LESSON 7, TRANQUILITY: IS WEALTH BEYOND SUSTENANCE A BLESSING
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/el-dee/episodes/The-Role-Wealth-Plays-In-Life-e24b2ag
THE AUTH0R, RABBEINU BACHYA IBN PEKUDA RAISES THE QUESTION, WHY WE SHOULD TRUST IN G-D?
HE ANSWERS THAT THERE ARE 10 BENEFITS TO TRUSTING IN G-D, 5 SPIRITUAL BENEFITS AND 5 MATERIAL BENEFITS
OF THE SPIRITUAL BENEFITS THERE ARE
- TRANQUILITY
- INDEPENDENCE
- PEACE OF MIND AND SERENITY
- FINANCIAL SATISFACTION
- FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE MATERIAL BENEFITS THERE ARE
- STRESS FREE LIFE
- IMMUNITY FROM THE FATIGUE OF TRAVELING
- HARM-FREE EMPLOYMENT
- NO DISTRESS
- ALWAYS HAPPY
AS TO TRANQUILITY: THERE ARE THREE OPTIONS FOR TRUST
- TRUST IN G-D
- TRUST IN OTHERS
- TRUST IN OURSELVES
- WE HAVE DISCUSSED THAT G-D IS OUR MASTER, AND OUR SOLE RESPONSIBILITY IS TO SERVE HIM.
- WE’VE DISCUSSED THE OPTION OF PLACING OUR TRUST IN OTHERS.
- THIS WEEK, WE’LL DISCUSS PLACING OUR TRUST SOLELY IN OURSELVES. THIS IS THE LAST LEG OF OUR DISCUSSION ON THE FIRST BENEFIT OF BITACHON/TRUST, WHICH IS TRANQUILITY.
HOW DO WE BALANCE OUR NEED TO WORK WITH UNDERSTANDING THAT OUR EFFORTS ARE NOT THE SOURCE OF OUR WEALTH, THEY ARE MERELY THE OPPORTUNITY FOR G-D TO SUSTAIN US.
EACH ONE OF US WAS GIVEN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. SOME ARE BORN PHYSICALLY WEAK AND INTELLECTUALLY STRONG, MAN HAS TO EVALUATE HIS NATURAL STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AND DETERMINE WHAT JOB WOULD BE BEST FOR HIM, PERHAPS TEACHER OR SCIENTIST AND NOT A CONSTRUCTION WORKER.
AS TO THE BALANCE OF OUR EFFORTS VERSUS TRUST IN G-D, BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, IF A MAN IS A FARMER AND WANTS TO GROW WHEAT, HE HAS TO PLANT THE SEED, WHETHER THERE IS SUFFICIENT WATER FOR THE SEED TO GROW, WHETHER THE SEED WAS A HEALTHY SEED TO GROW IS ALL UP TO G-D.
I HAVE A GARDEN, EACH YEAR I PLANT FOUR TOMATO PLANTS, TWO LETTUCE PLANTS AND TWO CUCUMBER PLANTS. I WATER THEM ALMOST DAILY. EACH YEAR, THE HARVEST DIFFERS,
IN SOME YEARS IT IS GREATER THAN OTHERS. IN THE YEARS WHERE THE BOUNTY IS GREAT I CAN SEARCH TO DETERMINE WHAT IT IS I DID THAT YEAR, THAT CAUSED THERE TO BE A LARGE NUMBER OF VEGGIES, DID I BUY IT FROM LOWES OR DESETTA, DID MY COMPOST THAT YEAR HAVE BETTER SCRAPS IN IT…THE ANSWER YEAR AFTER YEAR, IS I DID MY BEST, IMPROVED SOME OF MY FARMING PRACTICES, KNOWING ULTIMATELY IT IS ALL IN G-D’S HANDS.
WE SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON COULDA WOULDA SHOULDA, AND IT’S GREAT AS A MOTIVATOR TO DO BETTER FOR OTHERS AND OURSELVES, IT IS NOT BENEFICIAL IF WE USE IT, MERELY AS REGRETS.
ON THE ONE HAND, WE HUMANS SEEK TO CONTROL, AS MANDATED BY G-D TO ADAM, ON THE OTHER HAND WE MAY BE COMFORTED BY KNOWING THAT ALL THAT HAPPENS, WAS AND IS IN G-D’S CONTROL AND PLAN.
WHY IS MAN GIVEN WISDOM STRENGTH AND WEALTH?
TO USE IT TO SUSTAIN HIMSELF SO HE CAN SERVE G-D.
WHEN IS WEALTH A BLESSING?
WHEN HE USES IT TO SERVE G-D, SUSTAIN HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY, TO DO ACTS OF KINDNESS AND CHARITY.
SO WHY DOES G-D GIVE A SEEMING NON-BELIEVER WEALTH?
- IT WILL BE WITH HIM AS A DEPOSIT, SO THAT HE WILL GUARD IT FROM HARM, UNTIL THE TIME THAT IT WILL BE RETURNED TO THE ONE WHO IS DESERVING OF IT, AND FOR WHOM IT WAS MEANT, E.G. THE POOR OR HIS CHILD OR HEIR.
- THE MONEY WILL BE THE CAUSE OF HIS MISFORTUNE, E.G., CRIMINAL ACTS, WHICH LEAD HIM TO JAIL OR TO DIE. NOT ONLY DOESN’T HE DERIVE BENEFITS FROM HIS WEALTH, IT IS THE SOURCE OF HIS DOWNFALL.
- IT IS THE SOURCE OF MAN’S CONCERN AND STRESS, AS TO WHETHER HE WILL LOSE IT, OR WHETHER IT WILL SUFFICE.
MAN USES THE STRENGTHS G-D GIVES HIM TO SUSTAIN HIMSELF AND HIS FAMILY. IF HE USES HIS WEALTH TO SERVE G-D, HE GETS TO KEEP IT. IF HE MISUSES HIS MONEY, HE RETAINS HIS WEALTH TEMPORARILY.
AND WITH THIS CLASS, WE COMPLETE OUR DISCUSSION ON THE FIRST BENEFIT OF BITACHO, NAMELY, TRANQUILITY. WORKING WITH OTHERS, PROVIDES A CONDUIT FOR G-D’S WILL AND BLESSINGS. OUR OWN EFFORTS MERELY CREATE A VESSEL TO RECEIVE G-D’S BLESSINGS.
OTHERS ARE NOT THE SOURCE OF BLESSINGS, WE ARE NOT THE SOURCE OF BLESSINGS, G-D IS. KNOWING THIS, BRINGS TRANQUILITY, FOR THERE ARE NO LIMITS TO G-D’S BLESSINGS WHICH HE BESTOWS, AND WHICH HE CAN BESTOW, ON MAN.