Parashat D’varim 2015/5775 (Triennial II): Does Financial Success Come From God?

Most people know the biblical account of manna from heaven: God provides food from heaven for the Israelites in the form of “manna,” a bread like substance that according to rabbinic tradition tastes how you want it to taste. Likewise, the Israelites often stop in the desert for God to give them water. But In the triennial section of this week’s Torah portion, we read something different: the Israelites had to PAY the tribe of Esau for food and water (Deuteronomy 2:6)! Because the food and water are no longer “free,” does it mean that God does not provide it for them? This does not seem to be the case since the next verse (Deuteronomy 2:7) says that God blesses all the work of the Israelites hands. Thus according to some rabbinic commentaries, the conclusion must be that God not only blesses Israel with manna from heaven but with money to buy their food and drink from Esau! Extrapolating this teaching to today, does this mean that the Bible is teaching us that the money we make from our labor actually a “blessing” from God? If so, how does this affect our relationship to money?

Please join us for a fascinating conversation about the secrets of financial success in the Bible!

Photo taken from — By Themanwithoutapast at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

Category : Online Learning Online Parashah Class
Tag : deuteronomy esau God jacob money online learning online parashah class panim yafot parsha ramban rashbam rashi wealth דברים