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1. Attitudes in New Testament Matthew 6 19 “Do Not 1. Attitudes in New Testament Matthew 6 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy,[c] your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy,[d] your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. Luke 18 18 A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’[a]” 21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 1. An Astonishing Text in the Daf Yomi Eruvin 86a ֵה יִכי ּד ֵמ יָ תְּפִיסַת ָיד ? ּכ ְ וג ֹ ן ֵצֲחורי ׁש ֹ לֶ ּב נֹ ו ְ יָיס . יטבֶּן ּב נֹ ו ְ ָי סי אָתֲא לְקַמֵּיהּ ְדַּרבִּי , רַמֲא ּהְלו : ַ ּפ ּנ ּו ֹםוָק מ ֶבְלן הָאֵמ ָמ הֶנ . אָתֲא ִא ִני רֲחַא נׁיִשי אָ , רַמֲא ּהְלו : ּפ ַ ּנ ֹםקָמ ּוו ֶבְלן ַת אָמי םִ ָמ הֶנ . רַמָא ָפְלנ ָ וי ַרבִּי ִׁיש ֵאלָעְמ בְַּרבִּי וי סֹ ֵ י : ַרבִּי , ִבָאוי לֶ ׁש ֶזה ֵׁיש ול ֹ א ֶ ֶל ף ִפְסני ֹתו בַּיָּם , ּוכ ְ ֶנ ּדְג ןָ ףֶלֶא 1 ֲע ָי ֹתורי בַּיַּבָּשָׁה . רַמָא לֹו : לִכְשֶׁתַּגִּיעַ אֵצֶל ִבָאוי מֱאו ֹר ול ֹ : א ַ ל תְּשַׁגְֵּרהוּ בַּכֵּלִים לַהּ ּלָנו ָפְל ַ י . בַרבִּי מְכַבֵּד שֲעׁ ִ םיִרי . ַרבִּי אָבי ִקֲע מְכַבֵּד שֲעׁ ִ םיִרי . ּכ ְדדִ ָר ֵׁש ָר אָב בַּר רָמ יִ : ׁשֵי״ בֵ וע ֹ ל ָ ם ְפִלנ ֵ י לֱאִהֹ םי דֶסֶח ֶתֱמֶוא ַמ ן ִי ֻּוהְרְצנ ״ — ַתָמיֵאי ֵׁיש ֵב וע ֹ ָל ם ְפִלנ ֵ י לֱאִהֹ םי ? בִּזְמַן דֶסֶחֶ ׁש ֶתֱמֶוא ַמ ן ִי ֻּוהְרְצנ . We learned in the mishna that Rabbi Yehuda says: If the homeowner has there, in the hay shed or one of the other places listed, a right of usage, the person living there does not render the courtyard prohibited. The Gemara asks: What are the circumstances of a right of usage? The Gemara answers: For example, the courtyard of a man named Bonyas, an extremely wealthy individual who allowed various people to take up residence on his property, and he kept some of his many possessions in the living quarters assigned to those people. As he retained the right to remove his articles from their apartments, those areas continued to be regarded as quarters belonging to Bonyas and the people living there were deemed members of his household. The Gemara relates another incident involving Bonyas and his wealth: The son of Bonyas came before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. Realizing from his visitor’s clothing that he was dealing with a wealthy individual, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to his attendants: Make way for one who possesses one hundred maneh, i.e., one hundred times one hundred zuz, as one of this status deserves to be honored in accordance with his riches. Later, another person came before him, and Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi once again turned to his attendants and said to them: Make way even more for one who possesses two hundred maneh. Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosei, said before him: My teacher, Bonyas, father of this one, has a thousand ships out at sea and, corresponding to them, a thousand towns on land. He should be granted pride of place due to his exorbitant wealth. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to him: When you reach his father, tell him: Do not send him to me in these garments. Dress him in accordance with his wealth and status, so that he will be honored accordingly. In explanation of this story, the Gemara comments: Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi would honor the wealthy, and Rabbi Akiva would likewise honor the wealthy, in accordance with Rava bar Mari’s interpretation of the verse: “May he be enthroned before God forever; appoint mercy and truth, that they may preserve him” (Psalms 61:8). When may he be enthroned before God forever? When he appoints [man] mercy and truth that they may preserve him. Rava bar Mari explains the word man as referring to portions of food and interprets the verse as follows: If one provides food to others, he deserves to be enthroned before God, to be 2 shown honor and respect. Consequently, it is proper to honor the wealthy who bestow such kindnesses. Rashi ית מיא שיב לועם - ןמזב שיש וב שע י ר י ם גשיל מון נ מזמוי ן זמ ו נ תו על נ י י ם הום והונירצ : Maharil רפס רהמי "ל ( גהנמ םי ) םיטוקיל ףוס קרפ י ן פתתשמ : תיארמ בר י דבכמ שע י ר י ם היה , רמא עמשש רהממ "מ גס "ל רד "ל תמ ו ך ברשי מצעו היה שע י ר גל פומ , ךכל רה ג י ל תא מצעו דבכל שעהי ר י ם דכ י דמלתהל םעה , , םהש ג"כ והודכיב בשבי ל ור שוע לוא בשבי ל ות רות , אלש הצר שמשל הרתכב לש רותה לוטיל הרטע תהלג לד הב , ןכו צמ י נ ו רב ' קע י אב . יא הירו אלדמ שח י ב אכה ר ' לאעשימ רב יויס םגש ןכ היה דבכמ שע י ר י ם . Chida הנה ונעד יכ דצהי ק ותשנמ לכ ו הל מרמ "ח םיר ביא , כול רבא ראוב וב לת ו י י ם המכ תושנמ לש דצהי ק י ם , הנהו מה ז ו נ ו ת שש ו חל בקה "ה דצלי ק הה ו א , אוה קל י י ם לכ גה ףו כול לתהו י י ם וב , ןכ לו דצהי ק י ם בח י ב י ם לע י םה ממ ו נ ם , יכ הל י ו ת הש ו א עשנפ הלעמלמ יא ן אר ו י מישסא וב , יכ םא אל היה רוצך ול אל היה ןונת ול בקה "ה . ןכ לו ' רזח לע כפהי ם טק נ י ם ,' יכ םא אל היה וח רז , היה הרנא לאכו יא נ ו צורה אב ו םת כפהי ם , כול רבד עפשנה הלעמלמ רצ י ך חל ז ו ר רחאי ו 2. Rabbinic Critiques of Wealth a. Wealth is not purely tangible Jer. 9 כֹּ֣ה ׀ אַָמ֣ר ְיוה ָ ֗ה לַאיּ־ לַהְתִ ֵ ֤ ל חָכָם֙ בְּחָכְמָתֹ֔ו וְאַל־יִתְהֵַלּ֥ל הַגִּבֹּ֖ור בִּגְבֽו ָּרתֹ֑ו אַל־יִתְהֵַלּ֥ל שָעׁ ִ ֖ רי ׃ֹבְּעָשְֽׁרו Thus said the LORD: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom; Let not the strong man glory in his strength; Let not the rich man glory in his riches. 3 ִ ּכ ֣ י אִם־בְֹּז֞את ַּלְהִית ֵ ֣ל הַמִּתְהַלֵּ֗ל הַשְׂכֵּל֮ וְיָדֹ֣עַ אֹותִ֒י כִּ֚י ֲא ִנ ֣ י ְיוה ָ ֔ה עֹ֥שֶׂה ֶח ֛ דֶס שִמׁ ּפְ ָ ט֥ ּוצ ָָקְד ה֖ (בָָּא ֶ֑רץ ִ ּכ ֽ אְב־י ֵ ֥ הֶּל חַָפ֖צְתִּי ָוְהֻים־ְנא הֽ׃ ( ס But only in this should one glory: In his earnest devotion to Me. For I the LORD act with kindness, Justice, and equity in the world; For in these I delight —declares the LORD. Avot 4:1 בֶּן וז מֹ ָ א וא ֹ ֵמ ר , ֵא ּוהֶזי םָכָח , לַהּ דֵמ ו ֹ כִמּ לָ ָדָאם , ֶ ׁש ּנ ֶ רַמֱא ( להתי ם טיק ) כִמּ לָ מְלַמְַּדי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי ִ ּכ י עֵ ְד ֹו ֶתיךָ שִׂי ָחה ּל ִ י . ֵא ּוהֶזי ּבִג ֹרו , כַהּ ו שֵבׁ תֶא ֹ ְורִיצ ֹ , ׁ ש ּנֶ ַרֱמֶא ( לשמי זט ) וט ֹ ב אֶ ֶרךְ אַ ּפַיִם ִמ ּג ּבִ ֹ ו ר ּומש ׁ ֵל בְּרוּחֹו מִלֹּכֵד ִע רי . ֵא ּוהֶזי שָע ׁ ִ רי , הַּשָׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקֹו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ( להתי ם חכק ) יְגִיעַ כַּ ּפֶיךָ ִכּי אֹת לֵכ ַא ְשׁ ֶריךָ וְט ֹוב לָךְ. ַא ְשׁ ֶריךָ, בָּע ֹו ָלם ַה ּז הֶ . ֹבְווט לָךְ, ָלע ֹו ָלם הַבָּא . אֵיזֶהוּ מְכֻבָּד , הַמְכַבֵּד :◌ּ תֶא הַבְִּר ּי ו ֹת , ׁש ֶ ּנ ֶ רַמֱא ( מש ו לא א ב ) ִ ּכ י מְכַבְַּדי אֲכַבֵּד ּוב ֹ ַז י ָּלֵיק וּלי Ben Zoma said:Who is wise? He who learns from every man, as it is said: “From all who taught me have I gained understanding” (Psalms 119:99). Who is mighty? He who subdues his [evil] inclination, as it is said: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city” (Proverbs 16:3).
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