* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
According to this week’s Torah portion, what is the greatness danger we face? Success! We are warned about the misconception we are likely to harbor as the result of our success, thinking:
“It is my own strength and the might of my hand that have accumulated this wealth for me.”
The nation of Israel is about to enter the promised land, after a journey of 40 years through the desert. It was easy at that moment to appreciate that God was responsible for the success of this journey since He had provided for our every need - from bringing down manna from heaven to making sure our shoes never wore out to dry cleaning our clothes.
But now we were entering a land where each family would have a house and a field, where we would work and harvest and become prosperous. It is then that we would be likely to err in thinking that such success was due entirely to our efforts and forget the Source of all blessings. We could fall prey to pride, smugness, and ingratitude.
So what is the alternative? Are we not supposed to be active in the world and strive for success, and not utilize our talents, resourcefulness, and ingenuity to maximum effect? The answer is that, of course, we are meant to enjoy success with the only caveat being that we acknowledge the One responsible for it..
“Remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you the power to acquire wealth.”
Sustained success depends on our recognizing its Source. We will then utilize that success for making the world a better, holier place.
Moshe Rabbeinu wants us to enjoy success, but also to remember and to thank the One who makes it possible. We are meant to be active in the world and to prosper but not to forget the Source of our blessings.
May we all enjoy such divinely acknowledged success throughout our lives.
