How spiritual decisions can inform our financial decisions - opinion

In this week’s Torah portion, Emor, we read about who the kohanim (members of the priestly line) are prohibited to marry. There is one difference between regular kohanim and the kohen gadol (high priest). While regular priests are permitted to marry a widow, it is prohibited for the High Priest. The obvious question is why?

Holy Un-holiness

Rabbi Yissocher Frand quotes the Moshav Zekeinim al haTorah (a biblical commentary from the authors of the Talmudic Tosfot commentary), who suggests: “Had the kohen gadol been allowed to marry a widow, we would have been afraid of the following scenario: Perhaps the kohen would have his eyes on a married woman who he wanted to marry. When he went into the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur to utter the explicit Name of G-d (which has supernatural powers capable even of killing people [Rashi Exodus 2:14]), he might have in mind the husband of the woman whom he wants to marry – and thereby cause his death. To avoid this potentially life-threatening situation, the Torah commands the kohen gadol to only marry a woman who was never previously married.”

Rabbi Frand asks: “This reason is literally mind-boggling. Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year. The location is the holiest spot on earth. The kohen gadol is going to utter from his mouth the holiest of syllables. And what are we afraid of? We are afraid that he might be thinking, ‘I wish so-and-so would drop dead, so I can marry his wife!’”

He continues: “Rav Bergman writes that we learn from this that there is no limit to the depths to which people can sink. This very person, who is ostensibly the holiest man in the Jewish nation, on the holiest day of the year, at the holiest place in the world, might have such evil and perverted thoughts. Such is the nature of the human being.”

Rabbi Frand adds that it’s written: “And no man shall be in the Tent of Meeting [Vayikra 16:17]. The Midrash asks: ‘Was not the Kohen Gadol, himself, a man?’ The Midrash quotes the opinion of Rabbi Avahu in the name of Rabbi Pinchas that when the kohen gadol entered the Holy of Holies, he was not human; he was like a heavenly angel. If the kohen gadol does everything properly, he transcends the level of humanity and rises to that of a heavenly creature.”

We see that even the holiest man on the holiest day in the holiest place has the potential to either be angelic or fall to lowly spiritual depths, contemplating murder.

Decision-making regarding money

Transitioning from spirituality to the world of mundane personal finance, people’s decision-making regarding money can set them up for long-term financial security or a life of debt and poverty. Years ago, I met with a couple on a trip to Zurich. They came from a very wealthy European family. They both went into the field of social work and weren’t making ends meet.

The husband’s parents wanted to start to teach the couple how to take care of money. They figured that one day when they passed away, their kids would inherit a huge sum of money, and they wanted them to learn how to manage financially. They started by giving €1.5 million as a gift for five years. If they did a good job of managing the funds and living within their means, they would be given an even larger gift at the end of the five years.

It took 18 months for them to call me to say that they only had €200,000 remaining. They blew through €1.3m. in 18 months, and they needed help. They bought new cars, took many trips to Israel and other locations, always flying first class and staying in very nice hotels, visited art galleries, and bought any piece that caught their eye.

After helping them for a few months, they disappeared. I often think about them and wonder what happened to them. I often wonder if they ever came into the large inheritance, and if they did, if anything is left.

It’s not just coming into a windfall. Those who believe that we should “live for today” end up blowing their money, without even giving thought to the ramifications of tomorrow. I know many people who are in the top 10% of earners, yet they have virtually no money saved. They think that once they retire, they will be able to continue with their extravagant lifestyle, not thinking that once retired, they will have little source of income sans National Insurance Institute payments and a modest pension.

Conversely, I know couples with large families who both work in education, live within a budget, prioritize saving, have no debt, and have large nest eggs. They are all happy people with happy, well-grounded children. Apparently, having the latest electronic gadgets, the coolest shoes, and taking the family away on the most exotic trips is not the secret to happiness.

I am not against any of those things if you can afford them and they are budgeted for. But if you lack the funds and insist on that lifestyle, it won’t end well financially. Ultimately, it comes down to a question of values.

Making wise financial choices is crucial in creating a secure financial future.

The information contained in this article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the opinion of Portfolio Resources Group, Inc. or its affiliates.

aaron@lighthousecapital.co.il

Aaron Katsman is the author of Retirement GPS: How to Navigate Your Way to A Secure Financial Future with Global Investing.