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Wheel of Fortune
by Rosally Saltsman
I was speaking to a good friend, lamenting my dependent state
due to the state of my undependable finances. I was lamenting
loudly and tearfully. She, being my oldest friend and the
most empathetic, knew just what to say.
"The wheel turns," she said. She reminded me of how I had
helped her when she had herself been in financial straits and
now she could help me and others. "And the wheel will turn
again for you," she predicted. A Rav pointed out to me that
sometimes it's a mitzva to take. After all, if we are
all meant to give but nobody takes, there won't be anyone to
give to. And if all you do is give, you're missing out on the
mitzva to take.
Ideally, a person should experience both poverty and wealth
in their lifetimes. There are commandments associated with
each state and each condition provides different ways to
serve Hashem. The truth is, most people do experience one or
more reversals of fortune in their lives. Marriage, divorce,
inheritance, change in career, loss of a job, the economy,
learning, youth and old age all influence our lifestyles.
We are merely riding a Ferris wheel in the amusement park of
life (sorry, I couldn't think of a less trite analogy). We go
up and down. We have a great view from the top but feel more
secure and more grounded on the bottom. I personally have a
fear of heights.
Under all circumstances, we have to make the best of them. No
matter how we find ourselves, we have to serve Hashem.
However, if our situation would seem more appealing to us
from another vantage point, we can always bear in mind that
nothing stays the same. The most important thing we need to
remember about any position we find ourselves in is how we
felt so that when the wheel turns and we are relating to
someone in a similar position, we will address them with
compassion, with empathy and with wisdom.
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