טוֹב־מְ֭עַט בִּצְדָקָ֑ה מֵרֹ֥ב תְּ֝בוּא֗וֹת בְּלֹ֣א מִשְׁפָּֽט׃
Melhor é o pouco com justiça, do que grandes rendas com injustiça.
Rabbeinu Bahya
In these last two verses Solomon deals with the subject of man’s greed, i.e. he advises him that the quantity of one’s possessions is far less important than the ability to enjoy what one does have without worry. These two verse may be approached from three different aspects, the plain meaning, the allegorical meaning and the rational dimension contained in these statements.
According to the plain meaning of the text the words “better a little with the fear of the Lord than a great treasure with trouble,” warns man not to become guilty of robbery. The commandment not to rob belongs to the category which every human being understands even if the Torah had not commanded it. One does not need to be endowed with superior intelligence to realise that if one amasses treasure by illegal means, by robbing someone (and one is allowed to get away with it), other people will be encouraged to do the same in return and no one will ever be able to sleep without worry. Our sages (Vayikra Rabbah 33,3), have stated that the sin of robbery, i.e. holding on to gains obtained by such means, is greater than other sins. In fact the reason that the people of the generation of the deluge were wiped out was precisely because they were guilty of this sin. Their other sins could have been forgiven, the sin of robbery could not qualify for forgiveness. The Torah stated this fairly plainly when it quoted G’d as saying that the “end of all flesh has come before Me (I had to decree it) because of the violence (robbery with violence) that the earth has been filled with” (Genesis 6,13). Anyone who does not return stolen property will never be forgiven. This is why it is the most serious of all sins. This is why Solomon said: “better a little (acquired while demonstrating fear of the Lord.)” He means better a little property which is permissible than a lot which is not permissible. Solomon makes a similar statement in Proverbs 16,8 “better a little with righteousness than bountiful harvests with injustice.” He warns man of the seriousness of the sin of committing robbery as he is aware that man has a tendency not to abandon anything in his possession. To counter the perception that the quantity of one’s possessions is more important than how one came to acquire same, he says: “better a little, provided it is rightfully yours.”
After having spoken of robbery in the abstract, Solomon illustrates his teachings in a practical manner by quoting the example of someone enjoying simple food such as a vegetable soup to someone eating fancy food being watched by envious eyes, etc. Food is enjoyed best in the company of friends and well wishers, whereas even the fanciest food when not eaten in a relaxed atmosphere loses its appeal for the person consuming it. The thrust of all of Solomon’s remarks on the subject is to teach man not to be greedy for physical possessions and for gratifications of his body. At the same time, man should not put his trust in his material possessions, he should not make the mistake of “relying on the mosaic floors as if they were a high wall (Proverbs 18,11),” but should remember that when it comes to wealth he will always be outclassed by G’d whose wealth is immeasurably greater. This concept is emphasized by Eliphaz in Job 22,24 when he said: “if you regard treasure as dirt, Ophir-gold as stones of the wadi, and lift your face to G’d, You will pray to Him, etc., you will decree and it will be fulfilled and light will shine on your affairs.” As long as a person’s fear of G’d is subordinate to the reliance he places on his material possessions there is something basically wrong with such a person’s outlook.
According to the plain meaning of the text the words “better a little with the fear of the Lord than a great treasure with trouble,” warns man not to become guilty of robbery. The commandment not to rob belongs to the category which every human being understands even if the Torah had not commanded it. One does not need to be endowed with superior intelligence to realise that if one amasses treasure by illegal means, by robbing someone (and one is allowed to get away with it), other people will be encouraged to do the same in return and no one will ever be able to sleep without worry. Our sages (Vayikra Rabbah 33,3), have stated that the sin of robbery, i.e. holding on to gains obtained by such means, is greater than other sins. In fact the reason that the people of the generation of the deluge were wiped out was precisely because they were guilty of this sin. Their other sins could have been forgiven, the sin of robbery could not qualify for forgiveness. The Torah stated this fairly plainly when it quoted G’d as saying that the “end of all flesh has come before Me (I had to decree it) because of the violence (robbery with violence) that the earth has been filled with” (Genesis 6,13). Anyone who does not return stolen property will never be forgiven. This is why it is the most serious of all sins. This is why Solomon said: “better a little (acquired while demonstrating fear of the Lord.)” He means better a little property which is permissible than a lot which is not permissible. Solomon makes a similar statement in Proverbs 16,8 “better a little with righteousness than bountiful harvests with injustice.” He warns man of the seriousness of the sin of committing robbery as he is aware that man has a tendency not to abandon anything in his possession. To counter the perception that the quantity of one’s possessions is more important than how one came to acquire same, he says: “better a little, provided it is rightfully yours.”
After having spoken of robbery in the abstract, Solomon illustrates his teachings in a practical manner by quoting the example of someone enjoying simple food such as a vegetable soup to someone eating fancy food being watched by envious eyes, etc. Food is enjoyed best in the company of friends and well wishers, whereas even the fanciest food when not eaten in a relaxed atmosphere loses its appeal for the person consuming it. The thrust of all of Solomon’s remarks on the subject is to teach man not to be greedy for physical possessions and for gratifications of his body. At the same time, man should not put his trust in his material possessions, he should not make the mistake of “relying on the mosaic floors as if they were a high wall (Proverbs 18,11),” but should remember that when it comes to wealth he will always be outclassed by G’d whose wealth is immeasurably greater. This concept is emphasized by Eliphaz in Job 22,24 when he said: “if you regard treasure as dirt, Ophir-gold as stones of the wadi, and lift your face to G’d, You will pray to Him, etc., you will decree and it will be fulfilled and light will shine on your affairs.” As long as a person’s fear of G’d is subordinate to the reliance he places on his material possessions there is something basically wrong with such a person’s outlook.