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Daily manna from the Torah by Dr Ketriel Blad

Toldot 6-3

Generations

Genesis 26:13-22

And the man became rich, and gained more and more until he became very wealthy.

Gen. 26:13 ESV

How to get and keep so much wealth?

The Torah says that our father Avraham was very rich in livestock, gold, silver, male and female servants (13:2; 24:35). His riches were one of the results of the divine blessing. Scarcity is a result of the curse. The Eternal's blessing frees from poverty.

Now, Avraham was very rich and at the end he gave all his riches to Yitzchak (25:5). Yitzchak was blessed after his father's death and he kept getting richer and richer until he got so powerful that the philistines envied him and expelled him from their land. Then, how wealthy was Yitzchak! How is it possible that the Eternal trusted him with so many riches if the love of money is the root of all evil? (1 Tim. 6:10)

It is obvious that Yitzchak had such a character that he could be a good administrator of material riches in such a way that the Eternal had no problem with enriching him so. Yitzchak could endure a rich man's life because he was trustworthy.

One of the conditions that he fulfilled to be able to endure such wealth is that he didn't love money. He loved the Eternal more than anything. The one who loves money cannot be a good manager.

Another condition he fulfilled is that he didn't put his trust in his wealth but in the One who gave him all that wealth. The one who trusts his possessions cannot be a good manager of many riches.

Another condition that helped Yitzchak endure such wealth is the way he treated his fellowman. In this text we see that the Philistines were envious of his many riches. And instead of defending himself or fighting them and use all his power to crush them, he walked away humbly. Even though he had dug the wells, the Philistines said that the water was theirs. Yitzchak could have used his power to face them and take the water by force from the wells he had dug. He could have even faced them in war and expel them from the land. But he didn't; instead, he moved to a different place to solve the problem. How noble was our father Yitzchak's character! 

Water is essential for the existence of life on earth. The well represents prayer in our spiritual lives. In order to be rich with the Eternal we must know how to bring water from the well. If there is no water, we die and if there are no Wells, then we have to dig and dig until we find water. We see again the importance of being strong in prayer to reach water in the spiritual depths. If you can't find spiritual water you die and if you cannot maintain the wells that give you water, you die. Don't give up until you find water. Be strong and courageous, take time, search, move from one spot to another until you find those waters that will quench your spiritual thirst. This is the only way of prospering spiritually.

The Philistines represent all those enemies that want to impede our prayer life. If the enemies have blocked a well in your life, dig there again. Don't allow your wells to be blocked. Keep your intimate relationship with the Eternal alive always. In this way, you will get and keep wealth, both spiritually and materially.

May the Eternal help us have clean water abundantly and always, in order for our lives to be powerful for His glory,

Ketriel

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