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— only through it. As it says: 'Many seek the favor of a generous man, and everyone is a friend to him who gives gifts' (Prov. 19:6).
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And with wealth God distinguished his nation in obedience — as it says: 'You shall lend to many nations but shall not borrow' (Deut. 15:6); and also: 'You shall cause many nations to serve but they shall not cause you to serve, and you shall rule' — for rule comes only through wealth, as it says: 'The rich rules over the poor' (Prov. 22:7).
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I reflected on their argument and found that what is right in it concerns only wealth that comes to a person voluntarily and effortlessly; as for whoever pursues it, he is in mental toil, spiritual exhaustion, sleeplessness at night, and misery by day.
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Until even if he reaches what he sought, sleep is often not available to him — as it says: 'Sweet is the sleep of the worker whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of the rich will not let him sleep' (Eccl. 5:11).
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When a person makes wealth his goal he becomes dog-like in pursuing it and races toward it — just as I said about food and drink: he becomes like fire, like the wasteland, like death and barrenness which are never satisfied.
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Indeed even greater — as scripture says specifically of this: 'Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and the eyes of man are never satisfied' (Prov. 27:20).
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And quarreling, disputes, enmity, and collision — like what lions and crocodiles do when they track prey — come from it, as the image goes: 'A lion tears apart enough for his cubs and strangles prey for his lionesses' (Nah. 2:13).
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And bearing the cries of orphans, widows, the poor, and the oppressed — one focused on accumulating wealth pays no attention to them — as it says: 'Behold the tears of the oppressed and they have no comforter' (Eccl. 4:1).
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And seizing wealth, rising against people, crushing dignity, destroying trust, and violating privacy come only in accumulating it — as it says: 'The iniquity of Ephraim is revealed and the evil of Samaria, for they practiced falsehood; the thief enters, and a band raids outside' (Hos. 7:1).
And broken promises and false oaths — until faith vanishes at once — as it says:
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'Faith has perished and cut off from their mouths' (Jer. 7:28).
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Until when it is organized and settled, he relies on it, forgets to mention his Creator, and denies his Sustainer — as it says: 'And silver and gold shall multiply for you and all that you have shall multiply and your heart will be lifted up and you will forget the Lord your God' (Deut. 8:13–14).
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And often his wealth is the very cause of his murder and destruction — whether by robbers or by a ruler and the like — and he and his children are left with nothing.
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As it says: 'Wealth kept by its owner for his harm: as he came from his mother's womb naked so he returns — and this too is a grievous evil; exactly as he came, so shall he go' (Eccl. 5:12–14).
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If his wealth survives to his son and the father dies — the father has carried and gathered forbidden wealth and bears its sin — as it says: 'His father, because he practiced extortion and robbed a brother...he died in his iniquity' (Ezek. 18:18).
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And he bequeathed it to an unfortunate son whom God does not bless with it — as it says: 'An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed in the end' (Prov. 20:21).
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Wealth was made dear to a person only that he may preserve what God has provided him lawfully and not squander it — not for anything beyond this — as it says: 'It is the Lord's blessing that makes rich, and toil adds nothing to it' (Prov. 10:22).
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Section IX. Chapter Six: Children.
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Others were devoted to seeking children, and said: in this there is a stirring of the soul, a cooling of the eye, joy and happiness; and were it not for children there would be no people and the world would not endure.
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Children are a person's reserve for old age; they mention him well after his death; tenderness and mercy flow only toward them, and piety and honor come only from them.
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It is enough that every great prophet sought them — as you see Abraham saying: 'You have given me no offspring' (Gen. 15:3); the Torah says: 'Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was barren' (Gen. 25:21); and Rachel said: 'Give me children or I shall die' (Gen. 30:1).
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And a father may teach them God's Torah, law, and wisdom and earn reward through them — as it says: 'A father to his children will make known your faithfulness' (Isa. 38:19).