שער הבטחון פרק רביעי Part 3

(40) For the second category, the matters of man's possessions, means of financial gain in his various pursuits, whether in commerce, skilled trades, peddling, business management, official appointments, property rentals, banking, work of kings, treasurers, contracting, writing work, other types of work, going to faraway deserts and seas, and other similar things, from what people toil in to amass money, and increase the superfluous. The proper way of trust in the Al-mighty for this is to engage in the means which G-d has made available to him to the extent necessary for his maintenance and sufficient for his needs of this world (i.e. his minimum necessary needs only - TL).

(41) And if the Creator will decree for him more than this, it will come to him without trouble or exertion, provided he trusts in the Al-mighty for it and does not excessively pursue the means nor inwardly trust in them in his heart.

(42) And if the Creator has not decreed for him more than his sustenance, even if all those in heaven and earth were to try to increase it, they would not be capable by any way nor by any means. And when one trusts in G-d, he will find peace of mind and tranquility of spirit, confident that G-d will not give over his portion to someone else, nor send it to him earlier or later than the time He decreed for it.

(43) Sometimes the Creator directs the livelihood of many men through one man. This is in order to test that man whether he will serve G-d or rebel against Him. And G-d will place this to be among the man's most difficult tests and sources of temptation. For example, a king who provides for his army and servants, or princes, ministers of the king, important officials, all of who are surrounded with groups of their servants, attendants, officers, wives, and relatives. They exert themselves to obtain money for those dependents through all types of means, regardless whether they are good or bad means.

(44) And the foolish among them will err on three fronts.

(45) (1) In acquiring money, he will use bad and degrading means to take what the Creator has decreed he will take. And if he had sought after his wealth with proper means, he would have reached his desire, and both his religious and secular affairs would have succeeded, and he would not have received any less from what the Creator had decreed for him.

(46) (2) He thinks that all the money that reaches him is for his own support. He does not understand that the money consists of three parts: one part, for the food he needs for his own body alone, and this is something G-d assures to all living creatures to the end of its days. The second part, for the food of others, such as his wife, children, servants, employees, and the like. This (extra money) is not assured by G-d to all people (that his business will prosper to the extent that his wife and children won't themselves need to engage in some means - PL), but rather only to a select few, and under special conditions, and this opportunity presents itself at certain times but not at others, according to the rulings of the Creator's system of kindness and justice. Third, money to hold on to. This is money which has no benefit for the man. The man guards it and accumulates it until he bequeaths it to another or that he loses it. The foolish person thinks that all the money decreed for him by the Creator is for his own sustenance and physical maintenance, and so he eagerly pursues it and exerts much effort to acquire it; and it is possible that he is amassing wealth for his widow's next husband, his stepson, or for his greatest enemy.

(47) (3) The third error is that he provides money to those (dependents) as the Creator decreed this would happen through him, but he reminds them of his favors as if he were the one who provided for them and did them a kindness, and he expects them to thank and praise him richly, and that they serve him due to them, and he becomes arrogant, haughty, and inflated of heart. He neglects to thank G-d for them (that G-d appointed him as a means to bestow good on others whereby he would be an agent for this and receive reward for it - TL). He thinks that if he did not give this money to them, it would remain by him, and that if he did not provide for them they would not have any money. But really, he is the poor man, who will toil for nothing in this world and will lose his reward in the next world.

(48) The wise man, however, conducts himself in these three ways according to what will be proper for his religious and secular pursuits.

(49) And his trust in what is in G-d's hands is greater than his trust in what is in his own hands because he does not know if the money in his hand is meant for his own benefit or is merely placed in his care. And thus he will gain honor in this world and receive rich reward in Olam Haba (afterlife), as written in the psalm (112) "Haleluy-a praiseworthy is the man who fears G-d.." until the end of it.

(50) There are some classes of people who busy themselves in acquiring money and amassing wealth only for the love of being honored by other people, and to make a name for themselves, and no amount of money is ever enough for them. This is due to their ignorance of what will bring real honor in this world and in the next. The reason they make this error is because they see the masses honoring the wealthy, but really, this honor is motivated by a desire for what they possess and to try to get some of what is in their hands.

(51) If the masses reflected and understood that the wealthy do not have the capability nor the power either to give or to hold back to someone except to whom the Creator decreed, they would not hope to anyone besides G-d.

(52) Nor would they find anyone worthy of honor except for he who the Creator has distinguished with praiseworthy qualities, for which he is worthy of the Creator's honor, as written "Those who honor Me, I will honor" (Shmuel I 2:30).

(53) And because the masses, in honoring the wealthy, were foolish in the causes of real honor, the Creator added to their foolishness in the causes of their requests [for money] (that they constantly seek to become rich - TL). And so they fell into great effort and tremendous toiling all of their days, while they abandoned that which is their duty to busy themselves with and to which they should hasten, namely, fulfilling their duties to the Creator, and to thank Him for the good He bestows on them, whereby their desire (for honor - TL) would have undoubtedly been closer to them in this way, as written "long life is in its right, in its left wealth and honor" (Mishlei 3:16), and "wealth and honor is from You" (Divrei Hayamim 29:12).

(54) There exists among those who seek wealth, one who reaches all his heart's desire through the means we mentioned (commerce, skilled trade, etc), to another it came through an inheritance or the like, and he thinks it is due to the means, and without them, he would not have received anything, and he praises the means and not their Cause (i.e. the Creator who orchestrates all the means - PL).

(55) How similar is he to a man in the desert, thirst weighing on him, who finds unclean water in a pit, and becomes full of joy. He quenches his thirst from them. And afterwards, he moves a bit further, and finds a well of pure water. He regrets on what he did previously, of drinking and quenching his thirst from the unpure water.

(56) Similarly, for the man who became wealthy through a certain means. If this means would have failed, he would have attained it through other means, as we explained earlier and as the verse says: "nothing can prevent G-d from saving, whether through many or through few" (Shmuel I 14:6).

(57) And the proper way for one who trusts in G-d, when his livelihood is withheld for some day is to say in one's heart: "He who took me out (from the womb) to this world at a fixed time and moment, and did not take me out to it earlier or later, He is the One who is withholding my livelihood for a fixed time and a fixed day, because He knows what is good for me."

(58) Likewise, when one's livelihood comes very exactly, no more than the amount for basic food, it is proper for one to reflect in his heart and tell himself: "He who prepared my sustenance at my mother's breast, in my beginning, according to my need, and what was sufficient for me day by day, until He replaced it for me with something better, and (the milk's) coming exactly did not damage me at all, so too I will not be damaged now at all, by His sending me my food in the limited, exact amount, until the end of my days.

(59) He will be rewarded for this, as the Creator told our ancestors in the (Sinai) desert, whose matter was in this way: "The people shall go out each day and gather what they need for the day" (Shemos 16:4), and "go and call out to the ears of Jerusalem and say 'I remember for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, when you followed Me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown' " (Yirmiyahu 2:2).

(60) Likewise, if one's livelihood comes through one means but not through any other means (that he would have preferred - PL), or in one place and not in any other place, or through one person and not through any other person, let one say in his heart: "He who created me in a certain form, shape, characteristics, and measure and not through any other, for my purpose and benefit, He has chosen that my livelihood come through ways suitable to my purpose and benefit, and not through any other ways." And, "He who brought me into this world at a fixed time, and through two specific people, and not through other people of the world, He has chosen for me my livelihood from a specific place and through a specific person, He made him the means to my livelihood for my benefit", as written "G-d is righteous in all His ways" (Tehilim 145:17).