Money

1. One who ridicules -- his livelihood is diminished.

2. The speech (terminology & phraseology) of the Sages brings wealth.

3. Wealth does not endure, on account of not having mercy on people.

4. One who stands in a test of sexual immorality will merit to great wealth amidst his enemies.

5. Great is work, being that G-d warned about it, that a person should do some type of work.

6. [People weak] such as ourselves, should borrow in order to eat.

7. One who wants to become wealthy should deal in small animals (t.n. like sheep and goats) in a remote location.

8. [The amount a person spends on] eating and drinking should be below his means, and he should dress and cover himself according to his means, and he should honor his wife and children beyond his means.

9. Poverty in a man's house is harder than fifty plagues (like those of Egypt).

10. A man's wife does not die unless others ask him for money and he does not have it.

11. The power that the non-Jewish nations have to steal from Israel comes from their studying the Scriptures.

12. Wine brings poverty.

13. A man who has cognizance, in the end becomes wealthy.

14. One who steals from his fellow-man, through this they make him impure with the impurity of subconscious emission.

15. When some new understanding comes to a man, it is certain that great wealth is at (lit. attached to) its heel.

16. Money of a Jew that falls into the hands of a gentile, immediately becomes permissible.

17. One whose sons and daughters are enduring famine, through this he is spared from the judgment of burning that is one of the four death-sentences of the religious courts.

18. One who disregards the safeguards the Rabbis established to protect the Torah becomes poor.

19. One who overcomes his lust of eating, merits to a nice abode.

20. A man's livelihood is paramount to the splitting of the Red Sea, and more than the Redemption, and twice as difficult as childbirth.

21. Whence a person is appointed as a parnas (president to manage the welfare) of a group, he becomes wealthy.

22. The Incense (offered in the Temple) makes wealthy.

23. A person should not worry saying, so-and-so will curtail my livelihood. For against their will they will seat you in your (rightful) place and call you by your (rightful) name.

24. On account of four things, the possessions of householders fall into continuous reduction: For delaying the payment of employees, for fully denying employees their salary, and for casting off responsibility from their necks and placing it on their fellows, and for arrogance.

25. Changing one's place and name are beneficial for making a livelihood.

26. The rain is only withheld due to not giving terumos (portion for priests) and tithes, people who speak lushon hura (bad talk/slander), haughty people, annulling study of the Torah, and the sin of stealing.

27. A rectification for (lack of) rain – make abundant prayer.

28. Through faith, livelihood is abundant.

29. When there is prosperity (lit. satiation – antonym of famine) in the world, physical weaknesses are diminished.

30. The rain is only withheld due to those who publicly pledge charity and do not give.

31. Disgusting things (or actions) in the house bring poverty.

32. Three things bring a man to poverty: 1) One who urinates in front of his bed, naked, 2) One who is careless in ritual handwashing, and 3) One whose wife curses him in front of him.

33. Giving tithes is conducive (segulah) to wealth specifically in the Land of Israel.

34. Honor to the Torah and honor to the Shabbat is a segulah (conducive) for wealth.

35. The Kezayit (measure like that of an olive) of bitter herbs that is eaten on Passover, is a segulah (conducive) for wealth.

36. Writing a Torah scroll is a segulah (conducive) for livelihood.

37. A daughter of a Cohen marrying a common Jew, or a daughter of a Torah scholar marrying an unlearned man, brings him to poverty.

38. Joining forces with one whose hour of fortune is at hand, is good for success.

39. One who loves G-d in the midst of his eating, drinking, and other pleasures, merits supporting many nations.

40. One who despises money merits length of days.

41. One who searches after treasures brings his time of death closer.

42. One who has not rectified the sins of his youth becomes impoverished.

43. One who exhausts himself day and night for an income, and does not attain it, his rectification is to bring others back in repentance.

44. One who breaks some vessel unintentionally, it is certain that he is a sinner.

45. One who is enthusiastic (bent) to work the land, certainly he is of no benefit.

46. In everything you do, ask the Tzaddik to pray on your behalf.

47. Constant joyfulness is conducive (segulah) for success.

48. Derech Eretz (trade or occupation) needs encouragement (strengthening).

49. One who includes G-d in his pain, his income is doubled. Also, his income flies to him like a bird.

50. Through the sin of neglecting terumos (portion given to the priests), and tithe-giving, profit is lost, and people run after their income and do not attain it.

51. Rain is given in the merit of individuals, and income is given in the merit of the many. But an individual whose merit is great is considered like the many.

52. Through the Kiddush made over wine, rain comes, and his prayers are heard.

53. One who keeps his father's Torah scroll in his house merits wealth.

54. Rain comes in the merit of one man, one field and one blade of grass, and in the merit of the land, and kindness, and suffering.

55. The rains are withheld due to idol worship, and because of promiscuity, and due to a Tzaddik who was not eulogized according to law (i.e. befittingly), and due to those who diminish the income of others.

56. Through poverty, one is spared from the punishment of Hell.

57. Through using holy names, come poverty and death, and even to someone who is able to protest it and does not.

58. When someone is in a position that he should be screaming out against his fellowman who is stealing from him even jeopardizing his food, but is silent, G-d does justice for him.

59. When a man sees that his food (income) is limited, he should give of it to charity.

60. Worry and strain over his income (food) diminishes the strength of a man.

61. Through promiscuity comes poverty.

62. Sometimes when a Tzaddik has no fortune with respect to income, opposers are brought up against him, and through this, he is given the income that was intended for them.

63. One who is involved with construction becomes poor.

64. Modesty is conducive (segulah) for wealth.

65. From the time that people with a narrow (envious, stingy) eye began to proliferate, there was a proliferation of those who curtail the income of others.

66. The sustenance of a person is diminished when he does not judge others with the benefit of the doubt.

67. Also, when he mixes water with his drinks (see theft #10).

68. Also, when a person listens to the advice of a seducer.

69. Also, when one commits a sin in order to anger (G-d), he becomes poor, and the world does not believe him that he is poor.

70. One who deals with impure names and witchcraft becomes poor.

71. When the sickness of weakening of the flesh, which is called Dar, comes upon one of the members of one's household, it is an omen of poverty.

72. When some shame comes upon a person, it is an omen of poverty.

73. One who despises money, he is taught from Above the way he should go.

74. Sometimes the death of karet (dying early due to certain sins) is replaced with poverty.

75. A poor person is confused like a drunkard.

76. Through overcharging (this word can be translated as verbal abuse), one becomes impoverished.

77. One who conducts his affairs in haste, with an unsettled mind, falls into debt.

78. One who curtails the livelihood of another is as if he murdered him.

79. A man should always hold fast to the estate of his forefathers, and not sell or exchange them.

80. One who desires money, he falls from his level.

81. Through apostasy comes poverty.

82. One who is poor should strive to provide food to those who beseech G-d.

83. Faith is good for livelihood.

84. Pain in the eyes is an omen for poverty.

85. Through submission, a man's livestock increases.

86. Through charity, one merits to a livelihood.

87. One who gives money to sorcerers causes that his livelihood will be dependent on a gentile household.

88. The words of the Tzaddik bring income.

89. Depression causes loss of income.

90. Through giving charity, you will have expansion.

91. A lot of sleep brings a person to poverty.

92. One who involves himself in Torah and charity merits wealth.

93. Esteem your wives so that in that way you become wealthy.

94. Blessing is not prevalent in the house of a man except for the sake of the honor of his wife.

95. One who lends on interest, his possessions collapse and do not rise.

96. Through the annulling of irreverent music, prices are lowered.

97. One who has no livelihood should study Torah and afterwards pray for a livelihood – certainly his prayer will be accepted.

98. A man should not sell the first item he purchased.

99. One who intrudes on the livelihood of his fellowman is called an evildoer.

100. No man would come to hurt his friend, if not for the arrogance in his heart.

101. Crumbs are conducive to poverty.

102. A wealthy person is the aspect of male, and a pauper is the aspect of female.

103. Pain in the eyes [alternate text: toothache] is a sign of damage.

104. For all attainments, whether it be wisdom, wealth or children, one must engage according to the laws of nature, but ask for mercy from G-d, that he be successful in the matter of his engagement.

1. A year which is a year of business is a good sign for physical health.

2. One who is passionate about working the land, comes to one of three things, either, spilling blood (i.e. murder), or leprosy, or drunkenness.

3. Through fear (of Heaven) and kindness, one is saved from fire, and merits a livelihood.

4. When Torah arbitration decreases, through this income decreases, and so too the opposite.

5. Through the finding of Torah sources for Rabbinic traditions, large income is delivered (emanated) into the world. This is because there are various things that we don't find a reference to them in the Scriptures of the Torah, and the Sages of blessed memory labored to find them some sort of basis.

6. Sometimes G-d brags about the upright of the nations in front of the Satan, so that He can give livelihood to Israel without accusation.

7. Through the longing with which a person craves to be buried in the land of Israel, through this comes great income.

8. For a feast of a Mitzvah a person should trouble himself, even to chop wood. When splitting the wood, he should have the intention that he is splitting and separating out the evil from the good in the Tree of Knowledge. Through this he will merit to a livelihood.

9. Through repentance, livelihood comes easily.

10. One who fulfills the maxim, "Your friend's money should be precious to you like your own", through this he merits to pray with intention in his heart.

11. Great is one who benefits from the exertion of his hands, for he recognizes the honor of G-d what angels don't know.

12. According to the changes that are done by the angels -- for example, sometimes they are sitting, sometimes standing, sometimes they are female, sometimes male, and other such differences -- so the bounty that comes from Heaven varies; sometimes fire, sometimes water, sometimes stone, and so other endowments. All these variations are manifest in the world and in man. Also, the will of a person changes according to the variations -- sometimes he wants one thing, and sometimes he wants something else.

13. A person's livelihood is according to his marital match.

14. According to the elders of the generation so is the livelihood.

15. Interest (monetary) detracts fear (of G-d).

16. One who lends on interest cannot find anyone to judge him favorably.

17. One who guards himself from transgressing the command not to envy, through this he is saved from anger, arrogance, and lack of faith that comes in the wake of anger and arrogance.

18. Through faithful business conduct, curses are annulled.

19. One who needs to borrow from others, he is comparable to an animal.

20. Someone who is a middleman, when he wants to intercede, in order that an important man will buy an item from a common man, and he sees that his words are not being accepted by the common man - to sell the item to the important man, in that case the broker should pray that his words have effect on the common man, and he will sell to the important man.

21. One who controls his evil inclination, his children will not become delinquent (involved with bad society or culture). Through this his money will be blessed, and through this he will not come to be tested.

22. Traveling (lit. thoroughfares) brings a person to lushon hura (evil speech), idol worship, promiscuity, and spilling blood (i.e. murder), and these sins detract one's livelihood.

23. Through the money one gives to the poor of the Land of Israel, through this one's money is preserved in his keeping.

24. Fires (lit. burning) come to the world on account of money used for idol worship, to destroy it.

25. When a new king or a new minister arises, livelihood is renewed and undergoes change.

26. One who has dealings and business with non-Jews at the time of their festivals, or even not at the time of their festivals – but his revenue is from supplying things for their idolatry, through this his wife has bleeding shortly after her ritual immersion.

27. One who makes a separation between a man and his wife -- that is, he goes to the man and praises his wife to him, but goes to the wife and defames the husband in her eyes, until a separation is created between them -- he becomes troubled (preoccupied, overtaken) by his expenses (for food or sustenance).

28. One whose merchandise and estates are scattered, and not in one place -- sometimes he is saved through this from having to tear his garments for his deceased.

29. The largest businessman in a city is the light (lit. candle) of the city.