The sages teach us that God bestowed three gifts upon the world: wisdom, strength, and wealth. But these gifts, potent as they are, come with a caveat. If they originate from God, they are a blessing, a source of good. Otherwise? Well, otherwise they can bring ruin.
Think about it. We're told of two towering figures of wisdom, one from the Jewish people and one from the nations of the world. There was Ahithophel, advisor to King David, a man whose counsel was so astute it was considered like divine speech. And then there's Balaam, the non-Jewish prophet known for his powerful blessings and curses. Both were incredibly wise, yet, according to tradition, both ultimately lost not only this world, but also the world to come. Their wisdom, divorced from a higher purpose perhaps, became a source of destruction.
And what about strength? We immediately think of Samson, the Israelite judge blessed with superhuman power. He battled the Philistines, performing incredible feats. And on the other side, we have Goliath, the Philistine giant, a warrior of immense stature and skill. Both were forces to be reckoned with, yet both, ultimately, met their deaths because of their strength. Samson’s strength ultimately led to his capture and demise, while Goliath was famously felled by the cunning David.
Wealth, too, follows this pattern. Consider Korah, the Israelite who led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, fueled by envy and a desire for power. And then there's Haman, the villain of the Purim story, whose vast wealth and influence led him to plot the annihilation of the Jewish people. Both men, consumed by their riches and the power they afforded, perished as a result. The Midrash (Midrash Rabbah, Numbers 18:2) paints a vivid picture of their demise.
It's a sobering thought, isn't it? That even the most desirable qualities can become a trap.
There’s also the tragic story of the two and a half tribes – Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. These tribes, as the narrative goes, amassed great wealth in livestock after the defeat of the Midianites. The spoils of war filled their coffers. They saw the fertile lands east of the Jordan River – what’s often called "the hither side" – and decided they preferred to settle there, rather than continue into the Promised Land with the rest of their brethren. They asked Moses if they could stay put.
But their choice, driven by their newfound wealth, had profound consequences. As we learn, these tribes, choosing their own comfort and perceived advantage over unity with the rest of Israel, were the first to be driven into exile. Their prosperity, instead of being a blessing, became a cause of their downfall.
What are we to make of all this? It’s not that wisdom, strength, and wealth are inherently bad. Far from it! But these gifts, like all gifts, demand responsibility. They require humility, a recognition that they come from a source greater than ourselves, and a commitment to using them for good. Otherwise, they can become a source of ruin, not just for ourselves, but for those around us. It's a powerful reminder that true blessing lies not in what we possess, but in how we use it.