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Money
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One noble Roman woman asked rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta:
- How long it took G-d to create the world?
- Six days, - he asked.
Then woman asked him one more question:
- What does He do since then?
- He's busy building stairs to elevate one people and belittle another people, - rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta explained to her.
What do the Sage's words mean as for G-d Who overthrows some one and elevates another one? It means that man undertaking business trips - from East to West or even to far-away mountains and deserts - will not for sure become rich. Moreover, Hashem takes money from one person and supports another with them, if He decides that necessary.
Talmud directly says this world is created by G-d such way that it can not exist without money. However all Biblical words, referred to money, point at their "mobility":
- Nechasim (possessions - Biblical language translation) - coz after man is dead, his property leaves him and is given to another (from Mechuse root - to be hidden);
- Zuzim (kind of coin) - coz money change their master, roaming from one to another both in one's life (from Zuz root - to move);
- Mamon (property - Biblical language translation) - coz the word itself is a short combination of words "Ma Ata Moneh" - What Are You Counting? For indeed it's nothing;
- Maot (money - Biblical language translation) - coz the word itself means "Ma Laet" - What Will Be Further? Coz money is not what one can own forever (unlike Tora and Laws), man possesses them during some period of time, defined by G-d.
All those terms, referred to money, exist to make us understand: one's money can fulfil its real meaning only in case one uses them for serving to G-d. Coz even at dollar notes, we're so much running after, it's written at the reverse side - "In G-d We Trust".
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