B"H

Monday Sivan 25, 5777 / June 19, 2017

 

This Shabbat we will recite the fourth chapter of Pirkei Avot. In this chapter Ben Zoma teaches us the following important lesson, “Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot."

 

"Rich" in Hebrew is "Ashir." The four letters of the Hebrew word Ashir (Ayen, Shin, Yud, Reish) can serve as an acronym for the words, Ainayim (eyes), Shinayim (teeth), Yadayim (hands), Raglayim (feet). In this context, one is rich when his/her body is in working order. This should make a person feel rich even if one lacks in monetary wealth and possessions. There is a saying in Yiddish, "altz in aynem is nito ba keinem" - "All in one, there’s by no one..” Too often we take the most important things for granted… Wealth should be measured by taking everything into account.

 

A simple Jewish farmer, who lived in a village, hired a rabbi to teach his child. The rabbi/teacher spent much of his free time in the forest outside the village.  The farmer always wanted to know what the learned man was doing in the forest, but he refused to tell. 

 

One day the farmer insisted that he tell what he was doing in the forest or he would lose his job. Having no choice, he told the farmer, "I spend my time in the forest listening to what the birds are saying." The farmer was impressed. He asked the teacher to teach him also to understand what the birds were saying. The teacher initially refused, telling him that it was not to his benefit to know this.  But, knowing that his job was at stake, he eventually relented and taught him.

 

One day, as the farmer was traveling through the forest, he heard one bird telling another bird, "Tonight thieves will steal this farmer's cow." Upon hearing this he immediately returned home and was able to save his cow. A week later, he again overheard a bird saying, "This farmer will have a financial loss due to fire." As a result, he again was able to save his fortune.

 

Some time later, as he was again traveling through the forest, he heard one bird telling the other that soon this farmer will die. He immediately went back home and approached the teacher, whom he knew as a holy man and told him what he heard. "Twice, I understood what the birds were saying and saved my possessions, but what can I do now?"

 

The teacher replied, "I warned you that it was not good to know everything! Originally, it was decreed in heaven that you shall die, but then it was decided to spare your life in exchange for the loss of your possessions. Now that you have saved your possessions, the original decree was reinstated!"

 

The lesson of the farmer can apply to our Mishna. "Who is rich? He who is happy with his lot" - Although one may be lacking in financial areas, perhaps it is precisely this lack that spared them from something far worse!

 

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY