The book of Devarim Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the book of Deuteronomy, tackles this very question, and the answers might surprise you.

It all starts with a verse from Hosea (4:7): “As they increased, so they sinned against Me; I will change their honor into shame.” But what does "as they increased" really mean?

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani offers a powerful interpretation: It's about leadership. "Everything that the prominent individuals perform," he says, "the generation performs." He reads the Hebrew word for "increased" (kerubam) as connected to "leader" (kerabam). It’s like saying, “like their leader, so goes the people.” Think about it: If the Nasi, the leader, bends the rules, what message does that send?

Devarim Rabbah illustrates this with a stark example. Imagine the Nasi permits something, but the head of the court prohibits it. The head of the court might hesitate, thinking, "If the Nasi permits it, should I prohibit it?" Then the judges might think, "If the head of the court permits it, should we prohibit it?" And finally, the people say, "If the judges permit it, should we prohibit it?" Who set this whole chain reaction in motion? The Nasi, the leader, who compromised in the first place. The buck, as they say, stops at the top.

Rabbi Simlai paints another vivid picture, focusing on hypocrisy. He references Hosea 2:7: "For their mother committed harlotry; she who conceived them acted shamefully" This, Rabbi Simlai says, is about those who "put their own words to shame before the masses." A sage stands up and preaches, "Do not lend with interest!" – and then goes home and does exactly that. He warns, "Do not rob!" – while secretly lining his own pockets. "Do not steal!"—while taking what isn't his.

Rabbi Berekhya drives the point home with two unsettling stories. In one, a man goes to the judge to complain about his stolen garment, only to find it spread out on the judge's bed. In the second, a stolen kettle turns up on the judge's stove! These are shocking images of corruption within the very system designed to uphold justice. This is what it means, says Devarim Rabbah, when "as they increased, so they sinned against Me."

But there's more to it than just leadership. Rabbi Tanhuma expands on the verse with a series of "another matter" interpretations. "The more lands I provided for them," says God, "the more they sinned against Me." He finds this idea alluded to in Hosea 12:12: "Their altars too will be as heaps on the furrows of the field." The people used the bounty of the land to build altars to false gods.

Similarly, "The more I increased their wealth, the more they sinned against Me," as Hosea 8:4 tells us: "Their silver and gold they made into idols for themselves." And "The more I increased their kings, the more they sinned against Me," because "All their kings have fallen; no one among them calls to Me" (Hosea 7:7). Even an increase in children led to more sin, as the verse states, "When you will beget children..." (implied: they will turn away).

What's the takeaway from all of this? It's a sobering reminder that increase – whether in power, wealth, land, or even population – doesn't automatically lead to good. It can, in fact, amplify our capacity for wrongdoing. The responsibility lies with each individual, especially those in positions of influence, to act with integrity and guide the community towards righteousness. Otherwise, the very things meant to be blessings can become the source of our downfall.