ՈՒՄագնե րաբ հայա լթբնեյ րեաուբեն ուլթբնեյ գադ չատում մերադ ւգո' (լբ, ա)
And the children of Reuven and Gad had an abundance of livestock very numerous… (32:1)
The Medrash Rabbah (22:7) states on this pasuk that Hashem created three ‘matanos’ (gifts), and if one merits receiving one of them, he has all of the goodness of this world. These three gifts are wisdom, strength and wealth. If one is granted any one of the three, he has it all. The Medrash continues: ‘When is this true? When the gifts are given from Heaven in the merit of the Torah. But strength and wealth obtained by a person are worthless and nothing will last from them.’
The Medrash continues to say the story of two wise men who lived in this world, one who was a Jew and one who was not. The wise man of the Jewish people was Achitofel, and the wise man of the non-Jews was Bilaam. And both of these men were destroyed in this world. There also were two strong men in this world, one from the Jewish people and one from the gentiles. The strong man of the Jews was Shimshon, while the strong man of the non-Jews was Golias. And both of these men were lost from the world. Finally, there also were two wealthy men in this world, one who was Jewish and one who was not. The wealthy Jewish man was Korach, while the wealthy gentile was Haman. And both of these men were lost from the world. Why did all these men suffer a downfall? Because they ‘grabbed’ their matanos, which were not given to them by Hashem.
The Medrash says that the children of Gad and Reuven were also very wealthy. They had a lot of cattle and livestock, and they had a passion for money. Therefore, they chose to live outside of Eretz Yisroel and, as a result, they were the first tribes to be exiled (as is stated in 1 Divrei Hayamim 5:26). The cause of their downfall was the fact that they separated from the rest of Klal Yisroel because of their love of their possessions.
Hashem Grants Wealth:
The Medrash continues by citing the verse (Tehillim 75:7): ‘For it is not from the east or from the west, neither from the desert does elevation come. But G-d judges; He humbles this one and elevates that one.’ It explains the words ‘the east and the west’ to mean that one doesn’t become rich by traveling in all directions in order to do business and make money. Even if one travels all around the world, he cannot become rich on his own. The pasuk continues to say that one cannot ‘elevate’ himself. Only Hashem decides who will be lifted up and who will be lowered, who will be granted wealthy and honor, and who will not be.