Can winning the lottery ruin your life?

Would you want to win the lottery?

Last week, I made my once-every-few-months lottery purchase. I am almost embarrassed to tell you about it because so far all my purchases have been a waste of money (surprise!). Anyway, as I was handing the cashier, a lovely Muslim guy, the money, I asked him if he wanted to win ten million dollars.

“I don’t even play,” came his surprising response.

“Why?” I wondered.

“Because a lot of money makes people bad,” he said. “I am afraid it’s going to ruin my life.”

“But a lot of money can also do a lot of good?” I continued asking. “You can use it to give sadaqa!” (That’s charity in Arabic. And yes, it does sound awfully familiar, because in Hebrew, the word is “tzedakah,” which very possibly comes from the same root.)

“You are right, you can do a lot of good with the money, but I don’t want it because it can ruin my life.”

I still went ahead and purchased the lottery ticket, but the conversation got me thinking.

I know what he said is true. A lot of money can corrupt people — mind you, even a little bit of money, or the lack thereof! can cause major issues as well.

Our lives, whether we like it or not, revolve a lot around money. When we have it, we feel strong and proud; if we don’t, we are constantly worried and upset. Why do we give money so much control over our lives and feelings? And better yet: how do we stop this?

As I walked back to the car, I kept on thinking about it. Then I realized that this topic fits perfectly with one mitzvah I wanted to write about: the mitzvah of birkat hamazon, also known as “grace after meals” in English or “bentching” in Yiddish. Like every mitzvah, it contains a practical element (after you eat bread, say this blessing), and also includes meaning. When we pay attention to the words, it can be life-changing.

It begins with the following blessing:

“Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, Who, in His goodness, provides sustenance for the entire world with grace, with kindness, and with mercy. He gives food to all flesh, for His kindness is everlasting. Through His great goodness to us continuously, we do not lack [food], and may we never lack food, for the sake of His great Name…”

When we read texts of ancient blessings, it might take effort to understand and grasp their meaning fully (when was the last time you used sustenance in a sentence?), but when we do, we can start paying attention to the powerful message within them.

Who is the one providing us with a good living? Not our boss, not our clients, not our potential business partners. Only the one above.

It’s both an acknowledgment and gratitude.

If we are blessed with a lot, it’s a reminder to be humble, to remember where it all came from, and to recognize that we have it all because G-d made us His representatives to share it with others.

And if, G-d forbid, we are going through moments when we don’t have enough, it’s a reminder that in addition to working hard to earn a living, increasing our faith and our connection with Him are the ways to bring blessings upon us.

Birkat hamazon is a powerful mitzvah. We can do it because we have to / we are used to, or we can take the time to pay attention to our words. Hopefully, these holy, powerful words can impact our mindset and attitude toward money.

Thinking of it now, I may have been better off not buying the ticket and instead buying a sandwich and making birkat hamazon.

Rabbi Mendy Kaminker is the rabbi at Chabad of Hackensack. He welcomes your comments at rabbi@ChabadHackensack.com