Parshas Mikeitz 5776
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures. To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
QUESTION:
When Rebbi told a wealthy man, "Who said I'm a wealthy man, and he wanted more respect, so Rebbi said, "Why don't you dress better?" Please explain.
ANSWER:
A person who has wealth has a certain importance, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu wants him to utilize that importance. The Gemoro says in Masches Succah (29a), why are nichsei ba'alei batim nimsorin l'malchus, why do they lose their property? Sometimes the government comes and appropriates their property, why should they be punished and lose their property? The Gemoro says because they were not moiche the ovrei aveirah. Which means, if you're a wealthy man, you're expected to utilize your importance to influence people towards avodas Hashem.
Here is a glorious example. Moses Montefiore a frum Sefardi Jew; he became Lord Mayor of London and he was always a frum Jew, always, everywhere, a Kiddush Hashem. He utilized his wealth and his power to uphold the Torah. England never really had Reform Judaism up till recently, that's because of the influence of people like Reb Moshe Montefiore, zichrono l'brocho.
Now, when a wealthy man doesn't demonstrate who he is, and you think he's a nobody, he's an anav, and he doesn't obligate himself to defend the Torah, then he's failing in his function. So Rebbi said, "If you're an important person, dress like an important person, and then you'll have influence."
By coming here it will be a kiddush Hashem. People see that millionaires also come to Rebbis Yeshiva, however if you come like a plain schlepper, you're not making a kiddush Hashem. Therefore it's important for a wealthy person to dress like an affluent person and utilize his personality and influence to uphold the Torah. He becomes a member of the Board of Directors of the Yeshiva, he comes to the bais haknesses to shiurim. A millionaire sits at the shiurim, that's a kiddush Hashem.
Therefore certainly a person of affluence has to demonstrate to a certain extent who he is, in order to utilize his influence.
Important Numbers
