Bakhya Ibn Pakuda

The author summed religion up perfectly in his statement, “Do good; avoid evil.” This sounds so easy to follow, but what happens when you throw money into the equation? This simple and obvious statement becomes way easier said than done. I loved how this reading shed light on this dilemma.

Bakhya Ibn Pakuda said that wealth is a blessing from God. A man with money is able to focus on caring for himself, his family and society, but money does not exclude him from his religious and ethical duties. Wealth and ethics don’t usually go hand in hand in our world (or religion and ethics for that matter). In fact, whether you read the Bible or not, you’re probably familiar with the passage, “For the love of money is the root of all evil.” (Timothy 6:10). Everywhere we see someone suffering, we can find someone else getting rich in connection with that suffering. In war, soliders and civilians may suffer injury or death while individuals get rich producing the equipment and weapons used. In free trade, a ten year old in Tailand may suffer in a sweatshop making ten cents an hour while others get rich when they sell the garments at a 5000% + markup. What possesses people to exploit others for their own gains? So many people believe you can’t take your possessions with you to the afterlife, yet place so much energy in acquiring wealth. Even if you don’t agree with Bakhya Ibn Pakuda’s opinion that wealth is a blessing from God that is only entrusted to a man for a limited amount of time, couldn’t you agree that you can’t take it with you when you die, therefore it could never be worth the suffering, death and destruction caused while attaining it?

The absence of wealth is also a blessing according to Bakhya Ibn Pakuda. “…and if he is poor, he will consider the absence of money as a blessing from God, relieving him of the responsibilities its possession involves, and from the labor of guarding and managing it.” I love the simplicity of the point, if you have no money, you don’t have the worries and problems associated having money.

I can appreciate the idea that being poor and wealthy are both blessings. When it comes to money, I’ve experienced both sides to some extent. I know that money contributes to your livelihood when you use it to pay your mortgage, or buy food and clothes. But being poor makes you grateful for the things you take for granted when you do have money, like your family, the sunshine and the rain. Money may make life more easy, but being poor may make it more meaningful.