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    06 Aug DEVARIM: DON’T FLAUNT IT

    Posted at 16:58h in by
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    “You have
    enough, circle
    the mountain,
    and turn to the
    north (tzafonah).”
    (Devarim 2:3)
    The Kli Yakar lived during a time
    when the Jews enjoyed prosperity,
    and he did not approve of the way
    they dealt with it. He urged them to be
    more discreet, to keep a low profile
    and not draw attention to themselves
    with ostentatious lifestyles.
    He supported his exhortation with a
    homiletic interpretation of Moshe’s
    words to the Jewish people. “You
    have enough, circle the mountain, and
    turn to the north (tzafonah).” The
    word tzafonah can also be translated
    as “the hidden.” In other words, you
    have enough material things. Now

    hide them! If you’ve got it, you don’t
    have to flaunt it!
    Eisav has a long memory, writes the
    Kli Yakar. Whenever he sees Yaakov
    prosper, he believes with all his heart
    that it is only because of the blessings
    that he believes Yaakov stole, the
    blessings that should have gone to
    Eisav.
    Yaakov himself was already worried
    about this. When famine struck all of
    the Middle East, everyone was forced
    to run to Egypt, the only place where
    large stockpiles of food existed. It was
    the only way to avoid starvation.
    Yaakov’s pantry, however, was well
    stocked with food, and his family
    could have gone a long time without a
    trip to Egypt. Nonetheless, Yaakov
    sent them to buy food. “Lamah

    tisra’u?” he said.
    “Why should you
    show off?” According
    to Rashi, Yaakov was
    concerned about the
    children of Eisav and
    Yishmael. Why should
    they see that you have
    plenty of food while
    they are starving? That
    would be a foolish
    thing to do.
    Living in the United
    States, which is so
    liberal, so tolerant, we tend to forget
    this important lesson. Regardless of
    how benign American society is, it is

    still exile. We still live among non-
    Jews, not all of whom share the full

    measure of tolerance which has made
    this country the superpower that it is

    today. We still need to watch our step.
    If we have been blessed with
    prosperity — money, real estate, nice
    homes, automobiles and clothing —
    there is no need to flaunt our wealth.
    “Why do you show off?” said Yaakov.
    It is impolite. It is unwise. It is even
    dangerous.