The Rebbe said that one must use the same powers with money as one does with food. (These powers are: acceptance, retention, digestion, distribution and expulsion.)
When you eat, you make use of your power of acceptance. You also make use of your power of retention, holding the food so that it does not immediately leave your body.
Then you use your faculty of digestion and distribution, delivering the food to all parts of the body. The brain receives the choicest parts, with the next best going to the heart. Each part of the body receives what is best for it.
Money requires these same powers. You must use your power of retention and not spend the money immediately. [Not like those who have a great desire for money and spend their lives acquiring it, only to squander it immediately (see “His Wisdom” #281; Tzaddik #547).]
Then you must make use of your power of distribution, budgeting your income for all your necessities. It is the same as with food. The choicest portion must be given to charity. The rest must be distributed properly, just as in the case of food.
The Baal Shem Tov once explained why he accepted money from the wicked. He said, “I distribute all the money that I receive. That which comes from the righteous is spent on the needs of pious wayfarers who visit me. Other monies are distributed accordingly. But money coming from the wicked is spent for my horses and laborers.” The money might be all mixed together, but it was automatically distributed in such a manner.
The Baal Shem Tov was able to distribute his income automatically. The same was true of his power of expulsion. The unusable portion of his income was expelled and used for common laborers and horses.
אָמַר לְעִנְיַן מָמוֹן: צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לוֹ כָּל הַכֹּחוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּעִנְיַן אֲכִילָה.
The Rebbe said that one must use the same powers with money as one does with food. (These powers are: acceptance, retention, digestion, distribution and expulsion.)
כִּי יֵשׁ כַּמָּה כֹּחוֹת בָּאָדָם לְעִנְיַן אֲכִילָה: כִּי יֵשׁ "כֹּחַ הַמְקַבֵּל". וְ"כֹחַ הַמְעַכֵּב" – שֶׁלֹּא יֵצֵא לַחוּץ הַמַּאֲכָל תֵּכֶף.
When you eat, you make use of your power of acceptance. You also make use of your power of retention, holding the food so that it does not immediately leave your body.
וְ"כֹחַ הַמְעַכֵּל" וְ"כֹחַ הַמְחַלֵּק" – הַמַּאֲכָל לְכָל אֵיבְרֵי הַגּוּף, לְהַמֹּחַ הַמֻּבְחָר וְכֵן לַלֵּב וְכֵן לְכָל שְׁאָר הָאֵיבָרִים, לְכָל אֶחָד כָּרָאוּי לוֹ.
Then you use your faculty of digestion and distribution, delivering the food to all parts of the body. The brain receives the choicest parts, with the next best going to the heart. Each part of the body receives what is best for it.
וְ"כֹחַ הַדּוֹחֶה" – הַפְּסֹלֶת לַחוּץ. כַּמְבֹאָר כָּל זֶה לְחַכְמֵי הָרוֹפְאִים.
Following this, you make use of your power of expulsion, excreting the unusable portion of the food. All this is well-known.
כְּמוֹ כֵן כָּל אֵלּוּ הַכֹּחוֹת צְרִיכִין לְעִנְיַן מָמוֹן: כִּי צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ 'כֹּחַ הַמְעַכֵּב' – שֶׁלֹּא יְפַזֵּר מְעוֹתָיו מִיָּד (כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁבִּתְחִלָּה מִתְאַוִּים מְאֹד לְמָמוֹן וּמְבַלִּים יְמֵיהֶם עַל זֶה, וְתֵכֶף כְּשֶׁמַּשִּׂיגִין הַמָּמוֹן מְפַזְּרִין אוֹתוֹ מִיָּד).
Money requires these same powers. You must use your power of retention and not spend the money immediately. [Not like those who have a great desire for money and spend their lives acquiring it, only to squander it immediately (see “His Wisdom” #281; Tzaddik #547).]
וְכֵן 'כֹּחַ הַמְחַלֵּק' שֶׁיִּתְחַלֵּק מְעוֹתָיו לַמְּקוֹמוֹת הַצְּרִיכִין לְכָל אֶחָד כָּרָאוּי כַּנַּ"ל לְעִנְיַן הָאֲכִילָה. דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁהַמֻבְחָר יַגִּיעַ לִצְדָקָה, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה בִּשְׁאָר הַמָּעוֹת כָּל אֶחָד לִמְקוֹמוֹ הָרָאוּי לוֹ כַּנַּ"ל לְעִנְיַן הָאֲכִילָה.
Then you must make use of your power of distribution, budgeting your income for all your necessities. It is the same as with food. The choicest portion must be given to charity. The rest must be distributed properly, just as in the case of food.
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמְּסַפְּרִין מֵהַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב ז"ל, שֶׁאָמַר לְעִנְיַן מַה שֶּׁמְּקַבֵּל מָעוֹת מֵרְשָׁעִים, וְאָמַר: שֶׁהַמָּעוֹת כְּשֶׁבָּא לְיָדוֹ, אֲזַי הוּא מִתְחַלֵּק. וּמָעוֹת שֶׁקִּבֵּל מֵאֲנָשִׁים הֲגוּנִים, אֵלּוּ הַמָּעוֹת יוֹצְאִים עַל הוֹצָאוֹת הַכְנָסַת אוֹרְחִים צַדִּיקִים שֶׁבָּאִים אֶצְלוֹ, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בִּשְׁאָר הַמָּעוֹת. וּמָעוֹת שֶׁבָּא מִמִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ הָגוּן, זֶה הַמָּעוֹת יוֹצֵא עַל הוֹצָאוֹת הַסּוּסִים שֶׁלּוֹ וְהֶעָרֵל הָעֶבֶד שֶׁלּוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁמִּמֵּילָא מִתְחַלֵּק הַמָּעוֹת אֶצְלוֹ כָּךְ.
The Baal Shem Tov once explained why he accepted money from the wicked. He said, “I distribute all the money that I receive. That which comes from the righteous is spent on the needs of pious wayfarers who visit me. Other monies are distributed accordingly. But money coming from the wicked is spent for my horses and laborers.” The money might be all mixed together, but it was automatically distributed in such a manner.
אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת הָיָה כָּל הַמָּעוֹת מְעֹרָב אֶצְלוֹ. אַךְ מִמֵּילָא הָיָה נַעֲשֶׂה כָּךְ אֵצֶל הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב ז"ל. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת כֹּחַ הַמְחַלֵּק הנ"ל וְכֹחַ הַדּוֹחֶה הַפְּסֹלֶת לַחוּץ. הַיְנוּ כַּנַּ"ל, כִּי יֵשׁ מָעוֹת שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לָצֵאת לַחוּץ בִּשְׁבִיל עֲרֵלִים וְסוּסִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא.
The Baal Shem Tov was able to distribute his income automatically. The same was true of his power of expulsion. The unusable portion of his income was expelled and used for common laborers and horses.
וְאָמַר: עִקַּר תַּאֲוַת מָמוֹן, מִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ כְּלִי לְקַבֵּל.
The Rebbe said, “The passion for riches comes mainly to one who does not have a vessel to receive.
כְּמוֹ לְעִנְיַן תַּאֲוַת אֲכִילָה, כִּי בְּוַדַּאי מִי שֶׁיָּכוֹל לֶאֱכֹל וְכוּ'.
“The same is true of eating. For certainly, if one knows how to eat ….
וְעִקַּר הַתַּאֲוָה בְּיוֹתֵר מֵהַשִּׁעוּר כְּמוֹ כֵן לְעִנְיַן מָמוֹן. "אֲנִי יֵשׁ לִי כְּלִי" וְכוּ'.
“Desire is mainly for that which is not necessary. The same is true of money. I have a vessel ….”