The Torah relates that Lot, who was traveling with Avraham Avinu, was very wealthy. Since the Torah wastes no words, informing us of Lot’s wealth hardly seems significant. Why does the Torah mention it, and what are we to learn from it? Rashi explains that Lot’s affluence was caused by his traveling with Avraham. How did Rashi understand that this is implied by the pasuk?
Horav Shlomo Wolbe, zl, explains that every physical entity is a manifestation of a spiritual source. If Lot were wealthy, it could be traced back to its spiritual source. Lot’s wealth was not created simply by chance or due to his astute business mind. His wealth was directly tied to his relationship with Avraham Avinu.
The following vignette echoes this concept. On one of his trips to the Diaspora, Horav Aharon Leib Shteinman, Shlita, was asked if it were really necessary to have so many able-bodies young men studying Torah full-time in Kollel. First, it places a “strain” on the “working” community who are asked to do their share in supporting Torah study. Second, probably throughout most of our history, there was not nearly such a high percentage of young men devoting themselves to full-time Torah study. Rav Shteinman replied that actually the question should be asked in the opposite way. Why do we need such a high percentage of wealthy Jews today, when, in fact, throughout our history, most of the Jewish People have been poor?
Rav Shteinman explained that the reason such affluence exists among the Jewish People is specifically because there are so many bnei Torah studying in Kollel. They require support in order to learn. Thus, Hashem has spread the wealth to a greater percentage of Jews – for this purpose. If there were to be fewer men learning Torah full-time – there would be no need for such wealth. Spiritual bounty generates financial prosperity. Lot was blessed with material bounty because he traveled with Avraham. It is not as if Avraham lacked material assets. He was doing quite well. Lot, however, was blessed, so that he could share. We should not make the mistake of thinking that Hashem blesses us so that we can build mansions and live in opulence. The money we have is for the specific purpose of sharing.
