Two Jews once came to the local Rabbi with a monetary dispute.
“He owes me $50!” one claimed.
“I know nothing of the sort!” the other argued.
The Rabbi ruled that the $50 had to be paid. The defendant began screaming, accusing the Rabbi of unfairness. Surprised, the rabbi turned to the irate man and asked, “Yesterday, you had no problem accepting the substantial loss of money that resulted from your cow being deemed non-Kosher. And now you’re losing yourself over $50?”
The defendant shot the Rabbi an angry look and responded, “That money went to the garbage. But this is going to him!”
In this week’s Torah portion, Jacob travels with his family toward his brother, Esau. Along the way, they encounter a brook over which Jacob transports all his family members and belongings. When all are settled on the other side, Jacob remembers that he has left a few small belongings behind. Back he goes, over the brook, to recover the forgotten objects.
Was Jacob stingy? The story seems quite uncharacteristic of Jacob, a man to whom worldly possessions meant so little and spirituality so much. What was he doing?
Jacob was teaching us a powerful lesson: The money we are fortunate to have is a responsibility we must take seriously. While we may be tempted to gift our children with open credit cards, expend outrageous sums on entertainment, and neglect effective budgeting, we must constantly remind ourselves that the wealth is not only ours to waste. There is a partner to our success, and He wants to see responsibility.
As a reminder of our partner’s involvement, the Torah directs us to invest 10% of our income in charity. By setting aside a percentage of our income to do what G-d wants, we acknowledge His role in our success.
Let’s keep our partner on board. Charity is truly an investment!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Mendy
