Should one enumerate his good fortune to others, or he should not?
ANSWER:
The gemora says if a man is doing business with objects that look big – let's say a person is selling big flowerpots – there is not such a big profit from it, but he should be careful not to display it on the sidewalk, unless he can't help himself. Because people who pass by see big flowerpots, think he's a millionaire! They don't stop to think that it's a small profit. The idea is, try to conceal your prosperity from others; that's a general principle.
Why is that? It hurts people to see somebody else's success; it can't be helped. If you stand in the street and count your money, let's say everybody's honest – of course nobody would do that today or any day, but let's say you're counting your money in a place where nobody except tzadikim go – you're having a sin, you're hurting their feelings… unless you're counting pennies. So you have to be careful.
However, if you are b'khal tzadikim, among righteous people who want to hear how Hakadosh Baruch Hu is helping a righteous man, then you can speak up. You have to be very careful however who the company is. Like it says, gadlu La'shem iti unromamo Shmo yachdov. Dovid said exalt Hashem with me and together we will elevate His name. Dorashti es Hashem v'ononi, I sought Hashem to help me and He answered me! Umikol megurosi hitziloni, He rescued me from all my fears. That's what Dovid says, that the tzadikim should see and rejoice. So for tzadikim Dovid got together people and he told them of the miracles that happened in his life, how he was rescued.
So therefore, if you are in the bosom of your family, among your own children, you can tell them what happened to you when you were a boy, how Hakadosh Baruch Hu helped you, or what other good fortune you had, so together with the family, zamru La'shem chasidov, they'll all sing to Hashem and give thanks what He did to you. So it depends. You have to enumerate to yourself however all the time, all the details of your good fortune.
Should anybody else be allowed to listen in? It depends on who they are.
Good Shabbos To All
This is transcribed from questions that were posed to Harav Miller by the audience at the Thursday night lectures.
To listen to the audio of this Q & A please dial: 201-676-3210
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