28 Nov PARASHAT VAYISHLAH: EVERY PENNY HAS A PURPOSE

We read in Parashat
Vayishlah the famous
story of Yaakob’s
wrestle with an angel,
whom our Sages
identify as “Saro Shel
Esav” – Esav’s angel that was sent from the
heavens to fight against Yaakob Abinu.
The Torah tells that the angel attacked
Yaakob when he was alone – “Va’yivater
Yaakob Le’bado” (32:24). The Gemara
explains – surprisingly – that Yaakob was
alone because “Shachah Pachim Ketanim”
– he forgot some small utensils. As he and
his family were making their way back to
Eretz Yisrael, he moved everything across
a stream, and then realized that there were
some small, cheap items which he forgot on
the other side, so he went back to get them.
This seems very difficult to understand.
Yaakob by now was a very wealthy man.
Did he really need to go back for these small
utensils? Imagine a multimillionaire, who
owns factories and apartment buildings,
is traveling and realized that he forgot in
his hotel room a mug he had purchased for
$4.95. Would he go back to the hotel to get it?
Of course not. Yet, Yaakob went back in the
middle of the night to retrieve some small,
inexpensive items, thus exposing himself to

danger, and he was indeed attacked. Why did
he do that?
As if this were not surprising enough, the
Gemara continues, “We see from here that
the money of the righteous is more beloved
to them than their bodies.” Why would the
righteous cherish their money? Doesn’t the
Torah teach not to place such emphasis on
money?
One answer suggests an analogy to a very
poor man who could not even afford a cup
with which to wash his hands for Netilat
Yadayim. He tearfully begged G-d to provide
him with a cup so he could at least fulfill
this daily Misva, and sure enough, the next
morning he found next to his bed on the
floor a simple cup with a sign which read,
“Here is the cup you asked for.” The man
trembled with excitement and shouted for
joy, knowing that his prayers were answered.
Sometime later, the man regained his
financial footing and eventually became
wealthy. He moved into a large house some
distance from the small shack where he had
lived, and after the movers finished bringing
all his belongings he asked about the small
cup that he kept under his bed. The movers
said that they left it in his old shack.
“We figured, you’re such a wealthy man, so

why would you need
this cup?”
The man was in
shock. Ever since the
day he found that cup
by his bed, it was one
of his most treasured
possessions. He drove
all the way back to
his previous home in
order to retrieve it. It
was very special to
him, because it was
given to him directly
by G-d.
This is how Yaakob looked at all his
possessions, and this is what the Gemara
meant when it said that the righteous cherish
everything they have. They look at all their
worldly belongings, down to the very last
simple utensil, as a gift from Hashem. If we
own something – no matter how small or
insignificant it might seem – it means that
Hashem wanted us to have it. This is true
of our homes, our cars, our businesses and
our appliances, and it is true of our clothing
and our silverware. And if Hashem gave
us something, it is because He wants us to
use it for a purpose. Our dining tables and
kitchenware are to be used for honoring

Shabbat and Yom Tob, and for hosting
guests. The basketball hoop in our driveway
is for the children to exercise and release
energy so they could develop physically and
emotionally and grow to be loyal students
and followers of Torah.
This awareness should have a profound
impact upon everything we do. Once we
realize that each and every penny we have,
and each and every thing we own, is given
to us by G-d for a purpose, then we will be
especially careful with the way we use our
money and all our possessions. Nothing we
have is insignificant. Everything is a precious
gift, which we must ensure to use for a
worthwhile purpose – the purpose for which
Hashem gave it to us.