Gain Twice: The Quick Way to Keep Money and Earn Reward

Daily Quote

'And if Hashem grants him goodness, he should always fear that he is not consuming his world in his lifetime, and he should always say, I am unworthy of all the kindness, and in order not to deduct from his merits, and also to preserve his assets, he should do as our Rabbis said (Ketubot 66b), 'Salt of money is missing.' And he should increase acts of kindness with the goodness Hashem has bestowed upon him with his body and his money and the houses he has and his wisdom and similar, and in this way, even the righteous in the land will be rewarded, and his reward will be complete.'

(Pele Yoetz, under 'Lack').

Meaning of the Quote

Pele Yoetz describes how a person should behave when Hashem bestows goodness upon them.

When a person receives goodness from Hashem, they should always remember that they do not deserve it by themselves. They should say 'I am unworthy of all the kindness' (Genesis 32:11), meaning they should recognize that Hashem's goodness is a great kindness beyond their merits, and live humbly in the presence of the divine influence.

A person should fear that the good influences they receive in this world might diminish their reward in the world to come, as if they 'ate' their reward in this world and nothing will be left for the future. This motivates the person to stay close to Hashem and prevent a sense of pride or reliance on physical goodness alone.

To prevent the assets they receive from being deducted from their merits, they should act as our sages said – 'Salt of money is missing' (Ketubot 66b). This means that the way to preserve money and protect it is by giving and charity. Giving to others not only protects their possessions but also elevates them spiritually and brings them closer to Hashem.

Hashem grants a person not only money but also a body, houses, wisdom, and more. All these are given so that the person can do kindness and help others. When a person uses the goodness they received from Hashem for the sake of others, they fulfill their purpose in the world and bring blessing to themselves. By investing their money and strength in good deeds, they earn reward both in this world and the next.

Pele Yoetz teaches us to act with humility, recognize Hashem's goodness, and work with kindness with what Hashem has bestowed upon us. Instead of viewing material goodness as a personal matter, we should use it as a tool for doing good in the world. This way, we gain spiritual strength and preserve what we have received.

A Few Words About the Author

Rabbi Eliezer ben Rabbi Yitzchak Papo passed away about 197 years ago (1746 – 20th of Tishrei 1827; 1786 – 11th of October 1827). He was a well-known halachic authority and Kabbalist. He authored several books, the most famous of which is the book of ethics 'Pele Yoetz', for which he is also known by the same name. Rabbi served as the rabbi of the Sephardic community in the city of Silistra, Bulgaria, and later held a position as the head of the Sephardic community in Bucharest, the capital of Wallachia. Among his other works are 'Elef Hamagen', 'Chesed LeAlafim', and 'Beit Tefillah'.

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