Why must you be rich? – B’ha’alot’cha
From Moses we learn many things.
The sages’ comment on verse, “And the man Moses was very meek” (Nu. 12:3) is that the Divine presence rests upon those who, like Moses, are strong, rich, wise and meek.
But how can strength and affluence bring the shechinah? Surely it does not mean that God respects the bully who happens to be stronger than others, or that having money somehow makes you a better or nicer person?
On the superficial level it could be argued that strength is helpful in carrying out the mitzvot, or at least some of them, and that wealth enables a person to give tzedakah and support the community.
There is some basis to this argument. The Shulchan Aruch opens with the words, “A person should strengthen himself like a lion to rise in the morning to do the will of his Creator”. And the Talmudic rabbis are often recorded as showing respect to the rich because of what they could do for the community.
But Ben Zoma’s explanation is better (Pirkei Avot 1:1). “Who is strong?” he says, “He who controls his desires”. The real strength is moral strength. “Who is rich?” goes on Ben Zoma, “He who rejoices in his portion”. Not that the good person is a stick-in-the-mud who has no ambition to move on in life, but being able to accept yourself and live with yourself and to find happiness in what you are and do is the sign of a very fortunate individual.
