Materialism And Peace Of Mind

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Torah Reading: Balak

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Many people mistakenly think that peace of mind is dependent on external possessions. Rabbi Simcha Zissel cited the following story:

A wise man lived in dire poverty. To save him suffering, the king gave him a large amount of silver and gold.

To the king's amazement, the wise man came the next morning and said: "Here is your gold and silver. Please take it back because I don't want it."

"Why would you return my gift?" the astonished king asked.

"My master," replied the wise man, "my entire life I have always had peace and tranquility. I have never pursued wealth and have always been satisfied with the basic necessities of life. Due to my modest demands I have always had more than what I needed. My mind was free to engage in my studies. But yesterday when I took the silver, my mind started worrying about what I would do with the money. Perhaps I should invest in real estate; perhaps I should begin a commercial venture. My mind was in such turmoil that I was unable to sleep. I found myself so preoccupied with the money that no other thoughts entered my mind. Please take the money back. I had more peace of mind before!"

Today, ask yourself: Is my pursuit of materialism in any way a source of anxiety?

(see Chochmah Umussar, vol.1, p.5; Gateway to Happiness, p.80)

See more Daily Lifts on the topic of Peace of mind

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About the Author

Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

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Rabbi Zelig Pliskin is a noted psychologist and prolific author of 24 books, including Guard Your Tongue, Gateway to Happiness, Gateway to Self Knowledge, Love Your Neighbor, Growth Through Torah, The Power of Words, Consulting the Wise, and the recent Life is Now. Rabbi Pliskin lives in Jerusalem, and is the director of Aish HaTorah's Counseling Center and a senior lecturer at Aish's Essentials program and the Executive Learning Center. He was ordained at the Telshe Yeshiva in Ohio and holds a degree in Counseling Psychology.

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