How much you’re worth – B’chukkotai
One of the final thoughts in the Book of Vayikra is of a person pledging a valuation of himself to the Sanctuary.
The way the valuation is carried out does not depend on economic considerations. The amount of money you have is not the deciding factor. The question is not whether a person is able-bodied or with the capacity to earn a living.
“Value” is an ethical and metaphysical concept.
What sort of person are you? How are you regarded in the eyes of God?
That is how your “value” is judged. Other people look at your economic status: God looks at your heart and soul.
Isn’t it interesting that though we work on the basis of economic considerations when a person is alive, what we say about them when they die is what sort of person they are.
How often do you hear a hesped that records for posterity the material assets of the deceased?
Yes, you later devour what may be reported about the person’s will and how much they left, but the real issue is whether God approved of them – indeed, whether they approved of themselves.
