Dirty Money by Rabbi Dovid Goldwasser

"These are the words that Moshe spoke to all of Israel, on the
other side of the Jordan, concerning the Wilderness, concerning the
Arava, opposite the Sea of Reeds, between Paran and Tophel and
Lavan, and Chatzeros, and Di-Zahav" (Devarim 1:1).

Rashi comments that Di-Zahav literally means "abundance of gold".
Hashem blessed the Jews with an abundance of gold when they left Egypt.
However, the Israelites used that gold for the Golden Calf.

The Gemara in Berachos explains the meaning of the name Di-Zahav as
follows: "Moshe said before Hashem: "Master of the Universe, it was the
silver and the gold (zahav) that You sent to the Israelites, until they said,
`Enough` (dai) that caused the episode of the Golden Calf." The
great Reb Elchonon Wasserman, zt"l, asked: "How is it possible that they
said `Enough silver and enough gold`"? We are all familiar with the saying of
our Sages that a person does not depart from this world accomplishing half
of his desires. Our Sages further add that whoever has 100, desires 200.

Reb Elchonon assumes that the root for this desire emanates from the
koach hara (power of evil) that came from Adam. This evil stopped at the
time of the Giving of the Torah, and did not return to the Jewish people until
they produced the Golden Calf. Therefore, before the sin of the Calf, they
were able to say, `Enough silver and enough gold,` for they were not under its
perpetual influence. We can see what can transpire as a result of riches and
money from Reb Elchonon`s revelation.

Our Sages have pointed out that the word sulam (ladder) has the same
gematria (numerical value) as the word mammon (money). This means that
money can either elevate one`s status, or chas v`shalom, cause a person`s
downfall.

We are also familiar with our Sages` teaching that money has the
ability to blind us. Humans receive a greater test by having wealth than by
being impoverished. These tests are apparent on many different levels in
everyday life. To cite but a few examples of these tests, how often is shalom
bayis affected concerning a dispute about money? Is it worth it to disrupt the
harmony and peace of a household over a few dollars? Sometimes it is only a
small amount of money that fuels a major feud between tenant and landlord.
Shouldn`t the Torah way influence a person to seek the path of peace and
compromise, so that both sides can work things out?

Do we give preferential treatment to those who are supposedly "well
off"? Aren`t all people endowed with a neshama tehora (G-dly soul) that has
been drawn from the Highest Source? Have not all people been given the
breath of life by Hashem alone? As Rabbeinu Yonah says, "We can never
make an assessment, evaluate or make a judgment on a neshama.

I cannot forget an incident that occurred a few years ago. Distraught
parents came to me to seek advice. The parents had a son who excelled in all
areas of education. He proved himself to be a class leader, had good
character, and did a great deal of chesed. According to all of his classmates,
he was the most deserving to be chosen as valedictorian.

Everyone was startled when it was announced that another student
had been chosen in his stead. The reason given was that other factors had to
be taken into consideration. The other factors turned out to be the financial
influence of the chosen valedictorian`s family.

While young people today are being trained in "what to look for" in a
shidduch, what do we place the emphasis on? Too often, I hear people say
that "we`re looking for money, we want a family that is really well off." Do we
understand what strong messages we are sending to our children who are
about to embark on the most important journey of their lives? We are surely
cognizant of the words that we say on the Yomim Noraim (High Holy days)
— "Mi ye`asher, umi ye`ani" — "who will become rich and who will become
poor." Aren`t wealth and riches in the hands of the Ribono Shel Olam? Can`t
we all point to individuals whose financial stature has radically changed
over the past year? It behooves us to introspect regarding these matters.

Whenever Reb Yisroel Salanter, the great founder of the Mussar
Movement, completed a monetary transaction, he would rush to the sink and
wash his hands. So careful was Reb Yisroel Salanter of the influence of
money!