Do You Really Gain?

 “How can I commit this great evil, and sin against Elokim.” (Bereishit 39:9) 

No Need to Take  

One day, R’ Yitzchak of Vorka noticed that his personal attendant was wearing torn shoes. He immediately approached several people and asked them to contribute money to help the attendant who was clearly in dire need. 

People responded and the required sum of money was raised quickly. R’ Yitzchak placed the money in his cabinet for safe keeping, and he planned on giving it to his attendant soon. 

That evening, however, while organizing the rabbi’s belongings, the attendant noticed a significant amount of money lying in the cabinet. He thought to himself, “If I take the money, I can buy new shoes!” He was unable to overcome the temptation, and he took the money and left the room. 

The next morning R’ Yitzchak opened his cabinet only to find that the money he had collected was missing! He began immediately questioning everyone in the household, eventually discovering that the thief was none other than his own attendant. 

R’ Yitzchak summoned the attendant and said, “I want you to know that all the money that was in the cabinet, was for you. If you waited a few more hours, I would have given it to you, and you would have the money without violating Jewish law. However, since you chose to take it unlawfully, you will face punishment for the sin of theft.” 

Then R’ Yitzchak concluded by saying, “There is an important lesson to learn from this, that is applicable to all circumstances: even when a person thinks that they have benefited from sin, they must realize, that if the gains remain with them, it is a sign that it was decreed from Heaven that they should have it. In other words, they could have received the same amount of money, as decreed by the Heavens, without committing the sin. Heaven would have arranged for it [the gains] to reach them lawfully. Therefore, they gained nothing from the sin.”   

A Young Man’s Test  

The esteemed Ben Ish Chai discusses a similar story in Niflaim Maasecha (Section 71): There was a young man who used to return to the yeshiva every night after midnight to study with the head of the yeshiva and group of contemporaries. 

One night while walking to the yeshiva, he noticed that the door of a wealthy widow’s home was left open. He knew that in the first room near the entrance there was a chest full of gold coins. He was tempted by his Yetzer Harah to steal the coins. Succumbing to that temptation, he went into the home and broke open the chest. 

After opening it, his Yetzer Tov prevailed, reminding him of the teaching of Ben Azzai: “No person can take what is destined for another”. 

He said to himself, “If these coins are destined for me, why should I take them unlawfully? And if they are not meant for me, stealing them will be useless.” 

He returned the coins to their place and left. 

The next morning, the widow saw that the chest was broken but that nothing had been stolen. She thought, “This must be a miracle! Miracles do not happen often. I should get married, so I can have someone to protect me and my possessions.” 

She went to the head of the yeshiva and asked him to recommend a good young man for her to marry. There was only that one young man present in the yeshiva, so he suggested that she should marry him. 

The young man realized that he almost stole the coins that were destined for him anyway. And, since he overcame the Yetzer Harah to steal them, Hashem arranged for him to receive that wealth lawfully and without violating Jewish law. 

And so, it was. The widow married the young man who had almost stolen from her.   

Standing Up to Temptation  

We find this same principle in the Talmud (Menachos 44a): A man faced a severe temptation with a non-Jewish woman but overcame it by reflecting on the reward and punishment described by the Torah in the section of tzitzit. He reasoned that since everything is decreed by Heaven, if he is meant to enjoy something, he will receive it one way or another. However, if he takes it unlawfully, Hashem will punish him. If he resists, he will be rewarded and will enjoy that same pleasure in another, permissible way. In the end, the woman converted, and he married her lawfully. 

Similarly, Chazal taught (Beitzah 16a) that a person’s livelihood is determined on Rosh Hashanah. In other words, Hashem determines and sets aside a fixed amount of money that a person will receive from one Rosh Hashanah to the next. A person has the free choice to determine how to pursue that livelihood throughout the year. But no matter how much effort they exert, they cannot earn even a penny more than what was decreed on Rosh Hashanah. 

The writings of earlier sages explain that “a person’s livelihood” includes all of life’s enjoyment. Everything is decreed for them on Rosh Hashanah. It is impossible for a person to have any additional enjoyment than what was decreed for them on Rosh Hashanah. 

Therefore, when a person feels a desire for something forbidden, they must believe that if they are given the opportunity to enjoy it, it is undoubtedly decreed from Heaven for them to have that enjoyment. However, they are given the choice to experience that enjoyment lawfully or unlawfully, according to Torah law or by violating that law, chas v’shalom. If they overcome their Yetzer Harah, they will ultimately receive that enjoyment in a lawful manner, as it was destined for them. 

A wise person will avoid enjoying anything through sin, thereby effectively “lending” that enjoyment to Hashem and depositing it in the “bank” of Hashem. Surely, Hashem will return it to them with handsome interest, in a way that is doubly beneficial and within the boundaries of Jewish law. 

When Yosef HaTzaddik was faced with the great test of sinning with Potiphar’s wife, who even promised him a thousand silver coins, he said, “How can I commit this great evil and sin against Elokim?” 

He specifically used the name Elokim because this name signifies Divine providence. As the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim, 5), taught that when we say the name Elokim we need to have in mind that it refers to “the Mighty One, the Omnipotent, and the Source of all power.” 

Yosef was emphasizing that everything comes from Hashem and his Divine Providence, and therefore, there was no reason at all to succumb to temptation or attempt to enjoy anything through sin and violating Jewish law.  

*** 

The Kalever Rebbe is the seventh Rebbe of the Kaalov Chasidic dynasty, begun by his ancestor who was born to his previously childless parents after receiving a blessing from the Baal Shem Tov zy”a, and later learned under the Maggid of Mezeritch zt”l. The Rebbe has been involved in outreach for more than 30 years and writes weekly emails on understanding current issues through the Torah. Sign up at www.kaalov.org.