The Sifrei on the pasuk in Birkas Kohanim – “May Hashem Bless you and Guard you” (Bamidbar 6:24) – analyzes the blessing (Yevarechecha) and the guarding (V’Yishmerecha) that Hashem provides. The Medrash provides an entire listing of opinions as to what each of these terms represent.
One opinion in the Sifrei is that Yevarechecha refers to acquiring property (i.e., wealth) and V’Yishmerecha refers to Hashem saving you from all the potential hazards that might take away your property. However, the first opinion in the Sifrei is that both Yevarechecha and V’Yismerecha simply refer to a person’s property. We readily understand the opinion that Yevarechecha refers to acquisition of wealth and V’Yishmerecha refers to preservation of that wealth. However, what exactly is meant by saying that both Yevarechecha and V’Yishmerecha just refer to wealth?
Perhaps the thought is that a person should be blessed with wealth, but that this wealth should not ruin him—something which is an all-too-common situation. We see repeatedly that money does something to a person. Someone can be the most wonderful and generous of individuals, and yet when he makes a few bucks, he turns into a different type of person.
This opinion in the Sifrei is teaching that Hashem should protect us from our own money – that it shouldn’t ruin us. In one of his books, Dr. Abraham Twerski, ob”m, wrote that when he was growing up in Milwaukee, there was a Jew who was a very poor man, but anytime he had any money whatsoever, he would give it to charity. Even when he could not afford it, he would give his money to tzedaka – to such an extent that Dr. Twerski’s father, Rav Yaakov Twerski – the patriarch of the family – had to tell this person NOT to give away his money!
One day, the man became wealthy. He made a lot of money. At that point, he became a cheapskate. It was crazy. When he had no money, he gave it away and when he had money, he couldn’t give it away! That is what the bracha means to protect against when it teaches “Yevarechecha HaShem, v’Yishmerecha.” May your wealth not come and corrupt you, which unfortunately is not an uncommon occurrence.
