A: You could ask a better question. Should I refrain from taking any money home? At the end of the week when my boss gives me the envelope I should say, “Nothing doing”.
And the answer is a raise is not wealth yet. You’ll need that raise because the landowner will give a raise anyhow. Next week you go to the grocery store, bread costs 10 cents a loaf more. So you’ll need that money.
And I’ll tell you even more. If suddenly you get a long-distance call from an uncle in South Africa and he says, “I’m putting you in my will for $100,000,” don’t protest. When Hakadosh Baruch Hu gives you life, you shouldn’t protest against life. Life is an opportunity to do a lot of mitzvos. Although a great many people would be lucky if they died when they were young. Even now we can point out a great many people who would do not only a great service to the world if they died right now but a service to themselves. And still nobody should perform that service because Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants you to try anyhow. ועל כרחך אתה נולד – You were born against your will (Avos 4:22), and Hashem said, “I’m not asking you if you want to be born. Make use of the life I’m giving you and do a good job.”
And wealth is also conferred upon you without asking your permission. And when they were going out of Egypt, Hakadosh Baruch Hu said they should take along with them all they could. And Moshe Rabeinu was loathe, he was unwilling to do that because he was afraid of wealth. So Hakadosh Baruch Hu said “B’bakashah, I’m begging of you.” You hear that? “I’m begging of you. Go to the Bnei Yisrael ve’emor lahem, and say to them, bebakashah, because I am begging of you take along silver and gold.”
They didn’t want silver and gold. They were afraid of it. But Moshe said, “I’m begging of you.” It means they had to do it anyhow, whether they wanted it or not. “I’m begging please take silver and gold with you.”
Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants you to be tested with silver and gold. And the uncle is testing you if you’re able to take $100,000 or $1 million and still remain, let’s say, in Flatbush, in the Jewish neighborhoods, and go to synagogue every day and be a decent person and of course give away from your money to charity too. It’s a great test. If a person passes successfully the test of wealth, it’s like Noach who was successful bador hazeh – even in that generation of happiness and great success, Noach still remained a tzaddik before Hashem.
Every man is being tested if he’s given wealth to see how he’ll behave even under the difficulties of wealth. So don’t refuse if your lawyer calls you up and says, “Your rich uncle has left a will and you were mentioned there for a million dollars.” Don’t protest.
(October 1982)