We continue our series on family life through the lenses of Mishlei and the wisdom of Shlomo HaMelech alav hashalom (peace be upon him). Today we will be discussing a Pasuk (verse) in Perek (chapter) Yud Gimel (thirteen), Pasuk Zayin (seven). Shlomo HaMelech says, which means: You could have a person who has a lot of wealth, but in truth, he has nothing. You have a person who does not have much. He is a poor person. But in truth, he has plenty.
Shlomo HaMelech in this Pasuk is teaching us that the definitions of a wealthy person and a poor person are not based on the amount of money they have, because you have a person who has a lot of money, but in truth, he has nothing. For some reason, he has nothing. And you can have a person who is mitroshesh. Mitroshesh means he is a pauper. But he has plenty. He has a lot. So how could that be? What is Shlomo HaMelech teaching us over here?
You see, the rabbis tell us that in Lashon HaKodesh (the holy tongue), a wealthy person is called an ashir. What is the true definition? What is the definition of the word ashir? The word ashir—the root of it—is the word ayin, shin, resh, which is the same word as the number 10, which is eser. You see, the number 10 is a complete number. It is not lacking. It is not missing anything. It's a complete number. The definition of an ashir is one who feels that he is complete, one who feels he is not lacking anything.
Therefore, says Shlomo HaMelech, you could have a person who has a lot of money. He has a lot of wealth and a lot of possession. But he is not really an ashir. Not only is he really not an ashir; he has nothing. Why is that? Because he is not happy with what he has. He doesn't enjoy the blessings that Hashem gave him. And why not? Why is he not happy with what he has? Because he is looking at his friend. He is looking at others who have more. And therefore, ve'ein kol, he has nothing.
Yesh mit'asher, you have a person that is full of possession. He has so much wealth. He has so much money. But, says Shlomo HaMelech, in truth, ve'ein kol, he has nothing. Because he does not enjoy what he has. He looks at others. He looks at those that have more than him. And it makes him feel as if he has nothing. But on the other hand, says Shlomo HaMelech, mitroshesh, you could have a person who does not have such a large bank account. He doesn't have so much money. But ve'hon rav. In truth, he has plenty. Why? Because that person lives by the word ashir. And the word ashir, as we said, the root of it comes from the word eser, which is the number 10, which means to be complete.
So you could have a person who does not have so much money, and he does not have so much possession. But he is happy with his share. He is content. And he is comfortable with what he has. He is accepting of what he has. He is happy with the share and the portion that Borei Olam blessed him with. That is the true ashir. That is the wealthy person: the one who enjoys the blessings that he has, who enjoys the possessions that Borei Olam blessed him with.
So Shlomo HaMelech has taught us over here that the true definition of wealth is not defined by how much possession a person has. Rather, it is defined and determined by how accepting a person is of his possessions. How much a person is content and is happy with the possessions that Borei Olam has given him. He could have plenty of money. But if he does not enjoy it, if he is not happy with what he has because he looks at others who have more, says Shlomo HaMelech, that person has nothing. There is no value to his money because he does not enjoy it. He wants more. And he is looking at those that have more. And therefore, he is not a person who enjoys. He enjoys his possession. He is not an Ashir. He is not complete.
But you have a person who is mitroshesh. Ve'hon rav. He doesn't have so much. But he really has plenty. Because he is a person who is content and he is happy with what Borei Olam gives him. And that is the true definition of an ashir. Ashir, as we said, comes from the root of the word eser. And eser is a complete number. A person who is happy with his share in this world, who feels he is complete—that is the true ashir. That is truly a wealthy person. Have a wonderful day.