Choosing Mitzvah Over Money: Why Moshe Ignored Egypt’s Wealth

During the plundering of Egypt, one act stands out with striking clarity: the conduct of Moshe our teacher. While all of Israel were busy collecting spoils, each person rushing to amass as much wealth as possible, Moshe ignored everything around him. Instead, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to locating the coffin of Yosef, who had made the Children of Israel swear to carry his bones up to the Land of Israel.

The Gemara in Sotah (13a) praises Moshe for this and declares: “Come and see how precious mitzvot were to Moshe our teacher: while all of Israel were occupied with the plunder, he was occupied with mitzvot, as it is said, ‘The wise-hearted take mitzvot’” (Mishlei 10:8).

Why Was Moshe Different?

Rabbi Moshe Levi (cited in the book B’mitzvotecha), raises a penetrating question. How was Moshe different from the rest of Israel? After all, just as Moshe fulfilled a mitzvah, so too did the entire nation fulfill a mitzvah — God had commanded them to ask the Egyptians for silver and gold vessels. Why, then, is Moshe singled out for praise? And furthermore, why is his act described as “wisdom of the heart”? Wouldn’t this behavior reflect fear of Heaven and righteousness more than wisdom?

A Mitzvah Without Personal Benefit

To answer this, Rabbi Moshe Levi cites the Talmud in Bava Metzia (32b), which rules that if a person faces two options — helping a friend unload a burden from a donkey, or helping an enemy load a burden, he should help the enemy, in order to subdue his inclination. From this we learn a fundamental principle: a mitzvah that brings no personal pleasure and is done purely for the sake of Heaven, against one’s natural inclination, is more precious before God, and its reward is therefore greater.

At that moment, the Children of Israel faced two mitzvot. One was to take the spoils of Egypt; the other was to retrieve Yosef’s bones. Naturally, everyone gravitated toward the first mitzvah — who wouldn’t enjoy receiving gold and silver? Moshe however, understood that the greatest and truest reward lies specifically in a mitzvah that involves no personal gain or gratification. Undoubtedly, Moshe too took some of the Egyptian wealth in order to fulfill God’s command, but he did not devote his entire attention to it. Instead, he chose the greater mitzvah.

For this reason he is called “wise of heart”: he did not follow superficial calculations of profit, but acted with insight and discernment, choosing the more elevated mitzvah.

Moses Did Not Lose — He Gained Far More

If one might think that Moshe lost out financially by doing so, nothing could be further from the truth. Not only did he not lose, he gained far more — becoming wealthy without effort, from the remnants of the Tablets of the Covenant. As Rashi explains on the verse “Carve for yourself” (Shemot 34:1):
“He showed him a quarry of sapphire from within his tent and said to him: the waste will be yours — and from this Moshe became very wealthy.”

Reward for a Mitzvah

In the days of Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, author of the Ben Ish Chai, there were two Jewish men who made their living buying scrap and used goods and reselling them. One day they heard of an Arab nearby who had a large collection of old items for sale, and they decided to go together.

On their way, they passed a synagogue, and one of the worshippers came out and pleaded with them: “Please, good Jews, we have only nine men inside. Come in and complete the minyan so we can say Half-Kaddish and pray.”

One man shrugged apologetically and explained that he was in a hurry to make a purchase, then continued on his way. The second man hesitated. If he stopped to join the minyan, he feared he would miss out on the lucrative deal. If his friend went alone, he would surely buy all the valuable items and leave him with worthless scraps. In the end, he stayed, placing his trust in God and strengthening himself with the thought: “A mitzvah that comes to your hand — do not let it slip away.”

An Unexpected Treasure

After the prayer ended, he rushed to the place of sale. As he had feared, all the valuable items had already been purchased by his friend. Not wanting to return empty-handed, he searched around and found a pile of worn, nearly worthless items in a corner. He bought the lot and went home.

At home, as he sorted through the bundle, he found a tattered pillow. “What a find,” he muttered bitterly. “Who would ever buy this?” He was about to throw it away, but then thought the feathers might be useful. He cut it open, and white feathers spilled onto the table. As he gathered them, he suddenly noticed a gleaming stone. Looking closely, he realized it was a precious pearl.

He hurried to a jeweler, who examined it with admiration and finally said, “I’m willing to buy it for fifty gold coins.” Though the man didn’t know the true value of gemstones, he knew that fifty gold coins was a fortune. He agreed and returned home rejoicing.

When he told his family what had happened, his wife protested: “What?! You sold it for only fifty gold coins? Maybe it’s worth much more!” Disturbed, the man went to ask Rabbi Yosef Chaim for guidance.

After hearing the entire story, the Ben Ish Chai smiled and said: “The fifty gold coins you received are truly a gift from Heaven. The calculation is simple: you answered five ‘Amens’ to Half-Kaddish, and our Sages taught that the reward for one ‘Amen’ in this world is ten gold coins. Five Amens times ten equals fifty gold coins — the exact amount you received. God sent you your reward in this world in a wondrous way. But know that your reward in the World to Come is immeasurably greater.”

Hearing this, the man’s wife was immediately appeased, and no regret remained — only gratitude for the mitzvah that brought unexpected blessing.