There was once a pious man who would proclaim to his fellow people: “People! Is it conceivable that the Creator would demand of you today to fulfill the obligations of tomorrow, or that which you are obligated to do afterward, in a year or two from now?”
וְהָיָה אֶחָד מִן הַחֲסִידִים אוֹמֵר לִבְנֵי אָדָם: בְּנֵי אָדָם, הֲיִתָּכֵן שֶׁיִּתְבַּע אֶתְכֶם הַבּוֹרֵא בְּחוֹבוֹת מָחֳרָת בַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה, וְכֵן בְּמַה שֶּׁאַתָּם חַיָּבִים אַחֲרָיו בְּשָׁנָה וּשְׁנַיִם?
They replied: “How would it be conceivable that it would be demanded from us to fulfill future obligations today, when we don’t know if we will live to reach those days when we will become obligated to fulfill them? However, we can be obligated in a defined amount of service, during the present time, and only when we reach the future time will we become obligated in the service of that time.”
אָמְרוּ לוֹ: הֵיאַךְ יִתָּכֵן שֶׁנִּהְיֶה נִתְבָּעִים בְּחוֹבוֹת הַיָּמִים שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִין אִם נִחְיֶה עַד שֶׁנַּגִּיעַ אֲלֵיהֶם וִיחַיְּבֵנוּ בָּהֶם, אֲבָל אָנוּ חַיָּבִים עֲבוֹדָה יְדוּעָה בִּזְמַן יָדוּעַ, וְכַאֲשֶׁר נַגִּיעַ לַזְּמַן נִתְחַיֵּב בָּעֲבוֹדָה.
The pious man said to them: “Similarly, the Creator, may He be blessed, has guaranteed your present sustenance for the present time, and, in return, it is incumbent upon you to fulfill a set service of G‑d. Just as He will never demand His service of you before its time, so, too, it is fitting that you have shame and refrain from asking for sustenance before its time arrives. Why, then, do I see you asking Him for the sustenance of the years to come, when you don’t even know if you will live until then? Furthermore, you even ask that He give you in advance the sustenance for your (future) wife and children (to be), who haven’t even been born yet. Additionally, you do not merely ask for food but you ask for food as well as for other excess desires for those times that are not yet known to you—the future—even though you are not guaranteed to still be alive during those times.
אָמַר לָהֶם: וְכֵן עָרַב לָכֶם הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ לְכָל זְמַן יָדוּעַ טֶרֶף יָדוּעַ, וַעֲלֵיכֶם בּוֹ עֲבוֹדָה קְבוּעָה, וְכַאֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ תּוֹבֵעַ אֶתְכֶם בַּעֲבוֹדָה קֹדֶם עִתָּהּ, כֵּן רָאוּי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בִּפְנֵיכֶם בֹּשֶׁת תִּמְנַע אֶתְכֶם מִלְּבַקֵּשׁ טֶרֶף שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעַ עִתּוֹ. וּמַדּוּעַ אֲנִי רוֹאֶה אֶתְכֶם מְבַקְשִׁים מִמֶּנּוּ טַרְפֵי שָׁנִים בָּאוֹת, אֵינְכֶם יוֹדְעִים אִם יְמֵיכֶם יַגִּיעוּ אֲלֵיהֶם, וּתְבַקְשׁוּ לְהַקְדִּים לָכֶם טֶרֶף מִי שֶׁלֹּא נִבְרָא עֲדַיִן מֵאִשָּׁה וּבָנִים, וְלֹא יַסְפִּיק לָכֶם הַמָּזוֹן לְבַדּוֹ, אֶלָּא שֶׁאַתָּם מַקְדִּימִים הַמָּזוֹן וּמוֹתָרָיו לִזְמַנִּים שֶׁאֵינָם יְדוּעִים וְלֹא עֲרוּבִים לָכֶם,
Not only do you not serve Him in lieu of His guarantee to provide for you in the future, you don’t even make an accounting with yourself regarding that which you have ignored the service of G‑d during the past days, during which He did not neglect to provide you fully with your sustenance.
וְלֹא דַי לָכֶם שֶׁאֵינְכֶם מַקְדִּימִים לוֹ עֲבוֹדָה לִזְמַן עָתִיד, אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵינְכֶם מְחַשְּׁבִים עִם נַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם בְּמַה שֶּׁהִתְעַלַּמְתֶּם מִן הָעֲבוֹדָה בְּמַה שֶּׁעָבְרוּ מִן הַיָּמִים, אֲשֶׁר לֹא הִתְעַלֵּם מֵהַשְׁלִים לָכֶם טַרְפָּם בָּם.
The fourth response to such a person: A person who takes a security pledge from his friend does so for one of three reasons: 1) Out of concern that perhaps his friend will become poor and thus unable to pay his debt. 2) Out of concern that perhaps he will intentionally refuse to pay his debt. 3) Perhaps his friend will die or be unable to find him. The security pledge is widely considered to be a remedy for all three problems.
וְהָרְבִיעִי, כִּי הַמְמַשְׁכֵּן אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ הוּא מְמַשְׁכֵּן אוֹתוֹ לְאַחַת מִשָּׁלֹשׁ עִלּוֹת: אַחַת מֵהֶן שֶׁמָּא יַעֲנִי וְלֹא תַשִּׂיג יָדוֹ, וְהַשֵּׁנִית שֶׁמָּא יִקְפּוֹץ יָדוֹ עַל מַה שֶּׁיֵּשׁ אֶצְלוֹ וְלֹא יוּכַל לְהִפָּרַע מִמֶּנּוּ, וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁית מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא יָרֵא שֶׁמָּא יָמוּת אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִמְצָאֵהוּ. וְהַמַּשְׁכּוֹן רְפוּאַת הַמַּדְוִים הָאֵלֶּה בֵּין בְּנֵי אָדָם.
If people were to be confident with each other insofar as these three concerns, it would without a doubt be considered a disgrace for them to take security pledges from each other.
וְאִלּוּ הָיוּ בְּטוּחִים בְּנֵי אָדָם קְצָתָם בִּקְצָתָם מֵאֵלֶּה הַשָּׁלֹשׁ מִדּוֹת, הָיָה גְנַאי לָהֶם לְמַשְׁכֵּן מִבְּלִי סָפֵק.
All the more so when it comes to the Creator, may He be blessed, regarding Whom these traits are not applicable at all; it is even more disgraceful and astonishing that people should take security pledges from Him.
וְהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ אֲשֶׁר לֹא יֵאוֹתוּ לוֹ אֵלּוּ הַמִּדּוֹת, יוֹתֵר הוּא גְנַאי גָּדוֹל וּמֻפְלָא שֶׁיְּמַשְׁכְּנוּ אוֹתוֹ,
The verse already states (Hagai 2:8): The silver is mine, and the gold is mine. Similarly, it states (I Chronicles 29:12): And wealth and honor are from before You.
וּכְבָר אָמַר הַכָּתוּב (חגי ב, ח) "לִי הַכֶּסֶף וְלִי הַזָּהָב," וְאָמַר (דברי הימים א' כט, יב) "וְהָעֹשֶׁר וְהַכָּבוֹד מִלְּפָנֶיךָ."
The fifth response to such a person: A person takes a security pledge from his friend to have peace of mind, since he plans on using the pledge as payment for the debt that is owed to him, to benefit from it, or to sell it or swap it and use the money or object he receives in return as payment for the debt that is owed to him. However, the claim of a person who thinks that he will have peace of mind from the worries of this world if the Creator gives him his needs in advance is false, because he cannot be confident that the money will remain in his possession. For a mishap might possibly happen to him that will separate him from it, as the verse states (Jeremiah 17:11): He shall leave them in the midst of his days.
וְהַחֲמִישִׁי, כִּי הַמְמַשְׁכֵּן אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ תָּנוּחַ נַפְשׁוֹ בַּמַּשְׁכּוֹן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מְקַוֶּה לְהִפָּרַע מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֵהָנוֹת בּוֹ אוֹ בִּתְמוּרָתוֹ. אֲבָל מִי שֶׁיַּחְשׁוֹ כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יַקְדִּים לוֹ הַבּוֹרֵא דֵּי שִׂפְקוֹ תָּנוּחַ נַפְשׁוֹ מִצַּד הָעוֹלָם, טַעֲנָתוֹ שֶׁקֶר, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵינֶנּוּ בָּטוּחַ בְּהִשָּׁאֵר הַמָּמוֹן אֶצְלוֹ, שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּקְרֵהוּ פֶּגַע מִן הַפְּגָעִים הַמַּבְדִּילִים בֵּינוֹ לְבֵינוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (ירמיה יז, יא) "בַּחֲצִי יָמָיו יַעַזְבֶנּוּ."
That which they claim regarding the peace of mind they will have when they obtain the riches of the world that they desire is a false claim, and it is foolish of them to seek this, because it is possible that the riches themselves will be a significant cause of their troubles and grief. As our rabbis of blessed memory said ( Avot 2:6): “A person who increases possessions increases worry.”
וּמַה שֶּׁטָּעֲנוּ מִמְּנוּחַת נַפְשָׁם בְּהַגִּיעָם אֶל חֶפְצָם מֵהוֹן הָעוֹלָם, כָּזָב וְסִכְלוּת מֵהֶם בְּבַקָּשׁוֹתָם, כִּי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה סִבָּה חֲזָקָה לְטִרְדַּת לִבָּם וּלְצַעַר נַפְשָׁם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (משנה אבות ב, ז) "מַרְבֶּה נְכָסִים, מַרְבֶּה דְאָגָה."
A person who increases possessions increases worry. When a person is blessed by G‑d with affluence, the worry does not need to be an anxiety; rather, he can exchange it for a “spiritual” worry—trying to decide how to best dispense his money to charity ( Torat Menachem, vol. 17, p. 157).
The sixth response to such a person is as follows: Were the person who is taking the security pledge from his friend sure that his friend will repay his debt before its due date, and would pay him double the amount that he owes him in return for his waiting, as a kindness toward him, then he would certainly never take the security pledge from him.
וְהַשִּׁשִּׁי, כִּי הַמְקַבֵּל מַשְׁכּוֹן מֵחֲבֵרוֹ אִלּוּ הָיָה בָּרוּר לוֹ שֶׁיִּפְרָעֵהוּ קֹדֶם זְמַנּוֹ וְיִגְמְלֵהוּ תַּחַת הַמְתָּנָתוֹ כֵּפֶל מַה שֶּׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אֶצְלוֹ לְחֶסֶד עָלָיו, לֹא הָיָה מְמַשְׁכֵּן אוֹתוֹ בְּשׁוּם פָּנִים.
And here we are speaking of the Creator, may He be blessed; we know of His good conduct with us and His abundant kindness to us, both recently as well as in the past, and that He repays us for our acts of charity and service with a reward that cannot be grasped by human intellect, and certainly cannot be articulated.
וְהַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ אֲשֶׁר יָדַעְנוּ מִנְהָגוֹ הַטּוֹב עִמָּנוּ וְטוּבוֹ הַגָּדוֹל עָלֵינוּ חֲדָשִׁים גַּם יְשָׁנִים, וְשֶׁהוּא גוֹמֵל עַל מַעֲשֵׂה הַצְּדָקָה וְהָעֲבוֹדָה בְּמַה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ עוֹלֶה בְּדַעַת כָּל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁיְּסֻפַּר,
We know of His good conduct with us and His abundant kindness to us, both recently as well as in the past. The Zohar (III 119a) teaches that when a person goes to sleep, he is depositing his soul with G‑d for safekeeping. And although the person is in debt to G‑d more than the “value” of his soul, G‑d nevertheless returns a vibrant soul to him and does not keep it as collateral.
Every morning, immediately upon waking, we praise G‑d by saying the Modeh Ani prayer, in which we say, “Thank You, G‑d, for returning to me my soul, and not withholding it from me due to my debt to You; how great is Your faithfulness. ”
In fact, this behavior is also a Jewish law: If one gives his friend a deposit for safekeeping, the friend cannot withhold it as payment for a loan that the depositor owes him.
A person can argue that, rationally speaking, a person who owes another person money, and now places an item in that person’s possession for safekeeping, this latter person has the full right to withhold it in lieu of payment. Nevertheless, the relationship that a Jew has with G‑d is not based on intellect alone; it is suprarational, and a Jew conducts his life according to the edicts of the Torah, even if they seem to defy logic. We fulfill them because it is the will of G‑d.
This attitude of serving G‑d without any calculation comes from an essential connection between a Jew’s soul and G‑d, where the Will of G‑d is more important than the limitations of a person’s understanding ( Kuntreis Inyanah Shel Torat Hachasidut, chs. 10, 14 ).
As it is written (Isaiah 64:3): No eye had ever seen, G‑d, besides Yours, what is prepared for him who waits for You.
כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ישעיה סד, ג) "עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ יַעֲשֶׂה לִמְחַכֵּה לוֹ,"
No eye had ever seen, G‑d, besides Yours, what is prepared for him who waits for You. The Talmud ( Brachot 34b) states: “All the prophets prophesied regarding the Messianic days only. However, in regard to the World to Come, it is stated: No eye had ever seen, G‑d, beside Yours. ”
The Talmud (ibid.) states: “What is the implication of No eye had ever seen? Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said: That is the state of Eden, which no creature’s eye has ever seen. If you ask: Where was Adam? He was in the Garden (of Eden). And if you ask: Aren’t the ‘Garden’ and ‘Eden’ the same? The verse states (Genesis 2:10): And a river went out from Eden to water the Garden —the Garden is one thing and Eden is another.”
We see from this that there are two distinct levels of reward:
1) The Garden of Eden, which is essentially a flow of energy that originates from Eden and comes down through a contraction of the metaphoric river; 2) the revelation of Eden itself.
The ultimate reward of the World to Come is the revelation of this state of Eden—Eden being understood as pleasure and synonymous with the most sublime states of G‑dliness, the essential delight of G‑d.
Chasidic philosophy explains that the human consciousness is made up of many layers, with the most external being the “garments” of thought, speech, and action. Greater than them are the heart (emotions) and mind (intellect), and even greater is the will, but even the will is driven by a force, and that is the inner pleasure. In other words, what drives a person to want something is an innate desire that will be pleased by the fulfillment of that will. (This inner pleasure varies from one person to the next, which is why they want different things.)
For this reason, when we use anthropomorphic terms to explain G‑d so that humans can have somewhat of an understanding of the Divine structure, the state described as “delight” represents a most essential state of G‑d: a completely infinite state, with no way for finite and mortal man to appreciate or comprehend (“see”) it in this world ( Sefer Hamaamarim 5766, p. 10 ff. ; p. 63 ff. ).
Since G‑d’s kindness to us is unlimited, it is even more of a great disgrace if we were to take a security pledge from Him.
יוֹתֵר הוּא גְנַאי גָּדוֹל שֶׁנְּמַשְׁכֵּן אוֹתוֹ.
The seventh response to such a person: A person who takes a security pledge from his friend only takes the pledge if he is able to supply his friend with merchandise that corresponds to the value of the security pledge. However, a person who takes a security pledge from the Creator, may He be blessed, by requesting G‑d’s kindness in advance of fulfilling his obligations toward Him, does not have the capability to repay with his service of G‑d, because he is not even assured that he will be able to repay his old debts, all the more so that he can’t be sure that he will be able to pay back the new debts. For even a righteous man would not be able to repay G‑d for the good that He has bestowed upon him, were it not for G‑d’s helping him.
וְהַשְּׁבִיעִי, כִּי הַמְמַשְׁכֵּן אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ אֵינוֹ מְמַשְׁכְּנוֹ אֶלָּא אַחַר שֶׁהוּא יָכוֹל לְמַלֹּאת מַה שֶּׁמִּשְׁכְּנוֹ בַּעֲבוּרוֹ מֵהוֹן הָעוֹלָם, אֲבָל הַמְמַשְׁכֵּן הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּהַקְדָּמַת הַטּוֹבוֹת אֵלָיו, אֵין לוֹ יְכֹלֶת לְשַׁלֵּם הָעֲבוֹדָה עֲלֵיהֶן וְלֹא מֻבְטָח לִפְרוֹעַ מַה שֶּׁיֵּשׁ עָלָיו מִן הַחוֹבוֹת הַיְשָׁנוֹת, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן הַחֲדָשׁוֹת, שֶׁהָאָדָם הַצַּדִּיק אֵינֶנּוּ פוֹרֵעַ חוֹבוֹת טוֹבַת הָאֱלֹהִים עָלָיו אֶלָּא בְּעֵזֶר הָאֱלֹהִים לוֹ,
As one of the pious men said in his praises of G‑d: “Even the intellectual who knows You does not glory in his actions; rather, he praises Your name and Your mercy, because You prepared his heart so that it is able to know You. For through You, and Your help, all the Children of Israel will be found to be righteous and praised, saying (Psalms 44:9): We have gloried in G‑d all day long, and we will forever praise Your name.
כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר אֶחָד מִן הַחֲסִידְים בְּתִשְׁבְּחוֹתָיו: וְאַף הַמַּשְׂכִּיל הַיּוֹדֵעַ אוֹתְךָ לֹא בְמַעֲשֵׂהוּ יִתְהַלָּל, כִּי אִם בְּשִׁמְךָ וּבְרַחֲמֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הֲכִינוֹתָ אֶת לְבָבוֹ לָדַעַת אוֹתְךָ, כִּי בְּךָ יִצְדְּקוּ וְיִתְהַלְלוּ כָּל זֶרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר (תהלים מד, ט) "בֵּאלֹהִים הִלַּלְנוּ כָל הַיּוֹם וְשִׁמְךָ לְעוֹלָם נוֹדֶה סֶלָה."
There are seven responses to a person who has the attitude that he will first ensure that he has his material needs and only then will he take care of his service of G‑d:,
- It only makes sense to take a security pledge from someone who has no control over you. ,
- It only makes sense to take a security pledge that is of limited value. ,
- It makes no sense to take a security pledge from someone to whom you owe money. ,
- It only makes sense to take a security pledge from other humans, who are limited in their capabilities. ,
- The objective of a security pledge is peace of mind. However, in this case, amassing wealth does not do that, because he may lose the money. Alternatively, the wealth may be the cause for his stress. ,
- Since G‑d’s kindness is unlimited, it makes no sense to take a security pledge from Him. ,
- A person can only repay his responsibilities toward G‑d with His help. As such, it makes no sense to take a security pledge from G‑d, when he might not be able to repay G‑d what he already owes.
Who haven’t even been born yet. While it is certainly possible that a person’s children have not been born yet at a time of request, it is possible that even his wife has not been born yet, because a person could marry a young woman in his old age ( Pat Lechem ).