakavod; no penny escapes Hashem’s attention, because every bit of money that a person is granted is designated for the purpose of his hatzlachah.

Yaakov was willing to endanger himself to retrieve the pachim ketanim because he recognized that every detail of his life was dictated by Hashem, including his acquisition of those pachim ketanim.

And perhaps we learn from the box Moshe Rabbeinu was placed in that when a person uses the money that has been given to him judiciously, that itself is a zechus for the person and a reason to trust that Hashem will help him.

The Final Nisayon

In Krias Shema we say: וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה’ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ, and the Kadmonim explain that these three ways of loving Hashem correspond to the three Avos. Avraham is represented byבְּכָל לְבָבְךָ , as the passuk says: וּמָצָאתָ אֶת לְבָבוֹ נֶאֱמָן לְפָנֶיךָ. Yitzchak is represented by וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ, since he was ready to give up his life at the Akeidah. Yaakov is represented by וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ, since he endured over 20 years of nisyonos in the financial realm, when working for Lavan. The Teshuvos HaRashba, cited in Ein Yaakov (Chullin 9a), says that the three Avos also represent the three galuyos, and he explains at length how every aspect of what Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov experienced in their lives was מעשה אבות סימן לבנים, a harbinger of what would happen to Klal Yisrael during their exiles.

In this vein, we can view Klal Yisrael’s history as composed of three periods, corresponding to בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ. From Avraham Avinu’s time until the time of the Churban, the primary nisayon was in the realm of emunah – בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ; this was the time when avodah zarah was a major nisayon. From the time of the Churban until recently, the major nisayon was in the realm of וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ, as Yidden were called upon to give up their lives al kiddush Hashem, as was the case during the Holocaust. The third period, our time, is a period of וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ, when the nisayon of money is paramount.

In our times, both those who have money and those don’t are challenged to emulate Yaakov Avinu in the area of וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ and use the money Hashem gave us properly, for what Hashem wants. In fact, on the words: וַיִּגַּע בְּכַף יְרֵכוֹ, the Zohar notes that the Sar of Eisav managed to harm the supporters of Torah – also a matter of money. So the final nisayon is that of how we use our money.

The Smag, in Hilchos Hashavas Aveidah, states that le’asid lavo, when Hashem will be ready to redeem Klal Yisrael from galus, the gentiles will come before him and argue, “You are redeeming people who steal and cheat! They’re not worthy of redemption!” Apparently, Klal Yisrael’s final nisayon in galus is going to be in the area of financial integrity.

Financial integrity is not a matter of frumkeit. It’s not an extra – it’s a fundamental tenet of Yiddishkeit, as we see from the Torah’s lengthy description of how careful Yaakov was in this area. After working for Lavan for over 20 years, Yaakov was able to declare that everything in his possession rightfully belonged to him. He had stolen nothing from Lavan even though he had plenty of justification for taking back what Lavan had stolen from him.

Yaakov Avinu’s nisayon of וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ is the nisayon of our generation. Throughout the day, we have opportunities to be careful with money – for instance, being careful not to misuse time at work. Our possessions have an impact on us, and whether we acquire those possessions with honest money or ill-gotten gains makes a big difference.

Hakadosh Baruch Hu should help each of us to conduct ourselves properly in the financial realm, which will be a major zechus for us to be saved from all tzaros and see success in everything we do, in both ruchniyus and gashmiyus.

Parsha Preview Audio