[Avodah] Flaunting is Dangerous

[Prof. L. Levine]

The following is from pages 167 - 168 of the sefer Rav Schwab on Chumash.

The Rav, in one of his speeches at an Agudas Yisrael Convention,
explained this pasuk as follows:

וַיַּ֣רְא יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב כִּ֥י יֶשׁ־שֶׁ֖בֶר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר

יַֽעֲקֹב֙ לְבָנָ֔יו לָ֖מָּה תִּתְרָאֽוּ:.

.. Yaakov said to his sons, "Why would you have
everyone gazing at you?" (Bereishis 42:1)

Let us beware of לָ֖מָּה תִּתְרָאֽוּ; do not be conspicuous in your wealth even
if it is honestly earned. As Yaakov Avinu warned his children: Why
display before others that you have sufficient food, when everyone else
is going hungry? His sons did have enough, but others did not. Thus his
admonition: Don't flaunt your wealth! How, then, does one deal with
the public display of extravaganzas, celebrations covered by the media,
detailing how many thousands of dollars the kal/ah's dress cost, and how
many thousands were spent on the ring? Another example of imprudent
excesses is the twenty-six-page display advertisement in The New York
Times to "sell" an institution of Jewish learning. Or, for that matter, any
display of excessive luxury, lavish dress, and opulent appearance. These
all send the wrong signals to the world at large, creating greed, jealousy,
and hatred. Listen to the old zakein, the father of the twelve tribes,
Yaakov Avinu: לָ֖מָּה תִּתְרָאֽוּ!

Also, we must beware of causing a chillul Hashem-a desecration of
... G-d's Name-through our conduct. Let us be at the forefront of those
who are meticulously honest. Those who make the headlines through
deceit and swindling and smuggling and forging and defrauding the
government and the public-no matter how devout they are in their
outward appearance-have the blood of Kia! Yisrael on their hands.
Stealing from a non-Jew is more severe than stealing from a Jew, for
whoever is guilty of the former has no atonement, should he die without
doing teshuvah (repenting), because of the chillul Hashem involved.
Chazal include those who lie or steal from the gentiles among those who
are mechallel Hashem, for they provoke non-Jews to say, "There is no
Torah within Israel." Liars, swindlers, thieves who appear to be frum
Jevvs, are considered as if proclaiming, "There is no Torah unto Israel."
For the Torah instructs the Jewish People not to commit dishonest acts,
and the\· put the lie to this command. Should they actually adhere to this
directive, then the greatest kiddush Hashem, in this respect, would result.
Several years ago, newspapers and magazines published stories
about a great Jewish family renowned for both its remarkable business
successes and its philanthropy. The stories stressed that everybody trusts
them because they are honest; and their word is gold because they are
Orthodox Jews!

Selected Writings, pages 298-299

Professor Yitzchok Levine
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