Praying for Prosperity

Rabbi Melanie Aron

June 2, 2001

Usually when we think of the rewards of a religious life, we think in terms of intangible things. But there have been times when people have focused on more practical benefits.

A few weeks ago, an article on the front page of the New York Times caught my attention: A Book Spreads the Word: Prayer for Prosperity Works. The book by the Atlanta evangelist Bruce Wilkinson presents material from the book of First Chronicles as a key to personal prosperity. He urges his readers to recite words from I Chronicles chapter 4, a relatively less known list of returnees from exile in Babylon, as way of evoking God's blessing: "Jabez invoked the God of Israel saying; Oh Bless me, enlarge my territory, stand by me, and make me not suffer pain from misfortune."

Prayers of this sort are not unusual in the Bible. Eliezer, Abraham's servant, prays for guidance in his mission of finding a wife for Isaac. Jacob prays for God's protection on his journey to Haran, asking for practical things " bread to eat and clothing to wear, and a safe return to his father's house." This raises an interesting question. Is a prayer for one's own prosperity an appropriate Jewish prayer?

On the one hand our tradition urges us to do right for its own sake and not for the sake of reward. We read from Pirke Avot just before Shavuot: " Don't be like those who would serve a master on the condition that they would receive a reward. Rather be like those who would serve without any hope for reward."

On the other hand within our daily prayers, we do have prayers that relate to personal prosperity. Because these prayers are omitted on Shabbat, they may not be as familiar to the congregation.

In the Amidah, the Tefillah , on weekdays there is a blessing for abundance which in our prayerbook reads as follows: "Bless this year for us Eternal God: may its produce bring us well-being. Bestow your blessing on the earth, that all Your children may share its abundance in peace. We praise You O God, for You bless earth's seasons from year to year." The commentaries on this prayer are interesting. Samson Raphael Hirsh comments: We pray separately for a good year and for our own activities; Even in bad times some people prosper and even in good times some farms and businesses fail. We ask not only for general prosperity but that we be enabled to share in it."

A second note from the Yaaros Dvash raises an ethical issue: "Food acquired in a tainted manner lacks the holiness to nourish the soul. Therefore we ask that God satisfy us from His bounty, not from earnings to which are not entitled."

This theme of procuring one's living in a moral way is even clearer in the second "properity" prayer which is part of the bircat Hamazon, the grace after meals. We say Harachaman hu Yifarseinu bechavod. May the Merciful God enable us to support ourselves with honor- that is earn our living in an honorable manner, without having to resort to any shady methods or unscrupulous practices.

As Jews when we pray for abundance, we pray not only for ourselves, but for the greater community, we pray not only for the ends, but also for the means.