When You Get Rich, All the Trouble Starts...
When did the issues arise between Lot and Avraham? After they got rich. When you get rich, then all the trouble starts, and you start fighting! This can be the reason why Sedom had to be destroyed, was because it was once super rich. Look how bad it is to be rich. Wealth can kill your Middos, Chas V'shalom, and can cause major Machlokes.
There is a Shmuess by R' Nissan Rozanker Zatzal (who himself lost his fortune) where he puts you in a “mode” that you’re happy you aren’t rich. It’s all in your mind. And being wealthy can mean also in Ruchaniyus. Those who struggle may not like it, but if they keep working on Bitachon, in the end they come out ahead.
Learn how to make jokes and to belittle all that extra Parnasa or talents, etc. and be happy with what you have. It’s a lifetime job to be happy with exactly what you have, in Ruchaniyus and Gashmiyus. Better be a Lev Nishbar and accept what you have B’simcha.
The Prime Objective in Life Is Shviras Hamidos
A certain person was always taking R’ Zundel of Salant’s shtender, and never putting it back. R’ Zundel asked him politely to please return it, since it was hard for him to carry it. This person started screaming at R’ Zundel for daring to make such a request! Despite the fact he was dead wrong, Reb Zundel asked him for M’chila. The person refused to be Mochel him, until Reb Zundel got up in front of the whole Bais Medrash and begged him with tears in his eyes.
R’ Zundel did not get involved in who’s right and who’s wrong. His prime objective in life was to be one hundred percent pure in Bain Adam La’chaveiro and Anava. This is why indeed he became R’ Zundel HaTzaddik. Of course, this is a high Madrega. But we can learn from here that working on your Ka’as or Sin'ah problem, is much more important than who’s right and who’s wrong.
People waste their lives and energy with debates and arguments that almost never have any Tachlis whatsoever. The only Tachlis is their love for being right, which really is their desire for illusionary Kavod and silly Ga’ava. When you keep quiet or give in, you are exercising Savlanus and Anava, and you grow tremendously. The next time you have a confrontation, instead of fighting, go to the real enemy, your Yetzer Hara, and treat yourself to a Mussar Sefer on Ka’as, Ga’ava, or Bitachon.
In the Mussar Yeshivos, when someone went against his Tevah, he would report his actions to his Rosh HaVaad. He would be highly commended for this, and made to feel good about himself. This would boost him in his further battles against his Tevah. In our circles, we give each other Brachos for Gezunt & Nachas. But they would wish each other success in acquiring Bitachon and Shviras HaMiddos.
