Yaakov Avinu and Money, Part 3 (Vayishlach)
Wealth, Posessions and Investment Advice. Plus a bonus idea at the end
After pointing out a number of ideas pertaining to work values last week (part 1 and part 2), this week’s parsha provides many more insights relevant to Bnei Torah in the workforce.
Property Value
One of the most famous scenes in the entire Torah only took place because Yaakov Avinu valued his possessions.
Chazal explain that Yaakov was alone when he encountered the angel since he went to retrieve small vessels. From here the Gemara learns that tzadikim value their possessions more than their own bodies.
תלמוד בבלי מסכת חולין דף צא עמוד א
ויותר יעקב לבדו - אמר רבי אלעזר: שנשתייר על פכין קטנים, מכאן לצדיקים שחביב עליהם ממונם יותר מגופם וכל כך למה - לפי שאין פושטין ידיהן בגזל.
This is a reflection of Yaakov’s decision to risk his life and limb to gather his stuff.
This is a challenging idea that needs to be explained. But it’s also not a lone example. There are other sources in Chazal that echo a similar sentiment. For example,
תלמוד בבלי מסכת בבא קמא דף קיט עמוד א
א”ר יוחנן: כל הגוזל את חבירו שוה פרוטה - כאילו נוטל נשמתו ממנו, שנאמר: כן ארחות כל בוצע בצע את נפש בעליו יקח…
“He who steals a small amount from his friend, it is as if he killed him.”
Rav David Lapin explained that most of a person’s money is earned through hard work. This is especially true of Yaakov, as we saw last week. Since a person puts his body and soul into his work, the compensation is tied back to that original effort. Therefore, a person’s money is valued like their body.
Angel Investment
In between the many dramatic scenes in this week’s parsha, there are also a number of shorter sections that don’t always get so much attention. After traveling to Sukkot, the pasuk says:
בראשית פרק לג פסוק יח (פרשת וישלח)
וַיָּבֹא יַעֲקֹב שָׁלֵם עִיר שְׁכֶם אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן בְּבֹאוֹ מִפַּדַּן אֲרָם וַיִּחַן אֶת פְּנֵי הָעִיר:
What does it mean that he “encamped on the city”?
The Gemara (Shabbos 33b) has a few opinions
תלמוד בבלי מסכת שבת דף לג עמוד ב
ויחן את פני העיר אמר רב: מטבע תיקן להם, ושמואל אמר: שווקים תיקן להם, ורבי יוחנן אמר: מרחצאות תיקן להם.
We see that Yaakov helped the economic development of this town. Why is this important? The Torah Temimah explains that our obligation to be involved in yishuvo shel olam is based on hakarat hatov. The world provides us with a place to live, and we give back by making the world a better place. (This is why Adam had to work in Gan Eden even before the curse.) Therefore, Yaakov was expressing his appreciation for this place by helping set up better economic systems.
How to Use Money
Yaakov says that he needs to move slowly due to his kids but also due to his “melacha.”
בראשית פרק לג פסוק יד (פרשת וישלח)
יַעֲבָר נָא אֲדֹנִי לִפְנֵי עַבְדּוֹ וַאֲנִי אֶתְנָהֲלָה לְאִטִּי לְרֶגֶל הַמְּלָאכָה אֲשֶׁר לְפָנַי וּלְרֶגֶל הַיְלָדִים עַד אֲשֶׁר אָבֹא אֶל אֲדֹנִי שֵׂעִירָה
Tosefes Bracha (Another work by the Torah Temima, Rav Baruch Epstein, who was also a banker) explains that melacha refers to his wealth. He brings a few other examples of this usage, for example, in Mishpatim:
אם לא שלחו ידו במלאכת רעהו
Then he explains why wealth is referred to as melacha:
וקרוב לומר, כי על כן נקרא כסף וזהב בשם “מלאכה”, משום דתכלית הכסף הוא לעשות בו מלאכה ועסק, ואם לא יעשו בו מאומה יכלה קרנו, וגם תכנית מערכת העולם יהרס“And it is close to say that this is why silver and gold are called by the name ‘melachah’ (work/enterprise): because the purpose of money is to do with it work and business. And if nothing is done with it, its value will be used up, and the entire plan of the world’s system would be ruined.”
The goal of more money is not to consume more, but to do more good things. And those good things don’t need to be donations; they can be investments and employing other people.
Type B Blessing
In this post and in the previous two installments, we have seen that the Torah values work, money, and economic growth. Yet one final idea from this week’s parsha is critical to getting a complete picture. Yaakov prepares for his fight with Eisav and says that he has gotten smaller due to God’s kindness and truth:
קטונתי מכל החסדים ומכל האמת
Chessed is a kind gesture, but what is the emet that Yaakov is referring to? There are a few opinions, but Onkelos translates
תרגום אונקלוס בראשית פרק לב פסוק יא (פרשת וישלח)
זעירן זכותי מכל חסדין ומכל טבון דעבדת עם עבדך
Even though he usually translates אמת as קושטא, here he understands it as goodness. Why is this so, and how then is chessed different than emet?
The Netziv explains that the chessed is a reference to all of the material blessings in Yaakov’s life. But emet refers to something that lasts forever (as the Gemara in Shabbos states that אמת is eternal). This is the blessing of being the patriarch of God’s nation. All of the financial success is nice and truly important, but what will last forever is the spiritual legacy.
Conclusion
We have seen many sources from these parshiyot which give great value to work, career and money. These teach us that our religous pursuits are not limited to our Torah and Tefilah, but rather we can express holy values in the outside world as well. Our efforts in the office can cerainly be beloved in the eyes of Hashem. But the Netziv reminded us that all of this can be true, yet we still must prioritize our core spiritual values. Money comes and goes, but Torah and Mitzvot are eternal.