\u201cWhen you enter the Land of Israel, you will enjoy prosperity and abundance. You will build beautiful homes. Your crops and livestock will increase. You will amass gold and silver. And all that you engage in will flourish\u2026 If you become arrogant and say, \u2018My strength and the might of my hand made this wealth.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you shall remember that <\/em>HASHEM, your G-d, is the One who gives you the strength to amass this wealth<\/em>.\u201d Devarim 8:18<\/p>\n Historically, one of man\u2019s greatest shortcomings has been taking credit for HASHEM\u2019s work. Only too often does a man find success, and in his arrogance, feels that his power and his might created his empire. The Torah warns us, \u201cRemember:\u201d it was HASHEM who brought all this to be.\u201d<\/p>\n While this may sound like a straightforward concept, the Targum<\/em> adds an intriguing twist. He defines the words, \u201cHASHEM gave you the strength,<\/em>\u201d as \u201cHASHEM gave you the advice<\/em> to acquire that merchandise.\u201d<\/p>\n In other words, if you take credit for prosperity, remember that HASHEM gave you the counsel that led to it.<\/p>\n This Targum<\/em> is difficult to understand. The role of Targum<\/em> is pshat<\/em>\u2014straightforward meaning. The Torah said, \u201cRemember that HASHEM gave you the strength to make this wealth.\u201d But it is far more than advice that HASHEM gives,. HASHEM created the heavens and the earth. Hashem wrote the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology. HASHEM created and maintains all of physicality \u2014 from the constellations down to cellular functions. Why would the Targum<\/em> so limit the explanation to this one issue of HASHEM giving advice<\/em> to acquire merchandise?<\/p>\n The answer to this can be best understood with an example.<\/p>\n Imagine a simple farmer standing in his field, ready for harvest. Looking out, he sees rows and rows of ripe corn standing tall, stretching as far as his eye can see. He feels joy in his heart as he revels in the abundance of his bumper crop.\u00a0 And then he looks out at his neighbor\u2019s field. Meager. Undergrown. Spotty.<\/p>\n The farmer thinks to himself, \u201cDang fool that boy is. How many times did I tell \u2018im \u2013 plant corn this year! Not wheat. The rains came late. The frost was still on the ground in April. Any man worth his salt knows wheat wouldn\u2019t grow no good that way. Corn. Corn. Corn! I says to \u2018im. If only he\u2019d a listened to me\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n And the farmer can\u2019t help but feel a sense of pride. After all, it was his wisdom that led him to choose corn, not like that fool of a guy next door who planted wheat.<\/p>\n The farmer, as naive as he is, understands that he didn\u2019t bring the rain. It wasn\u2019t his acumen that stopped the pestilence. And it wasn\u2019t he who made the sun shine bright in the sky, providing the warmth and energy the corn needed. Nevertheless, he feels smug because it was he who made the wise decision that brought him to where he is.<\/p>\n This seems to be the answer to the Targum<\/em>. This was the dor deah, <\/em>the generation that knew HASHEM. They experienced the splitting of the sea. They lived in the desert surrounded by miracles. They saw HASHEM on a daily basis. And they understood that HASHEM runs the world. As such, they couldn\u2019t possibly take credit for \u201cgrowing the corn.\u201d They knew that if their flocks increased, it was HASHEM\u2019s blessing. If their crops flourished, it was because HASHEM willed it to be.<\/p>\n The one area for which they could take credit was their wisdom. \u201cIt was my decision to purchase gold and not wood. I thought about it and realized that cattle feed would do well. I came to the conclusion that water rights would be valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n The Targum<\/em> is telling us that this is the only mistake they could have made. Of course, everything is from HASHEM \u2013 that was never a question.\u00a0 Yet they still could become arrogant, thinking it was their wisdom that brought their success. The posuk<\/em> says to them, \u201cRemember: those thoughts were brought to you by HASHEM. The reason you made that choice is because HASHEM guided your thinking.\u201d The Torah is saying: recognize that even ideas are directed by HASHEM.<\/p>\nThe Role of the Targum<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
A Farmer in the Field<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
The One Area Where They Could Have Taken Credit<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Seeing HASHEM in Our World<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n