A very wealthy person sent his two sons to a distant land, and occasionally, he would send them gifts or money. Once, the father sent only one jacket, and he didn’t say which son it was for. When such matters occurred, the brothers generally found an amicable way to choose which brother would get the item. The other brother was mevater. But this time, a costly diamond was in the jacket’s pocket, and each brother claimed that the jacket was sent specifically for him. It turned into a major fight. Their loud voices were heard outside the home, and neighbors came in to offer their opinions.
After this went on for some time, someone came in and asked what the commotion was all about. They told him about the jacket, the precious diamond in its pocket, and the uncertainty of whom the father intended to send the gift. The person replied, “It isn’t hard to figure out who their father intended it for. Just see which brother fits into the jacket.”
The thin brother put on the jacket, and it fit him perfectly. The heavyset brother didn’t even try to put it on. He admitted that their father intended to send the gift to his brother.
The nimshal is that sometimes we see wealth by others, and we think that it should be ours. But it wasn’t intended for you. It doesn’t suit you. And, therefore, there is no reason to be jealous.
A woman from a wealthy family married a kollel yungerman. She understood that this would mean she would need to live on a much lower budget than what she was accustomed to. When they had a baby, she wanted to buy the most expensive baby carriage, but she knew this wasn’t in their kollel-family budget. She didn’t have the heart to buy the simplest brand of carriages, so she allowed herself to buy a level above the lowest.
As she was in the store making this purchase, another couple also bought a carriage for their newborn baby, and they went straight to the most expensive carriages. They didn’t even look at the cheaper models. When the kollel woman saw this, she couldn’t help feeling jealous. She wished she would be in that section, too.
She then watched as they quickly moved on to the cribs section. Once again, the couple only looked at the most expensive models. The kollel woman watched from a distance with jealousy. She wished this was her portion.
But then, the husband asked his wife, “Will there be room in the baby’s room for both this crib and the respirator?” When the kollel woman heard this, her jealousy vanished in a moment. Although she bought a simple carriage, Baruch Hashem, she had a healthy child. She realized that there is no reason to be jealous of others because it could be that she has the better portion.
Reb Yankele Galinsky zt’l said that this is hinted at in the words לא תחמוד...וכל אשר לרעך. The final words, וכל אשר לרעך, mean that when you are jealous of your fellow man, think about receiving the entire package, everything your fellow man has, the good and the bad, and then, it is likely that you won’t want his portion.
RABBI ELIMELECH BIDERMAN
