Wealth: A Mirror of the Inner Self

“A rich man’s wealth is his fortress city, and in his own imagination it is like a towering wall.” Three Tests Our Sages teach: “A person is known by three things: by his cup, by his pocket, and by his anger.” Here we have three tests. But wait: what does a person’s pocket have to do with showing who he really is? His anger makes sense. Anger breaks the polite “mask” we wear around other people and shows what is inside. His cup, meaning how he acts when he drinks, also makes sense. When someone is drunk, his self-control is gone. But his pocket? Money isn’t part of a person’s inner self! How can something physical, a coin, reveal what is inside a person? That is what this essay is about. Money Removes What Held It Back People often make a common mistake. They say, “The money changed him.” You have heard this more than once. A man moves up in the world financially. Then he starts acting rude, proud, or stingy. And people say, “The money did that to him.” But this is a basic mistake. Money does not create anything new deep inside a person. It only removes what was holding him back. When a person is under pressure and short on money, a double “harness” is holding him. First, there is need. He needs his neighbor, he needs his business partner, he needs the community. Second, there is how others see him. People are watching, and he can’t afford to look any different. These two pressures force even someone whose character traits are bad on the inside to act politely and to cooperate with others. Sometimes they even force him to be generous. Then wealth comes along and removes both of them. He doesn’t depend on anyone. He doesn’t need anyone. So he doesn’t owe anyone anything. And then whatever was inside him starts to come out. Holding It Down or Truly Changing This is the heart of the matter. Here is the main point to examine in your own soul. In the Tanya, the classic book of Hasidic thought, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, its author, explains the idea of “a wicked person who has some good in him.” That is someone in whom the bad overpowers the good in his soul. He also explains the difference between such a person and “a righteous person who is not yet complete,” in how strongly the bad holds on to the heart. The difference is not only one of amount. It is a difference in the very nature of the person. Is the bad being held down, or has it truly been turned around? The inner work of subduing the dark side means forcing down the evil inclination, the inner voice that pulls us toward wrong. That is a great achievement. But it does not prove that the person has changed deep inside. He forced himself, and the reins held. But what was inside is still there. Truly transforming his character traits is something else. Here they are taken out of the hands of the forces of darkness and brought over into holiness. That is a real change in what a person is on the inside. Now pay attention. When a person is poor and under pressure, it is hard to know where he really stands. Maybe his good traits are only the result of being held down by force. That force comes from his circumstances, not from his own will. Only when freedom comes, once the harness is taken off, does the truth come out. So wealth is not only a test of character. It is a test of how a person serves Hashem. A Mirror and a Magnifying Glass You can picture wealth in two ways: A mirror. It reflects what is already there. It creates nothing. It only shows. A magnifying glass. It enlarges what is already inside, until it can no longer be hidden. So if a person became cruel when he got rich, the money did not make him cruel. He was always cruel. He just couldn’t “afford” to show it. Now he can. And the same is true the other way around. A person may have real, inner generosity and awe of Hashem. When wealth comes to him, the good in him will come out and grow. He will be able to open his hand to give charity and kindness far more than he could before. The Torah says: “Remember Hashem, for He is the One who gives you the strength to make wealth.” It doesn’t say “who gives you wealth.” It says “who gives you the strength to make wealth.” Money is a power, a vessel. What will shine inside that vessel is up to you.