Choice between financial success and Torah study

Question

Let us assume for the sake of discussion the following scenario.

There is a young, devout man[1] who has reached a point life where he earns more than enough money to sustain himself. He's by no means rich as in a millionaire or billionaire, but he owns a business that can allow him to live a more-or-less care free life.

He also has plenty of extra time. He could use this extra time in one of two ways.

1. He could put more time into his work, expand his business and acquire wealth, which he could then use to perform charity and good works.
2. He could be content with his current standard of living, and use all the spare time he has to devote himself to Torah study.
3. There is no number 3. Balance between the two is not possible in his situation. He either chooses one route, or the other. If he pursues the path of Torah study, he will not be left with enough time and energy to increase his business. If he pursues the path of business, his time and energy for Torah study will be severely hampered and limited at best.

Please also cite sources for your answers.

What should the said person do in this situation ? [1] I did not specify whether he was a Jew or a Noachide. If there's a difference, please treat both scenarios.

Answer 1

This is a loaded question that I am sure will generate a lot of feedback. The plain and simple answer is that each and every situation is unique and different, and therefore needs to be asked to a competent Rabbi or Mentor for specific personal guidance. It depends if the person will really be able to sit and learn properly or they will waste their time. There are many sources that discuss this topic in Sifrei Mussar and other places. Here are some I can think of to start;

Berachos 35B (link in previous comments) mentions that the allowance to work at all is based on the Passuk of ואספת דגנך so it seems that once that is complete, there would no longer be a heter to continue working.

Kiddushin 29B The gemarah relates a story with R' Acha Bar Yackov who told his son that since he was not being succesful with his learning, they should switch places and the son should work and he will learn. The option of both working and giving charity was not raised.

Mishna Pe'ah 1:1 brings a list of mitzvohs that have reward in both worlds, it includes doing chesed and others, and then ends off that Torah is above all - וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה כְּנֶֽגֶד כֻּלָּם , so it seems that if you are presented with an opportunity to either do tzedaka or learn, learning is more important as long as the chesed will be done by others.

The Mishna in Avos in the 6th Perek brings a story from R' Yossi ben Kisma who was asked about moving to a far away city and he would be given a lot of money. He declined, saying that he only wants to live in a Makom Torah. I heard from R' Shmuel Berenbaum zt"l (RY Mir Brokklyn) that he asked why didn't Reb Yossi take the money and do tzedaka, build yeshivos, do mitzvohs? You know how much more he could of done had he of taken the money? They weren't even asking him to stop learning, just to move to their city and learn there?? He answered that we see from here that even for a lower level of quality of Torah, not even less quantity, you do not give that up for extra money beyond what you need to live.

Having said all this, I personally know someone very very well who was told by his Rosh Hayeshiva when an opportunity presented itself, that Klal Yisroel needs people who will go work and donate 50% of their money to tzedaka and he should leave learning to go to work in the opportunity that was presented. When he asked R' Chaim Kanievsky he agreed.

(I have heard from others who were told that the guideline is that once you have enough you do not go out to look for more income. However if an opportunity presents itself without you going to look for it, then you need to determine if it is a test from Heaven or your Tafkid right now. For that you need to ask your mentor for guidance.)

As for a Noachide, he only has the 7 commandments, there is no commandment for him to learn all day so it would be perfectly fine for him to work as much as he wants.

I am sure many will disagree with a lot that I mentioned here, I am just presenting one angle to the equation.

Answer 2

"better to be a tail to lions than a head to foxes" (Ethics of the Fathers 4:16

see the Tiferes Yisrael commentary who says the lions refer to torah scholars while foxes refers to businessmen.

i.e. better to be learning torah even if you are not going to be a big scholar, rather than to be a head of businessmen.

however, as the answer by chatzkel, best to consult a wise torah scholar