What Matters Most?

It often seems to a person that this lack of satisfaction stems from not yet achieving enough material success; hence, "He who has a hundred wants two hundred." However, the real reason is that the spiritual soul is not satisfied by these achievements. This is why, according to the Maharal, money is called 'kesef' (from the root 'to desire'), because a person always yearns for it. And 'zahav' (gold) is called so because a person says, 'This is gold.'

Mr. Ford approached a fisherman and said, "Get up! Why are you sleeping? Why are you resting here in the middle of the day?" "Why should I get up?" asked the fisherman. "To work!" "Why work?" "To earn money, of course!" "And what will I do with money? What I've caught is enough for me and my family!" Mr. Ford, puzzled, responded, "You can buy a fishing boat, a net, and catch many fish."

Why are they not searching for the truth of life? Have you ever seen someone board a bus, pay, and tell the driver to go wherever, not caring where it leads? That passenger knows exactly where he's going. But why doesn't he look for direction in his own life? Why is his head buried in the mud, never looking up? "Who says material mud is so bad?" the driver, apparently listening in, questioned again. "What's better about spiritual life than material life?" "I'll explain," my friend said.

"Yes," my friend tells me, "this is an unbiased objective view that provides a clearer, truer picture of the world's truth, highlighting the immense value of the spiritual world and the trivial value of the material world. So, how can you, the driver, say that material life is as good as spiritual life, and that materialism has the same value as spirituality? Indeed, you yourself have concluded that when a person frees himself from the chains of desire and momentary pleasure and examines his situation objectively from above, the true picture is revealed.

"When you're very hungry and you think about the food waiting for you, does your appreciation for the food before the meal match its value after you've eaten?" "No, before the meal, the food seems epic and a sublime pleasure. But after the meal (with hindsight), its value drops significantly; this is true of all material pleasures."

"When asked to help an elderly woman board the bus, or assist a blind person crossing the street, do you find it delightful before the act?" "No, only after doing a good deed do I feel I've done something valuable that sometimes fills me with a good feeling." "Incidentally, I'm noticing now there's an evident difference between a material deed and a spiritual deed. A material thing seems valuable before an act but loses value after. A spiritual and moral deed seems less valuable before the act and highly valuable after it.

As mentioned, the human soul, by its nature, cannot find deep, true satisfaction in materialism. In this state of dissatisfaction, a person believes he will find true satisfaction by doubling or tripling his possessions. However, even doubling or tripling leaves the dissatisfaction, and he continues yearning for money and possessions, repeating the cycle. Until old age comes, this error persists as materialism can never satisfy the spirit. "A man does not die with half his desires in hand," meaning: even at his death, a person will have realized only half of his desires.

I recall a few years ago taking a bus from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I remember the journey clearly because of a conversation I overheard between the driver and one of the passengers (apparently, a friend). The driver said, "I see, Mr. Yitzchak, that you seem very pleased with life lately, always smiling and happy. What happened?" The passenger replied, "About a month ago, I received an extraordinary surprise in the mail."

"That's it," said the fisherman, "that's exactly what I'm doing now...!!" "What an enlightening trip," remarked the man next to me, "I never believed people could be so engrossed in the material world and forget what's really important.

"What will you do with the fish?" "Sell them, of course, and make lots of money," Mr. Ford continued, still patient. "And what will I do with the money?" "Don’t you understand? You can buy a fishing boat and sail the big sea." "And then?" "Then you can buy a fleet of ships to travel oceans and seas, establish a big international fishing company," Mr. Ford spurred the fisherman lying beside him. "And what will I get from all this international business?" the fisherman continued. "W..w..well..." Mr. Ford hesitated, "You can sit quietly... and not have to work much."

"Well, the Maharal explains why a person doesn't find deep mental satisfaction in money and possessions and isn't content with what he has. The explanation is simple: the core of a person is the soul and spirit. The body and material are merely a structure, an 'outer wrapping' for the sublime inner self of man. Therefore, in money or any other material thing that becomes a life goal, man will never find satisfaction for his high spiritual world, as it doesn’t touch his inner self.

The driver: "Can I know what you received?" The passenger: "I received an instruction letter from income tax saying that in five years, when I turn seventy, I will be completely exempt from paying income tax. Do you know what it means to be income tax-free? It’s fantastic." I was surprised. I believe the driver was somewhat surprised too.

We weren’t just surprised about the big income tax relief, but that someone of this age, who doesn’t know what his fate will be today or tomorrow, seems happy over the expected exemption in five years. Next to me sat a religious young man smiling at the words of "Mr. Yitzchak." "See," he said to me, "to what extent things go. Money has become the main goal in life. The exemption from income tax seems like the happiest dream.

The difference is interesting and very strange." "You seem like a sensible young man. Maybe you’d explain this strange phenomenon, in line with your previous words when you said that after the fact, a person is always more objective than during or before it?" "Yes, it's clear. A person is subject to the influence of desires; therefore, during the act, he isn’t objective. The desire demands its own, making the material thing seem valuable while the spiritual seems less. But after the act, with a retrospective view, without the influence of desire, the material thing appears objectively of less value, while the spiritual is of greater value and fills the person with a sense of elevation and happiness.

At one of the stops, the passenger alighted and went on his way. The conversation-loving driver, who might have heard something from our conversation, turned to me with a question: "Do you want to hear a small story?" "Sure," "Well, here’s what happened: One day, Mr. Ford, founder of the famous car company, was strolling alone by the river. On his way, he met a fisherman lying on the beach, a rod on one side and a bucket of water on the other, with about ten fish he caught that morning.

People are so immersed in the world of business and money that they completely forget themselves and even forget there’s death and end of life. Everything revolves around materialism, as if it’s the sole purpose on Earth." "And what will you do with the money?" the driver continued jokingly but somewhat seriously asking the passenger. "Oh, I have plans. We want to move to a villa. Currently, we live in a fairly large apartment in Tel Aviv, but, you know, living in a private villa is much more pleasant than in an apartment block.” "Have you heard of the Maharal of Prague?" the young man sitting next to me asked again. "Yes," I answered him, "of course I’ve heard."

Indeed, we live in this material world and cannot be detached from reality, but one must clearly distinguish between means and end. Only when money is a means for serving Hashem and spiritual growth does a person live with inner satisfaction. He is happy and content with his lot in fulfilling this noble spiritual purpose that so suits the soul of a being created in God's image.”

"But answer me honestly: when you did a certain act, isn't it likely that you thought about it while doing it? If you thought again some time later, about the same act, did you always agree in the end with the thought during the act? Or perhaps there were deeds you regretted afterward?" The driver: "Yes, there were many cases where, in hindsight, I found the first thought was hasty." "And which of the two thoughts is more objective, in your opinion? The one during the act or after some time?" "Obviously, the later thought, which isn't subjected to pressures and influences, is much more objective and truthful than the thought during the act."

Then, as you said, he sees the true proportion between spirit and material—that the spirit is what suits the spiritual soul of man, and consequently provides his satisfaction and happiness. In contrast, material is secondary, marginal, and never will a person find satisfaction for his sublime soul in it." When we alighted, the driver asked for our address so we could continue our conversation.

"By the way," added my interlocutor, "it's worth knowing that this doesn’t mean a person should be poor and deprived. On the contrary, Maharal writes that a person should ensure he does not need others' charity, being able to provide for himself and his family with dignity, without relying on the aid of others. It's a deficiency in a person, Maharal writes if he depends on others' mercy. But the main thing is that money isn't a goal; it's a means of livelihood so we can live with dignity and realize our life's mission."