We're now in Pesukeh Bitachon, Tehilim, 49,7. הַבֹּטְחִ֥ים עַל־חֵילָ֑ם וּבְרֹ֥ב עׇ֝שְׁרָ֗ם יִתְהַלָּֽלוּ׃ Those who trust in their riches with their great wealth, they boast. This is the pasuk the Maharal quotes, but for our understanding, we will quote the next two pesukim as well: אָ֗ח לֹא־פָדֹ֣ה יִפְדֶּ֣ה אִ֑ישׁ לֹא־יִתֵּ֖ן לֵאלֹהִ֣ים כׇּפְרֽוֹ׃ But a brother, he cannot redeem nor give to Hashem his ransom, יֵקַר פִּדְי֥וֹן נַפְשָׁ֗ם וְחָדַ֥ל לְעוֹלָֽם׃ Their redemption is too precious (or too expensive) and unattainable forever. What exactly is the message? One of the early Aharonim , Maram Al Mashnino, beautifully explains the progression of these pesukim. This progression is hinted at in the previous pasuk: לָ֣מָּה אִ֭ירָא בִּ֣ימֵי רָ֑ע עֲוֺ֖ן עֲקֵבַ֣י יְסוּבֵּֽנִי W hy be afraid in times of evil; the sins that I trample on with my heels will surround me. That's the famous Rashi at the beginnings of Parashat Ekev: Pay attention to the small things, because the small things will get bigger and bigger and eventually lead to a person’s downfall. The hiddush is that the first step is that the person doesn't think it's a sin to rely on his wealth. That's sin number one. It’s seemingly a small thing. A person sees success and he relies on his wealth. I have money, I can handle it. The next step is that he as becomes wealthier, וּבְרֹ֥ב עׇ֝שְׁרָ֗ם יִתְהַלָּֽלוּ Now he’s praising himself. That's a little worse. First they just relied on their money, they weren't praising it. But as they become wealthier, it’s the beginning of the kefira that they start taking credit for their wealth, as if they made it. Then when they become wealthier. אָ֗ח לֹא־פָדֹ֣ה יִפְדֶּ֣ה אִ֑ישׁ And their brother comes to them for some money, and they feel like their cousins and relatives are all surrounding them for their money. I'm not going to help. I'm not redeeming my brother and taking him out of bankruptcy or out of foreclosure. Then it gets even worse. It’s not that he won’t redeem his brother. לֹא־יִתֵּ֖ן לֵאלֹהִ֣ים כׇּפְרֽוֹ׃ He's not even going to atone for own sins. And it goes from bad to worse. But the hiddush here is the first step. Where did it all start from? It all started because he relied on his wealth. He did not rely on Hashem. We have to pay attention to that and beware not to let the snowball start rolling, which begins from that lack of bitachon. The Midrash Bamindar Rabba 18,15 gives Korach as an example of a man who trusted his wealth. Korach found the treasures of gold and silver, which were hidden away by Yosef, who had amassed so much wealth, and he now relied on his wealth and was using his wealth against Moshe and Aharon. Korach was the man who exemplifies people who trust in their wealth. We don't usually stress that aspect as much, although we talk a lot about Korach, but what was driving Korach was that he relied on his wealth. That gave him the confidence to take on Moshe and Aharon. One last point in this pasuk is from the Rambam’s son, Rabi Abraham, in his sefer Maspik L’Ovdeh Hashem. In the chapter on bitachon it says, “ Beware-Don't become totally submerged- your head and most of your body (that’s a way to show that a person is totally involved in something. To be in a Succah, your head and most of your body must be inside, you can't just stick your head in a little bit.) He's using that term to indicate that your whole being shouldn't be engulfed in your work and your worries about parnasa, because then you fall into the category of people, he says, that don't rely on Hashem. They get involved in the intermediaries and the external causes and they forget who's really turning the wheels. He says that's who the pasuk is referring to: הַבֹּטְחִ֥ים עַל־חֵילָ֑ם וּבְרֹ֥ב עׇ֝שְׁרָ֗ם יִתְהַלָּֽלוּ How do you know if somebody is reliant on his wealth and is is not connected to Hashem? That's this man whose head and whole body is engulfed in his hishtadlut , and he forgets Who is the real cause. Have a wonderful day.