Poverty is a big trial for a person, as Chazal said that “Lack of money is the worst of all of them” as the world is dark before him, babies ask for bread and he has none to give, and meanwhile the creditors are pressing, and the landlord is calling for the rent, and many disputes come his way, and many other bad and troublesome things which pass over the soul of a poor man to the extent that there are so many that a scroll could not contain them. However, this is his comfort in his poverty, that he knows that because of his poverty he will be saved from the judgment of Gehinom, and that one hour of pleasure in the next world is better than all of the life in this world. He should consider in his heart, “Is it possible that the Judge of all the land should not mete out correct justice? It is impossible that He would allow one person to eat to his satisfaction and to enjoy himself with an abundance of everything, while another is left in famine and thirst and lack of everything, G-d forbid. It is evident that “Hashem is a Rock all of whose deeds are perfect for all of His ways are just”, and He does the good thing for each and every one without any doubt!” He is fortunate if he withstands the test and does not have any grievance against the ways of Hashem, and accepts everything with happiness and goodness of heart, and when each bad thing happens to him he shakes his head and says “This is also for the good!”. He should consider the fact that this flame of poverty also affected many “cedars”, as many of the great men of past generations lived lives of poverty, affliction and pain, as is explicit in the Gemarah and the Midrash. Examples of this are Hillel the elder and Rabbi Elazar Ben Pedas, and many other great and good people who had worse and many more difficult things than this person. He is no better than they, and his poverty should not cause him to transgress the will of his Creator. He may not steal, deny, commit iniquities or deceive, for it is better for a person to die of hunger rather than being considered a wicked man for one moment before Hashem. Hashem will not withhold goodness from those who walk with simple belief, for He sustains and nourishes everything from the horn of the Re’em (giant wild ox) to the eggs of the lice.
