My Musing
What does it mean to have a gift? Weather it is a facility with money, a skills, or knowledge, when is it considered a gift from God. The midrash makes it clear- it is a gift when it is used for good. If it is not used from good, then you lose it and yourself.
מדרש תנחומא (ורשא) פרשת מטות סימן הWhat does it mean to have a gift? Weather it is a facility with money, a skills, or knowledge, when is it considered a gift from God. The midrash makes it clear- it is a gift when it is used for good. If it is not used from good, then you lose it and yourself.
(במדבר לב:א) "וּמִקְנֶה רַב הָיָה לִבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן וְלִבְנֵי גָד עָצוּם מְאֹד וַיִּרְאוּ אֶת אֶרֶץ יַעְזֵר וְאֶת אֶרֶץ גִּלְעָד וְהִנֵּה הַמָּקוֹם מְקוֹם מִקְנֶה"
Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle; and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle,
ילמדנו רבינו, כמה מתנות נבראו בעולם?
כך שנו רבותינו: שלשה מתנות ברא הקדוש ברוך הוא בעולם: חכמה, וגבורה, ועושר.
זכה אדם לאחד מהן נוטל חמדת כל העולם. זכה בחכמה זכה בכל, זכה בגבורה זכה בכל, זכה בעושר זכה בכל. אימתי? בזמן שהן מתנות שמים, ובאות מכח הגבורה של הקדוש ברוך הוא. אבל גבורתו ועשרו של אדם אינה כלום; שכן אמר שלמה (קהלת ט:יא) "שַׁבְתִּי וְרָאֹה תַחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי לֹא לַקַּלִּים הַמֵּרוֹץ וְלֹא לַגִּבּוֹרִים הַמִּלְחָמָה וְגַם לֹא לַחֲכָמִים לֶחֶם וְגַם לֹא לַנְּבֹנִים עֹשֶׁר וְגַם לֹא לַיֹּדְעִים חֵן כִּי עֵת וָפֶגַע יִקְרֶה אֶת כֻּלָּם"
Our master should instruct; How many gifts were created in the world? Thus taught our sages: Three gifts were created by the Holy One, blessed be He, in this world; Wisdom, Courage, and Wealth.
A person merits gaining one of them he takes delight in the whole world. He merits wisdom, he merits all; He merits courage, he merits all; He merits wealth, he merits all. When does this happen? When the gifts are from Heaven, and come from the strength of the Holy One, blessed be He. But the wealth and courage of man is worthless. As remarked Solomon: 'I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all."
A person merits gaining one of them he takes delight in the whole world. He merits wisdom, he merits all; He merits courage, he merits all; He merits wealth, he merits all. When does this happen? When the gifts are from Heaven, and come from the strength of the Holy One, blessed be He. But the wealth and courage of man is worthless. As remarked Solomon: 'I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all."
וכן ירמיה אמר (ירמיהו ט:כב) "כֹּה אָמַר יְדֹוָד אַל יִתְהַלֵּל חָכָם בְּחָכְמָתוֹ וְאַל יִתְהַלֵּל הַגִּבּוֹר בִּגְבוּרָתוֹ אַל יִתְהַלֵּל עָשִׁיר בְּעָשְׁרוֹ" ומתנות אלו בשעה שאינן מן המקום סופן ליפסק ממנו.
שנו חכמים, שני חכמים עמדו בעולם אחד מישראל ואחד מאומות העולם. אחיתופל מישראל, ובלעם מאומות העולם,ושניהם אבדו מן העולם הזה ומן העולם הבא.
שני גבורים עמדו בעולם אחד מישראל ואחד מאומות העולם. שמשון מישראל, וגלית מאומות העולם, ושניהם אבדו מן העולם.
שני עשירים עמדו בעולם, אחד מישראל ואחד מאומות העולם. קרח מישראל, והמן מאומות העולם. ושניהם אבדו מן העולם. למה? לפי שלא היתה מתנתן מן הקדוש ברוך הוא, אלא היו חוטפין אותה להן.
And similarly Jeremiah said, "Thus saith the LORD: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches;" And these gifts when they are not from the Omnipresent, their end is to be stopped from him.
The sages taught, two wise men lived in the world, one from Israel and one from among the nations of the world. Achitophel from Israel and Bilam from the nations of the world. And both were lost from this world and the world to come.
To brave men lived in the world, one from Israel and one from the nations of the World. Shimshon from Israel, and Goliath from among the nations of the world. And both were lost from the world.
Two wealthy people lived in the world, one from Israel and one from among the nations of the world. Korach from Israel and Haman from among the nations of the world. And both were lost from the world. Why, because their gift was not from the Holy One, blessed be He, rather they snatched it for themselves.
The sages taught, two wise men lived in the world, one from Israel and one from among the nations of the world. Achitophel from Israel and Bilam from the nations of the world. And both were lost from this world and the world to come.
To brave men lived in the world, one from Israel and one from the nations of the World. Shimshon from Israel, and Goliath from among the nations of the world. And both were lost from the world.
Two wealthy people lived in the world, one from Israel and one from among the nations of the world. Korach from Israel and Haman from among the nations of the world. And both were lost from the world. Why, because their gift was not from the Holy One, blessed be He, rather they snatched it for themselves.
וכן את מוצא בבני גד ובני ראובן שהיו עשירים הרבה, והיה להם מקנה גדול, וחבבו את ממונם, וישבו להם חוץ לארץ. לכך גלו תחלה מכל השבטים שנאמר (דברי הימים א,ה:כו) "וַיָּעַר אֱלֹקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת רוּחַ פּוּל מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר, וְאֶת רוּחַ תִּלְּגַת פִּלְנֶסֶר מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וַיַּגְלֵם לָראוּבֵנִי וְלַגָּדִי וְלַחֲצִי שֵׁבֶט מְנַשֶּׁה וַיְבִיאֵם לַחְלַח וְחָבוֹר וְהָרָא וּנְהַר גּוֹזָן עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה" ומי גרם להם? על שהפרישו עצמם מן אחיהם בשביל מקניהם, ומנין? ממה שקראו בענין ומקנה רב היה לבני ראובן ולבני גד.
And so you find regarding the tribe of Gad and Reuven who were very wealthy and had plenty of cattle and cherished their money, and dwelled outside the land. Therefore they were exiled first as it says, "And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tillegath-pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river of Gozan, unto this day." And who caused this to happen to them? They did because they separated from their brothers in favor of their cattle. And from where do we know this? From what we read regarding the events, " the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle;"
אין תגובות:
הוסף רשומת תגובה