"Riches"
Parashat HaShavua Shoftim / Judges
This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 51:12-52:12
Yochanan / John 1:19-27
Devarim {17:15} you shall surely set him king over you, whom HaShem your G-D shall choose: one from among your brothers shall you set king over you; you may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. {17:16} Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Mitzrayim (Egypt), to the end that he may multiply horses; because HaShem has said to you, You shall henceforth return no more that way. {17:17} Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart not turn away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
I could not help but think of King Shlomo (Solomon) when I read this passage. If this was to be the standard by which a king in Yisrael (Israel) was to live, then Shlomo did everything wrong! Not only did King Shlomo multiply horses from Mitzrayim, but he also multiplied wives and amassed huge quantities of gold and silver.
Malachim Alef (1 Kings) {10:21} And all king Shlomo's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing accounted of in the days of Shlomo. {10:27} And the king made silver to be in Yerushalyim (Jerusalem) as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.
It is obvious to see that king Shlomo did everything wrong. The strange thing is that HaShem promised him great wealth. So, if on one hand the king was not to amass great wealth, but on the other hand HaShem promised Shlomo great wealth, then what can we make of this?
Divre Hayamim Bet (2 Chronicles) {1:11} And God said to Solomon, "Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth, or honour, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge, that you may rule My people, over whom I have made you king, {1:12} wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honour, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed, nor those who will come after you."
As we know Shlomo’s wealth was one of the things that lead to his ultimate demise. His wealth and lavish life style certainly contributed to his amassing horses from Mitzrayim as well as his accumulation of hundreds of foreign wives, who eventually enticed him into idol worship. Was HaShem, therefore, responsible for Shlomo’s fall from grace? Was it G-d who set him up for that fall?
Mishlei (Proverbs) {26:1} As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.
King Shlomo was certainly not a fool. As we know from the Psalmist that a fool is someone who denies that there is a G-d (Tehillim [Psalm] 14:1). Shlomo knew there was a G-d, yet towards the end of his life he acted like a fool in joining in with his wives in the worship of false gods. Although HaShem promised Shlomo wealth, He never gave him permission to use that wealth inappropriately by multiplying horses and wives; this was Shlomo’s own doing. The responsibility, therefore, for Shlomo’s demise rests totally on himself, nor can we say that HaShem set Shlomo up or even tempted him:
Ya’acov (James) {1:13} Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by G-d"; for G-d cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. {1:14} But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. {1:15} Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
So HaShem was not the one that set Shlomo up for his fall from His grace -- this too was Shlomo’s own doing. When Shlomo asked for wisdom and knowledge instead of wealth HaShem gave him wealth and honour as well. For wealth and honour in the hands of someone that has wisdom and knowledge should be totally manageable. Yet as wise and knowledgeable as Shlomo was wealth and honour still got the best of him.
I think that this is a good lesson for us all to learn because many of us think that if we had money, then we would do so much good with it. However, I think we should take our lesson from Shlomo, the wisest man that ever lived. That lesson is that power, wealth and honour -- even in the hands of those with surpassing wisdom and knowledge – corrupts a man! Let us rather learn from another King – Yeshua – who told us:
Mattityahu (Matthew) {8:20} And Yeshua said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." {11:29} "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber
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