Tuesday, October 20, 2009

On Wealth

The definition of a wealthy person is one that is happy with his lot (Pirkei Avos 4.1). The problem with this however, is no person has everything he needs. We all lack something. How then can anyone be happy with his lot -- no person leaves this world with even half of all he wants in his hands (Koheles Raba 1.13).

The solution must be that even though we lack things, we are satisfied with this lack. We understand that this lack is really for our good, spurring us to new achievement and benefiting us in an important way. Only when we hold such a thought in our mind can we call ourselves wealthy.

A further point is that such a thought must be a constant, a state of mind. In other words, just as to be wealthy is a state of being -- we wouldn't call someone who is wealthy for a minute wealthy -- so too the approach of being happy even with what we lack has to be a constant. To be wealthy we need to fix such an approach, such a trait into our psyches.

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