Pursuing Wealth Or Avoiding Bills: A Matter Of Intention

A letter to the editor I received via email and received permission to reprint. I agree and enjoy seeing the other side:).

Dear Mevakesh Lev,

How does one infer that people are pursuing "the most desired and yearned for resource on the planet earth" as opposed, to say, running from the least desired thing: bills. Many work hard just to get by, to live a life where they might provide a good yeshiva education for children, be able to purchase excessively priced shmurah matzot or daled minim, or buy a nice dress for a wife to feel appreciated and look nice for yom tov. On the outside, the actions of such a driven person might look the same as one who does indeed chase after the Benjamins. But the two are quite different indeed. Much like the Meraglim - two people can articulate the same message using the same words, but it is the subtleties, in the intonations (see Ramban on "efes!") that can be the difference between lashon hara and divrei shalom vemet.