Parshas Lech Lecha 5787 (Yiddish) "I am a shield for you, your reward is very great" - Why did Avraham seek to receive reward?

00:00 It is well known that the Rebbe Maharash conducted himself with wealth and great expansiveness. It is also known that when the Tzemach Tzedek received expensive gifts of silver, gold, and jewelry from chassidim, he would send them to the Rebbe Maharash and say, “This belongs to Reb Shmuel, my son.” In other words, the Rebbe Maharash’s way of serving Hashem was one of wealth. There was expansiveness and wealth in all his affairs. The sichos describe several details of his conduct: he had two gold watches, which was a sign of wealth in those days, and carried not just one watch in his pocket but two. He would travel with [unclear], and there were other aspects of his conduct that reflected wealth. There is also the well-known story that the Rebbe told several times about his grandfather, Reb Meir Shlomo—that is, the Rebbe’s maternal grandfather, the father of Rebbetzin Chana, Reb Meir Shlomo Halevi Yanovsky, who was the rabbi in Nikolayev. After his wedding, he traveled to Lubavitch, was one of the “yoshvim” there, and was among the prominent chassidim close to the Rebbe Maharash. When he returned from Lubavitch to Nikolayev, there was a Torah scholar there who had not yet become close to the Rebbe Maharash. As is known, in the Rebbe Maharash’s time there were

01:57 also the other sons of the Tzemach Tzedek, in Kapust, Liadi, and so on, and there were chassidim who had not yet become close to the Rebbe Maharash. One of those chassidim, a Torah scholar, approached Reb Meir Shlomo and remarked that the Rebbe Maharash conducted himself with wealth and expansiveness. He said it was not fitting: How could a tzaddik, a Rebbe, conduct himself in such a wealthy manner? Reb Meir Shlomo answered him—and this is the expression the Rebbe would repeat—“Durak, durak.” That is a Russian word meaning “fool.” “Durak, durak”—fool, fool. For whom, in your opinion, was all this wealth, the very existence of wealth in the world, intended, if not for the tzaddik? In other words, the wealth in the world was intended for the tzaddik. When the Rebbe told the story, he said that this is actually based on a Midrash. The Midrash also says about gold that “the world was not worthy of using gold, and it was created only for the Beis Hamikdash,” for the Mishkan. The whole reason Hakadosh Boruch Hu created gold in the world—all that wealth—was so there would be gold in the Beis Hamikdash. And what applies to the Beis Hamikdash also applies to tzaddikim. “The works of the righteous are greater than the works of heaven and earth,” for

03:33 “the works of the righteous” refers to the building of the Beis Hamikdash. In other words, it is the same idea: just as we say that gold was created only for the Beis Hamikdash, so too, gold and wealth in general were created only for the tzaddik. And that was the Rebbe Maharash’s way of conducting himself—with wealth. The Rebbe also said explicitly that in our generation, people should conduct themselves this way. So here we see the connection to the Rebbe Maharash’s conduct, which was marked by expansiveness and wealth. As is known, the Rebbe spoke about this several times, both at farbrengens and in yechidus. When the Kopishnitzer Rebbe, may the memory of the righteous be a blessing, visited the Rebbe years ago—about twenty years ago—there was that well-known yechidus in which the Rebbe spoke to him about how, in our generation, the time had come for Jews to have wealth, and that he wanted this wealth to be used so they could increase their Torah and mitzvos accordingly. In later years, the Sadigura Rebbe visited the Rebbe. Rabbi Yaakov visited the Rebbe, and the Rebbe spoke with him as well about conducting oneself with wealth. As is known, this was also true of the Ruzhiner, the holy Ruzhiner, who likewise conducted himself with wealth: wearing gold clothing, gold shoes,

05:00 and the like. As is known, that was how he appeared to the world; in private, he was utterly broken, as the stories about him relate. But in any event, his outward conduct was one of wealth. The Rebbe spoke about the Ruzhiner several times when discussing this subject: that we need to bring this about in the world. Our way of conducting ourselves should specifically be one of wealth, and through this [unclear]. In our generation, this is the way to accomplish things, to magnify and sanctify His great name, and to sanctify the name of Heaven. As late as 5752, there is the well-known sicha the Rebbe delivered on Shabbos Parshas Terumah. It was truly one of the last sichos we merited to hear from the Rebbe’s holy mouth. In it, he spoke at length about gold and wealth: every Jew in our generation should have wealth and expansiveness and use them in the service of Hashem. On this subject, we find something particularly striking with Avraham Avinu, the first Jew. Hashem tells him in the parsha: “Do not fear, Avram; I am your shield; your reward is very great.” Hashem says to Avraham Avinu, “Do not fear, Avram”—Avraham Avinu was afraid of several things. Rashi says he feared that he might already have received his reward in the World to Come through all the things Hashem had done for him—

06:33 all the miracles He had performed for him and the ways He had saved him—so that his reward in the World to Come had already been paid. And he was afraid that the wicked would continue to pursue him. He had fears about material matters and fears about spiritual matters, as Rashi mentions several things he feared; there are further explanations in the Midrashim. Regarding “Do not fear, Avram,” the Midrash says that the verse continues, “I am your shield.” Hakadosh Boruch Hu protects him, and the Midrash gives two interpretations. “I am your shield” means that Hakadosh Boruch Hu promises him: I will be your shield, and none of those you fear will be able to harm you. Another interpretation is that the Midrash reads “I am your shield” as meaning a gift—something given for free. Everything I have given you until now was a free gift; it has nothing to do with your reward. Consequently, “your reward is very great”: the reward reserved for you for all the trials you have endured, and for all your service of Hashem, will be very great. Hashem promised him all of this. Now the question arises, as all the commentators ask—the Alshich and others: Why does Hashem need to promise Avraham Avinu a reward? Is this whole matter fitting for Avraham Avinu? After all, his entire service of Hashem is solely for Hashem’s sake. As the Rambam says, he “does what is true because it is true,” right? And the Rambam says about

08:28 this that what he will receive from it does not matter to him at all. Who is on that level? Avraham Avinu. For the Rambam cites “Avraham, who loves Me”: that was Avraham Avinu’s level. He served out of love, out of love for Hashem, and sought no reward at all. And suddenly, in this parsha, the entire discussion is about Hashem telling Avraham Avinu—Hashem persuading Avraham Avinu—to know that “your reward is very great.” Is that how He persuades Avraham Avinu? What need was there for it? There is the well-known story told about the holy Baal Shem Tov. Once, he took it upon himself to do a favor for a Jew, [unclear], to act on this Jew’s behalf. There were decrees involving [unclear] and all those matters. The Baal Shem Tov devoted himself to it and brought about a change. From Above, he was told that because of what he had done for that Jew, he had lost his entire share in the World to Come. That is how the story is told [unclear]. The Baal Shem Tov got up and began to dance. Why was he dancing? The Baal Shem Tov said that until then, knowing he had a share in the World to Come, he had thought: Perhaps all my service of Hashem is not entirely for Hashem’s sake. Now that he knew the World to Come had been taken from him, he could

09:53 serve Hakadosh Boruch Hu solely for His sake, without any ulterior motive whatsoever. That was why he rejoiced. But [unclear] they restored his entire share in the World to Come. In any event, what is the point of the story? We need to understand what the parsha is saying here, what the verse means: “Do not fear, Avram; I am your shield; your reward is very great.” What does it mean here? There are explanations for this. One explanation is based on a passage in the Zohar on the weekly parsha. The Zohar tells a whole story: Rabbi Abba, one of the great Tannaim mentioned in the Zohar, was once going around announcing that anyone who wanted wealth and long life should come study Torah. A young man came, [unclear], and he [unclear] said that he wanted to study Torah, but he wanted to receive wealth. Rabbi Abba accepted him, and he sat and studied diligently. After a while, the young man approached Rabbi Abba and said: What about the wealth? He was waiting for the wealth, and that promise had still not been fulfilled. Rabbi Abba became very angry: How could he still be preoccupied with that? He was studying Torah and still wanted the—

11:20 Wealth? And in the familiar phrase, “From doing it not for its own sake, one comes to do it for its own sake.” So if he studies Torah, [unclear]. You can bring children, young men, and adults to study Torah and actually promise them wealth; once they are immersed in Torah, they will no longer want all that wealth. But this young man sat and studied for a whole period and was still waiting for his wealth. He [unclear], and from Above they told him not to [unclear], but that the young man would become a great man. He should continue studying, and he should indeed be given wealth. Rabbi Abba arranged for a wealthy man to give him, yes, to give him a golden cup—perhaps gold vessels, vessels made of gold; a cup of fine gold—perhaps a special kind of gold, fine gold, yes, precious vessels. That is how he received his wealth, and he continued sitting and studying. Eventually he came to understand that all the wealth was worth nothing compared to Torah. This troubled him deeply, and he wanted to return all the wealth. Then Rabbi Abba told him: Keep both the Torah and the wealth, and he would not let him return it. A strange story, an interesting story—that is what happened. This story raises many questions, and people ask: What really happened here? For if Rabbi Abba indeed—

12:42 He persuaded them to study Torah in order to become wealthy. Why? Simply because “from doing it not for its own sake, one comes to do it for its own sake.” The Gemara says: “A person should always engage in Torah and mitzvos even not for their own sake, because from doing so not for their own sake, one comes to do so for their own sake.” That is acceptable from the outset; one is indeed permitted to study Torah not for its own sake. So what was so terrible about his asking for wealth? What was the big problem? Why was he angry with him? Why did he want to [unclear]? He would have sent him away—what was wrong with this story? That raises a question, and the other commentators ask it too: What was so serious about it? After all, “from doing it not for its own sake, one comes to do it for its own sake,” and it is permitted. What was the big problem? And afterward, once it had happened, why did he want to return it—yes, return it—when he already had wealth? Why did Rabbi Abba tell him that he did need wealth? And what does it really mean here, regarding [unclear] a great man, and why? If wealth is not a good thing, what would it help? And if it is a good thing, why take it from him? What is happening in this story? What is going on here? As the Rebbe explains in the sicha—we will not go into every detail, but will bring out the main point. What [unclear] can we take from this passage and this story in the Zohar? And the Rebbe explains that the hint in—

13:58 It lies in the phrase, “From doing it not for its own sake, one comes to do it for its own sake.” What does that really mean? “A person should always engage in it not for its own sake.” If “not for its own sake” is dangerous, something bad that spoils all the Torah he studies, why does the Gemara actually say “always engage”? The Gemara’s wording implies that this is how it should be. It is a normal thing: “always engage”—this should be the order, to study Torah not for its own sake. Why? Because afterward he will come to study “for its own sake.” But in the meantime he is studying Torah not for its own sake, and as the Shulchan Aruch states—and the Alter Rebbe cites this in Tanya and in his own Shulchan Aruch, in the laws of Torah study—when someone studies Torah not for its own sake, all that Torah goes to the kelipah. Only later, when he reaches the point of studying for its own sake, can he go back and elevate that Torah. That is why the Alter Rebbe says he should continue studying even now: later, when he leaves exile, he will bring the Torah out of exile too. But why say that this is the order it should follow? Here the Rebbe gives two explanations, very rich explanations, because they are fundamental to serving Hashem. One explanation of “from doing it not for its own sake, one comes to do it for its own sake” is that within the “not for its own sake” lies “for its own sake.” That is its inner meaning: Jews have an intention to do it for its own sake. For a Jew—

15:26 At heart, he wants to serve Hakadosh Boruch Hu. As the Rambam writes, as is well known, a Jew at heart wants to do what Hakadosh Boruch Hu wants. In the laws of divorce, the Rambam says, as is well known, that every Jew wants to serve Hakadosh Boruch Hu and does not want to commit transgressions. So the reason a Jew truly wants to study Torah is that Hakadosh Boruch Hu wants him to. What, then, is happening? We look at what is within. The fact that he is still too young, too childish, and has not yet grasped the deeper meaning, so that right now he studies not for its own sake—that is because he has not reached that point yet. But we know the truth: deep down, what he really wants is what lies “within”—within his studying “not for its own sake” lies “for its own sake.” His innermost intention is truly to serve Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and that will certainly come to light. That is one explanation. The Rebbe also gave a deeper explanation. This is how “from doing it not for its own sake, one comes to do it for its own sake” can be understood: within the “not for its own sake” itself, even in his asking to study in order to receive wealth, there is “for its own sake.” This is a profound idea. In other words, a Jew’s desire for wealth, for financial comfort, for material success does not come from selfishness, materialism, self-importance, pride, or craving, from thinking only of himself. That is only how it appears outwardly. Deep down, a Jew’s intention, the reason he really wants—

16:56 Wealth, is, in truth, for the honor of Heaven. A Jew wants wealth because it brings about a kiddush Hashem. It leads the world—people, non-Jews, the non-Jewish world—to recognize the value, richness, and goodness of the fact that the people of Hakadosh Boruch Hu enjoy material abundance. And that is what lies at the heart of a Jew’s intention in seeking wealth. A Jew does not seek wealth for himself. He seeks wealth because through it he truly expresses that Jews are the people of Hakadosh Boruch Hu, and that Hakadosh Boruch Hu bestows His bounty through them. The whole world was created for the Torah, for the Jewish people, and it is therefore fitting that Jews have wealth, comfort, and everything they need. That is what lies within it. He is not thinking of himself at all; it is all for Hakadosh Boruch Hu, for this entire purpose. And that is what the story says. What does it say? That because he would be a great man—what did the heavenly voice say? The heavenly voice said that because Rabbi Yosi would be a great man, a great man needs wealth: “Make him great from your own means.” Yes, and the Gemara says—and we see this regarding the Kohen Gadol and regarding a king—that there needs to be wealth. Wealth is needed because it expresses the greatness of Jews. That—

18:33 Greatness has to be visible in practice, so that the world can see it, so that even the physical world can see it. Through this, honor is brought to Heaven, and Hashem’s name is sanctified in the world. So, since Avraham Avinu needs money and wealth, for him wealth itself is Hashem’s will. At first, when he came to the rabbi and asked for wealth, outwardly it appeared that he wanted wealth for its own sake. Such a desire for wealth is indeed “not for its own sake.” But the rabbi saw what was within; he understood that ultimately it would lead to doing it truly for its own sake. When he came to the rabbi to ask for wealth, the rabbi thought he was asking for outward wealth, wealth born of pride, wealth born of self-importance, because he needed to see his personal craving [unclear]. But all of this was there within him: Rabbi Yosi has the soul of Avraham Avinu. For him, the wealth he seeks is not foolish wealth, childish wealth, a crude desire for wealth—simply wanting to be a wealthy man and think highly of himself. It does not come from pride or self-importance. Rather, he has the soul of Avraham Avinu, and he needs wealth so that honor will be brought to Heaven in the world. That is what his wealth must be. It comes entirely from bittul; it has nothing to do with self-importance or a sense of self. It just takes time for this to be revealed. And indeed, in the end it—

19:56 was revealed. That is why he said that you have both wealth and Torah: your wealth comes from an inner place, from the right place. This also helps us understand what it says in the parsha, when Hashem tells Avraham Avinu, “I am your shield.” What does “I am your shield” mean? “Your reward is very great”—that “your reward is very great” is because, as the Rebbe says to Avraham Avinu, “I know that everything you do is entirely for the sake of Heaven.” Avraham Avinu was a vehicle for G-dliness. His entire being was devoted to magnifying and publicizing Hashem’s name in the world: “And he called there in the name of Hashem, G-d of the world.” Wherever he went and whatever he did, it was all about being a vehicle for G-dliness, revealing G-dliness and making it known. So know this: “I am your shield.” I am your shield so that in your wealth, in your love, and in everything else, the forces of impurity will have no hold at all; there will be no personal desires in any of it. “And your reward is very great.” So with you, we can see that “your reward is very great.” In your case, it must be made clear that [unclear] the reward is not the reward of someone who seeks things for reasons other than the sake of Heaven. On the contrary, “your reward is very great” is a direct continuation of the avodah; it is part of the avodah. Through his wealth, Avraham Avinu could make G-dliness known in the world. To have the

21:26 power to accomplish the greatest things [unclear] in the world, and in that way to help the world and make Hashem’s name known throughout it. Then the wealth itself was something holy. This also relates to a story told about one of the great chassidim, Reb Pinchas Reizes. He was a chossid of the Alter Rebbe, about whom remarkable stories are told, one of the greatest chassidim, one of the chozrim, and [unclear] written down after the maamarim. Here is the story: Reb Pinchas Reizes was a wealthy man. Where did his wealth come from? His mother-in-law, whose name was Reizes, was a very wealthy woman. She promised him her entire inheritance, because she had no sons, and the inheritance passed to Reb Pinchas Reizes. Why did he travel to the Alter Rebbe? That is a whole story [unclear]. They tell how Reb Pinchas Reizes built himself a large house, a substantial stone house, a truly large house. The Alter Rebbe came there for a housewarming farbrengen. That was when he delivered the maamar “Mizmor Shir Chanukas Habayis.” It is told that the Alter Rebbe asked him, “Reb Pinchas, how did you come to have this? Such wealth, such a substantial house?” In those days, Jews did not live in houses like that. Jews generally had simple, modest homes. But here he had built himself a substantial house, the home of a wealthy man. So the Rebbe asked, “How did this happen?” And Reb Pinchas

22:52 said, “The Rebbe should know that there is no [unclear] behind this. Tears were shed over every stone, every brick, every brick of this house during the bedtime Shema.” In other words, for him this was not a material matter at all. The only reason he built the house [unclear] was that there was a town here and there were chassidim. And because there was a town here, it had to be possible to carry things out as intended, as the Rebbe wanted. Then the people would be more [unclear]. Then, when there was a meeting, it would take place in my home. That way I could [unclear] speak for an hour and influence communal affairs so that they would follow the right intention, as the Rebbe wanted. Then the entire undertaking was for the sake of Heaven, entirely for the sake of Heaven, without any personal interest whatsoever. That is what “your reward is very great” means when Hashem says it to Avraham Avinu. When every Jew reaches [unclear], there will indeed be “your reward is very great”—an abundance of reward, an abundance of wealth, an abundance of [unclear] in all these things. Avraham Avinu was “very wealthy in livestock, silver, and gold.” But we hear in this [unclear]: none of the wealth was bound up with his ego or his sense of self. Rather, it was all in order to [unclear] for the sake of Heaven, in order to [unclear]. [unclear]. This has an effect on [unclear].

24:21 [unclear] non-Jews [unclear], and they remember it. All the avodah [unclear] at this time, [unclear] the Rebbe [unclear], that [unclear] and to be [unclear]. The avodah of wealth, true wealth. That is [unclear]. [unclear].