Like many Americans this past week I bought lotto tickets, checked the winning numbers and included winning the lottery in my prayers. This week the Power Ball was over a billion dollars in prize money and the Mega Millions is now over $720 million. With each drawing there are many smaller prizes too. I am a dreamer and I know how I would spend the billion, the millions or the small prizes. I know which charities I would support and where I would invest the money. What I never really think about is what are the consequences of wealth?
Today I stumbled on a Torah portion teaching titled “Money, Money, Money” by Rabbi Baars where he quotes a rich man “Anyone who thinks wealth is easier than poverty, never had wealth."
In this weeks Torah portion Dvarim, Moses shares with us one of the Jewish people's complaints: God brought us out of Egypt because He hated us! (Deut. 1:27)
The Jewish people were complaining that God does not love them as he took them out of Egypt a fertile country with plenty of water from the Nile River. Instead they were brought to the arid land of Canaan.
Rabbi Baars shares that a life with challenges, struggles and strife also allows us to focus on what is meaningful and to live a life of purpose. The Jewish people mistakenly thought that if God really loved them He would make life easy for them, when in reality, the opposite is the truth.
Ok so I feel better that I did not win! I also realize that my not so rich life is considered extremely rich by many in the world. It’s definitely food for thought. Perhaps Warren Buffet one of the wealthiest men in the world is right in giving away 99 percent of his wealth. He states that keeping more would not enhance his or his family’s happiness or well being.
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