We are now on the sixth reason why it’s the wrong approach for someone to say they need to have everything down first before they spend on G-d. People normally take collateral because they aren’t comfortable with the person they are lending to. But what happens if you lend someone $1,000 and he tells you, “If you trust me, not only will I pay you back in a year (the term of the loan) but I’ll pay you back in six months! And not only that, but I’ll pay you back double what you lent me, on the condition that you don’t take collateral.”
If this guy is trustworthy, it’s really worth the risk to roll the dice and forgo the collateral, in order to get back double. So, you lend him the money.
The Hovot HaLevavot says that our Creator deals with us nicely, and he’s always dealt with us nicely. He rewards us for any given activity way beyond what we can imagine. Therefore, you’d definitely lay out the money for Him. The principle here is that G-d rewards big, but we need to have a certain level of trust. When you do something for G-d and you don’t have the money down, the added benefit of this is that G-d says “When people trust Me, I pay them back bigger.”
It’s interesting that in Baruch She’Amar, which we say every morning, we say many blessings of G-d, such as:
Baruch Sheamar V’Haya HaOlam
G-d created the world
-Baruch Omer V’Oseh
He says, and things happen
-Baruch Gozer UmKayem
He makes a decree and it happens. He made creations
Baruch Meshalem Sachar Tov L’ReAv
G-d pays back those that fear Him, with good reward..
And then we say,
Baruch Hai L’Ad, V’Kayam L’Nesach
Blessed is the One that lives forever
How does G-d living forever fit in with the previous blessings that G-d creates and rewards?
The commentaries say that we don’t necessarily see the reward right away, but G-d pays greater reward to the people that don’t see it now, to the people that wait.
Avraham Avinu’s greatness was that he was a Ne’Eman- He was loyal and trustworthy. He trusted G-d, to the extent that G-d complained that Moshe Rabbenu wasn’t like the Avot. The Avot were promised by G-d, but didn’t see the the reward right away. They were able to wait, however, and knew it would happen. G-d rewards greatly to people that wait.
This is an important principle: If you take the risk, and lay out the money for G-d, G-d is going to pay you back big.
You have to know that G-d is a great boss. He’s a Boss that pays big. How big? The Hovot Halevavot says that it’s beyond what we can fathom!
He quotes a pasuk from Yeshaya,
(ישעיה סד ג) עין לא ראתה אלהים זולתך יעשה למחכה לו,
An eye has never seen, (not even angels can perceive, only G-d sees) what He will do to the one that trusts and waits for Him.
That reward is unfathomable.
Isn’t it worth it to take the risk and lay out money for Him, if G-d takes into consideration the level of faith we have in Him?
The Gemarah uses extreme descriptions when detailing the rewards for seemingly minor mitzvot. For example, the person that wears Sisit will be rewarded with thousands of slaves. And in the next world, every Sadik will get 310 worlds!
The descriptions of reward in the future aren’t fathomable.
Rav Saadia Gaon says that we can learn a lesson from the 10 plagues, when we see how many words G-d used to describe the punishments of the Egyptians.
וגם את הגוי אשר יעבדו דן אנוכי
I will judge
Two words- “I will judge” caused a year of total decimation- just from two words.
Conversely, how many words did G-d use to describe the rewards of the people that trust him and lay out the money? Chapters and chapters! The key is that you have to have faith that he’s going to pay you back.
If you don’t trust him, you’re not part of that מחכה לו club of those that trust and wait for him.
Have a great day.