A friend told me that his Rabbi told him that we have to respect people with a lot of money because God has blessed them.
Is this written anywhere?
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m.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/69937/jewish/…– YishaiCommented Aug 19, 2016 at 13:48
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I'm not aware that this is written directly. Perhaps your friend's rabbi meant that this can be inferred from something written? E.g. many rich people donate money to finance shuls (and, maybe the rabbi had a personal bias, b/c they finance his own salary.) Therefore, they should be respected.– DanFCommented Aug 19, 2016 at 14:40
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1 Answer
A well-known Gemoro is in Eiruvin 86a
רבי מכבד עשירים ר' עקיבא מכבד עשירים כדדרש רבא בר מרי ישב עולם לפני אלהים חסד ואמת מן ינצרוהו אימתי ישב עולם לפני אלהים בזמן שחסד ואמת מן ינצרוהו
Rabbi showed respect to rich men, and R.Akiba also showed respect to rich men, in agreement with an exposition made by Raba b. Mari: May he be enthroned before God for ever, appoint mercy and truth that they may preserve him (6), when ‘may he be enthroned before God for ever’? When he ‘appoint mercy and truth (8) that they may preserve him’.
(6) Ps. LXI, 8. (8) Being rich one is able to exercise acts of mercy and truth. According to Rashi מן (here rendered ‘appoint’) signifies ‘food’ (cf. ‘manna’ which is the equivalent of the Hebrew n), the rich deserve respect because they exercise mercy and provide food for the poor.
From here it seems that we have to respect people with a lot of money because/(when?) they exercise acts of mercy and and provide food for the poor. But I have also heard your Rabbi's reason too but don't have a source.
answered Aug 19, 2016 at 15:50
