Prov. 3:13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom, The man who attains understanding. 14 Her value in trade is better than silver, Her yield, greater than gold. 15 She is more precious than rubies; All of your goods cannot equal her. 16 In her right hand is length of days, In her left, riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways, And all her paths, peaceful. 18 She is a tree of life to those who grasp her, And whoever holds on to her is happy.
Prov. 11:24 One man gives generously and ends with more; Another stints on doing the right thing and incurs a loss. 25 A generous person enjoys prosperity; He who satisfies others shall himself be sated.
7 The rich rule the poor, And the borrower is a slave to the lender.
Deut. 6:4 Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
(ה) חיב אדם לברך על הרעה כשם שהוא מברך על הטובה, שנאמר (דברים ו) ואהבת את יי אלהיך בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך ובכל מאדך. בכל לבבך, בשני יצריך, ביצר טוב וביצר רע. ובכל נפשך, אפלו הוא נוטל את נפשך. ובכל מאדך, בכל ממונך. דבר אחר בכל מאדך, בכל מדה ומדה שהוא מודד לך הוי מודה לו במאד מאד.
(5) A person is obligated to bless upon the bad just as he blesses upon the good. As it says, “And you shall love the Lord your God, with all your heart and all your soul and with all that you have.” (Deut. 6:5) “With all your heart” – with your two inclinations, with the inclination of good and the inclination of evil. “And in all your soul” – even if He takes your soul. “And with all that you have” – with all your money. Alternatively, “With all that you have” – with every measure that is measured for you thank Him very much.
(א) בן זומא אומר:איזהו חכם? הלומד מכל אדם, שנאמר: (תהלים קיט צט): "מכל מלמדי השכלתי כי עדותיך שיחה לי".איזהו גבור? הכובש את יצרו , שנאמר (משלי טז לב): "טוב ארך אפים מגבור ומשל ברוחו מלכד עיר".איזהו עשיר? השמח בחלקו, שנאמר: (תהלים קכח ב): "יגיע כפיך כי תאכל אשריך וטוב לך".אשריך, בעולם הזה .וטוב לך, לעולם הבא.איזהו מכֻבד? המכבד את הבריות, שנאמר: (שמואל א ב ל): "כי מכבדי אכבד ובזי יקלו".
(1) Ben Zoma says: Who is the wise one? He who learns from all men, as it says, "I have acquired understanding from all my teachers" (Psalms 119:99). Who is the mighty one? He who conquers his impulse, as it says, "slowness to anger is better than a mighty person and the ruler of his spirit than the conqueror of a city." (Proverbs 16:32). Who is the rich one? He who is happy with his lot, as it says, "When you eat [from] the work of your hands, you will be happy, and it will be well with you" (Psalms 128:2). "You will be happy" in this world, and "it will be well with you" in the world to come. Who is honored? He who honors the created beings, as it says, "For those who honor Me, I will honor; and those who despise Me will be held in little esteem" (I Samuel 2:30).
ר"מ אומר לעולם ילמד אדם לבנו אומנות נקיה וקלה ויבקש רחמים למי שהעושר והנכסים שלו שאין עניות מן האומנות ואין עשירות מן האומנות אלא למי שהעושר שלו שנאמר (חגי ב, ח) לי הכסף ולי הזהב נאם יי צבאות.
Rabbi Meir says: One should always teach his son a clean and easy trade, and he should plead for mercy from the One to whom all wealth and possessions belong, for indigence is not the result of a trade nor is wealth the result of a trade. They are from the One to whom all wealth belongs. As it is stated, "'Silver is Mine and gold is Mine' — says the Eternal God of Hosts" (Haggai 2:8).
BT Berakhot 35b
For a period of time a Roman decree did not allow the study of Torah. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai hid away to keep studying, spending many years in a cave buried up to his neck, with only a carob tree for sustenance. When he finally came out he saw a man working in a field. He thought to himself, "there is so little time to study God's word and you devote yourself to insignificant things like settlement of the world."
His spirit had become so purified during the time in seclusion that his angry gaze was enough to turn the farmer into dust.
Farther down the road, seeing other laborers, the scene repeated itself.
A Heavenly Voice called out, "Unless you refrain from turning my world into chaos, I will put you back into the cave!"
Rabbi Yishmael derives the following teaching from this: spiritual study is needed, but the Divine plan makes it necessary to devote time to providing for one's own material needs.
R' Shawn Israel Zevit, The Offerings of the Heart, 12.
The Divine ownership of wealth is central to the principles of traditional Jewish economic philosophy at the personal, communal, national, and universal levels. First fruits are given to the Temple, thanking God for bountiful produce. The land is in the hands of the Divine and must rest every seven years and lie fallow. Our entire material world is on loan, and all goods must be returned to their original owners every fiftieth year for the Jubilee. Material and spiritual freedom are intimately linked, and the basis of all is not financial equity, but the pursuit of justice.