Gazdagodni / Észáv

Ben Zoma said: Who is wise? He who learns from every man, as it is said: “From all who taught me have I gained understanding” (Psalms 119:99). Who is mighty? He who subdues his [evil] inclination, as it is said: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32). Who is rich? He who rejoices in his lot, as it is said: “You shall enjoy the fruit of your labors, you shall be happy and you shall prosper” (Psalms 128:2) “You shall be happy” in this world, “and you shall prosper” in the world to come. Who is he that is honored? He who honors his fellow human beings as it is said: “For I honor those that honor Me, but those who spurn Me shall be dishonored” (I Samuel 2:30).

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And he said, "Who is the rich one?": And it can be said that it is inappropriate when someone who has much money, which is in the treasury or in his chest, that he be described with the word, rich. For this thing is not connected to the person; and the wealth is not from the angle of himself. So it is inappropriate that he be called, rich, on account of this. Rather, it is the one who is happy with his lot. For when he is happy with his lot, he is rich in [his] mind - then he is happy from the angle of himself. And he brought a proof from the verse (Psalms 128:2) that said, "you will be happy." For the expression, "you will be happy," means that he has complete preservation (kiyum). And preservation is said about wealth; as it is referred to, with the expression, yakum - like it is written (Deuteronomy 11:6), "and all the yakum (wealth) at their feet." And Rashi, may his memory be blessed, explained (Rashi on Deuteronomy 11:6), "This is the wealth that stands a person on his feet." And it said [that] when you eat from the work of your hands, you will then have the virtue of complete wealth; since you will have preservation, like there is with wealth. And that is [the meaning of], "you will be happy (ashreikha)"; from [the same usage] as, "his ashur (steady steps) will not falter" (Psalms 37:31). And from this, he shows that one who benefits from the work of his hands is completely rich - for he has preservation.

Who is the rich one? He who is happy with his lot: [This is] the one who says, "I have enough with my lot: since I am able to support myself and my household and to engage in Torah [study], what is there [for] me with [any] other money - it is only for me to have what I need and to uphold the word of God." As one who is not happy with his lot and is not satisfied with what God, may He be blessed, gave him is a poor person; as it is explained in the verse (Proverbs 15:15), "All the days of a poor man are bad, but one with a good heart has a constant feast." He wanted to say [in this verse] that all the days of a 'poor man' that desires money are bad - 'a lover of money never has his fill of money': but all the days of the one with a good heart, who is happy with his lot, are good (as the one) [like] one who makes a constant feast. Hence it is an extremely good trait to be happy with his lot. And he is called rich, since God, may He be blessed, gave him with what to support himself and engage in Torah and in the commandments. As 'what is the advantage to man in all of his toil,' except to fulfill the Torah and the commandments.

as it says, "When you eat [from] the work of your hands, you will be happy, and it will be well with you" (Psalms 128:2). "You will be happy" in this world, and "it will be well with you" in the world to come: This verse is not a proof about the matter that one who is happy with his lot is called rich. Rather, [it shows] that a person is happy [also] with this good trait: when he does not desire to gather money and he hates gifts. [Instead,] he eats from the work of his hands and suffices with it, like the one who is happy with his lot - as his want is only to support himself. And Ben Zoma arranged these three traits like the order of Yirmiyahu the prophet, peace be upon him: wisdom, might and wealth, as it is stated (Jeremiah 9:22), "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom; let not the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his wealth." He had wisdom precede might because it is a true virtue and it is in the intellect of the soul and sits in the body, not like might which is only in the body. Still, [might] is more elevated than wealth, since might is in his body - something that exists all the days that he is still alive - whereas wealth is outside of his body. And it is something transient, as he can make his wealth, and others take it [after only] half of his days. And even though the prophet stated that a man should not glory in these three traits, Ben Zoma made a distinction and said that there is a side of these traits that is without [physical] exertion and toil and that he can glory in: With wisdom, it is to be one learning (in every) [from every] man. As such, he will understand fear of God; and there is no exertion in it, as it is wisdom and not work. With might, it is to overcome his impulse and to forgive during his anger. In this too he can glory, since he is doing it from his fear [of God]. And this is what Shlomo, peace be upon him, stated (Proverbs 19:11), "It is the intellect of a man that is slow to anger; it is his glory when he overlooks an offense." And since the desire of the one who is happy with his lot is only to learn and to keep the commandments, and when he has enough for his livelihood and support he is happy and recognizes that the rest is vanity, he is the 'rich' man who can glory in his wealth. As [in] all of these things, there is knowledge of the Creator, may He be blessed. [It is] as it is stated (Jeremiah 9:23), "But only in this should the one who glories glory, in his using his intellect and knowing Me; that I the Lord act with kindness, justice, and equity in the world; for in these I delight, declares the Lord." And Ben Zoma added a fourth trait and said:

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, rests His Divine Presence only upon one who is mighty, and wealthy, and wise, and humble. And all of these qualities are derived from Moses. He was mighty, as it is written: “And he spread the tent over the Tabernacle” (Exodus 40:19), and the Master said: Moses, our teacher, spread it himself. And it is written: “Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each board” (Exodus 26:16). Moses was tall and strong enough to spread the tent over the boards alone. The Gemara asks: Say that he was tall and thin, and the fact that he was mighty cannot be derived.