Words From Rabbi White

HASHEM’S PROMISE TO AVRAHAM:

In the famous story of the “berit bein ha-betarim,” HaShem tells Avraham that the time will come when his descendants will be enslaved in a foreign land, but eventually they will leave with great possessions. (Genesis 15:14)

Indeed, this promise is repeated to Moshe in Shemot 3:22, and is described as actually having happened in Shemot 12:35,36.

Why was this so important? My teacher, Rav Soloveitchik, spoke about this back in ‘66, when he explained that Pharoah did not consider the Israelites to be a genuine nation, therefore he felt fit to enslave them. Material possessions give a person self-esteem, and also command respect from others. On the other hand, a slave has no property of his own, for whatever he owns belongs to the master.

After the Israelites had left Egypt, they are instructed to relinquish part of their wealth to build a mishkan. To show that they were truly freed men and women, they had to demonstrate their willingness to relinquish some of their newly acquired wealth for a higher cause.

Rav Kook offered a somewhat different approach: he suggested that in order for the nation of Israel to be able to influence other nations from our Torah and our actions, reality demands that we have a strong economic foundation. Thus, already at the outset of our people, Avraham is described as a wealthy man. [See, for example, Genesis 13:2] Likewise, as soon as Israel left Egypt, they had to become used to economic strength. Hence the need for material possessions!

[My thanks to Rabbi S. Baum of Keter Torah shul in Teaneck, who discussed these references in his Shabbat HaGadol derasha of last year.]

To paraphrase that great American Benjamin Franklin, may we all be blessed, besides with health and wisdom, with wealth. And may we use our wealth for mitsvot!

Shabbat shalom, Chag Sameach,

Rabbi Menahem White, Chevra Shaas