Who is rich? He who is happy with their lot, as it is written (Psalm 128:2) “You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.” “You shall be” refers to this world; and “it shall be well with you” refers to the world to come. (Pirkei Avos 4:1)

The value (middah) of generosity, which is the difference between stinginess and extravagance, is gratifying to its doer, for he thereby preserves his wealth and is not overly extravagant, and this earns him the praise of men for living as he should. (Pirkei Avos 2:1)

What are these passages from Pirkei Avos – the Ethics of the Fathers – saying about wealth? It is told that….

Once a very wealthy merchant was approached by the holy rabbi of the town and was about his lifestyle. The wealthy merchant assured the holy rabbi that he was not influenced by his riches, and that in fact, he was following the teachings of the sages, “Ever let a man be humble in Torah and good works, humble with his parents, teacher, and wife, with his children, with his household, with his kinsfolk near and far, even with the stranger in the street, so that he become beloved one high and desired on earth. (Tanna de bei Eliyahu).” The wealthy merchant explained he was humble in dress and deed, getting along on a simple diet.

The holy rabbi gently explained to the wealthy merchant, “You are doing it all wrong. You must follow my instructions and leave the teachings of the sages to my discretion. I want you to hire servants and to buy yourself several changes of the finest clothes available, along with expensive dresses for your wife. You are to hire a fine cook, and have delicacies at every meal. You must also travel to great places, and use your great wealth for maximum enjoyment. Then you will merit the Divine blessing for continued wealth.”

When the astonished merchant left, some of the by¬standers expressed surprise at these unusual instructions. The rabbi revealed the insight behind his advice.

“If he will indulge in luxurious food and clothes, then when a needy person asks for help, he will understand that this poor fellow requires at least enough for bread and simple clothes. However, if he himself lives a modest life and eats simple food and wears inexpensive clothes, how will he view the needy? He will probably think that the poor can eat scraps and wear rags! I say, let the wealthy enjoy their wealth, then the less fortunate will have at least enough for a meager existence. If the rich train themselves to survive on the bare minimum, they will let the poor suffer and starve.”

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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