Midrash su Numeri 32:1

(Numb. 32:1:) NOW THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN <AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD> HAD MUCH LIVESTOCK…. Let our master instruct us: How many good gifts were created in the world?¹⁸Tanh., Numb. 9:5; Numb. R. 22:7. [Thus have our masters taught: The Holy One created three gifts in the world:] wisdom, strength, and wealth. A person meriting one of them receives what is most desirable in the whole world. When? When they come from the Holy One and come through the power of the Torah. But human strength and wealth are nothing, for thus has Solomon stated (in Eccl. 9:11): AGAIN I SAW THAT UNDER THE SUN THAT THE RACE DOES NOT BELONG TO THE SWIFT, NOR THE BATTLE TO THE STRONG, NOR BREAD TO THE WISE, NOR EVEN WEALTH TO THE DISCERNING, <NOR EVEN FAVOR TO THE KNOWLEDGEABLE,> FOR TIME AND AFFLICTION (i.e., death) ENCOUNTER ALL OF THEM. Thus also has Jeremiah stated (in Jer. 9:22 [23]): THUS SAYS THE LORD: LET NOT THE WISE BOAST IN THEIR WISDOM, NOR THE STRONG BOAST IN THEIR STRENGTH, NOR THE WEALTHY BOAST IN THEIR WEALTH. So these gifts, since they do not come from the Holy One, will finally be cut off from them.

"And much cattle" (Numbers 32:1). This is [the meaning of] that which is stated by the verse (Ecclesiastes 10:2), "A wise man’s heart is to his right," that is Moshe; "but a fool’s heart is to his left," that is the Children of Reuven and the Children of Gad, who made the essential, secondary, and the secondary, essential. Why? Because they loved their possessions more than their selves. As they said to Moshe (Numbers 32:16), "'We will build here sheepfolds for our flocks,' first, and afterwards, 'and towns for our children.'" Moshe said to them, "Do not do like this, make the essential first; 'build towns for your children,' and afterwards 'sheepfolds for your flocks' (Numbers 32:24)." Hence, "A wise man’s heart is to his right," that is Moshe; "but a fool’s heart is to his left," that is the Children of Reuven and the Children of Gad. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, "You loved your money more than your souls. By your lives, there is no blessing in this, as stated (Proverbs 20:21), 'An estate acquired in haste at the outset will not be blessed in the end.'" "Do not toil to gain wealth; have the sense to desist" (Proverbs 23:4). And who is wealthy? One who is happy with his lot, as stated (in Psalms 128:2), "You shall eat the produce of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you."

The sages (literally: the wise) have taught: Two wise men arose in the world, one from Israel and one from the nations of the world. Balaam was from the nations of the world, while Ahitophel was from Israel; but both of them were lost from this world and from the world to come. [Two strong men arose in the world, one was from Israel and one from the nations of the world. Samson was from Israel, while Goliath was from the nations of the world; but both of them were lost from the world.] Two wealthy men arose in the world, Korah from Israel and Haman from the nations of the world; but both of them were lost from the world. Why? Because their gift was not from Heaven. So also you find among the children of Gad and the children of Reuben that they were very wealthy and had a lot of livestock, but they loved the livestock and resided outside the land of Israel. For that reason they were the first of the tribes to go into exile, as stated (in I Chron. 5:26): AND HE CARRIED THEM INTO EXILE, i.e., THE REUBENITES AND THE GADITES. [Who brought <the exile> on them? <It happened> because they had separated themselves from their siblings for the sake of their livestock. And where is it shown? From what they read on the subject (in Numb. 32:1): NOW THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD HAD MUCH LIVESTOCK.]