It might be more than just luck. Let's dive into a fascinating passage from Bamidbar Rabbah (Numbers Rabbah) 21, which uses the biblical verse "My offering, My food… you shall observe to present to Me at its appointed time" (Numbers 28:2) as a springboard to explore this very idea. It all centers around the proverb: "The righteous eats to his own satisfaction, but the belly of the wicked will lack" (Proverbs 13:25).

Who are these "righteous" and "wicked" people the text is talking about? Well, our Rabbis don’t leave us guessing.

First, we meet Eliezer, Abraham's servant. Remember the story of how he was sent to find a wife for Isaac? He asks Rebecca for "a little water" (Genesis 24:17). Just a sip. The Rabbis in Bamidbar Rabbah point to this "sip" as an example of the righteous being satisfied with little.

In stark contrast, we have Esau, Jacob's brother. Famously, he cries out to Jacob, "Please pour for me [haliteni]" (Genesis 25:30). Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Rabbi Ze’eira paints a vivid picture here, saying Esau opened his mouth wide, "like a camel." According to the Talmud (Shabbat 155b) you can’t force a camel to overeat, but you can place the food right into its mouth [malitin]. This is not about hunger, it's about an insatiable desire, a gaping emptiness that can never be filled.

Then we have Ruth the Moavite. Remember her story? A convert to Judaism, she gleans in the fields to survive. And yet, the verse tells us: "She ate, was satiated, and left over" (Ruth 2:14). The Midrash highlights that "there was blessing in the mouth of that righteous woman." Even with little, she found abundance.

But what about the "belly of the wicked?" Bamidbar Rabbah illustrates this with a story about an idolater who threw a lavish feast. Rabbi Dostai recounts being invited to this opulent event, where, despite the abundance, one thing was missing: brittle nuts. In a fit of rage, the host smashed a table worth a fortune! When Rabbi Dostai questioned him, the idolater retorted, essentially saying, "If we don't indulge now, when will we?" The Rabbis see this as a perfect example of Proverbs 13:25 – "the belly of the wicked will lack" – no matter how much they consume, they are never truly satisfied.

What's the deeper message here? It's not just about physical hunger, is it? It’s about satisfaction. The righteous find contentment even in simple things, recognizing the blessings they have. The wicked, on the other hand, are driven by insatiable desires, always wanting more, never finding true fulfillment.

So, the next time you find yourself chasing after something, ask yourself: Am I seeking true satisfaction, or am I trying to fill an endless void? Maybe, just maybe, the key to contentment lies not in acquiring more, but in appreciating what we already have.