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Success on Our Way; an Alternative to the Prosperity Gospel

Success on Our Way; an Alternative to the Prosperity Gospel

Last updated on: December 17, 2024 at 11:24 am by Hebrew College

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Success on Our Way; an Alternative to the Prosperity Gospel 2024-12-17T11:24:26-04:00 Hebrew College

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By Rav Hazzan Ken Richmond, Hebrew College Rabbinical School ’21

Parashat Vayeishev Genesis 37:1-40:23

As part of our recent late-night wind-down routine, I’ve been watching the show “Greenleaf,” which was recommended as a show with all the drama and intrigue of synagogue life and politics, but through the lens of a Southern, African-American church. The show, which explores wealth and power dynamics within the church and its leaders, has gotten me ruminating about the prosperity gospel.

In Fiddler on the Roof, before breaking into song with daydreams of wealth, Tevya the dairyman sighs, “It’s no sin to be poor, but it’s no great honor either.” The prosperity gospel, as expressed by many megachurches, takes this a step further, claiming that God’s favor is conveyed through worldly success, and unfortunately, implying that poverty and sickness are the results of sin, or lack of faith.

Kate Bowler, author of “Everything Happens for a Reason; and Other Lies I’ve Loved,” writes about becoming disenchanted with the prosperity gospel as she develops cancer. She describes a fine line between viewing one’s health and one’s resources as manifestations of divine grace—and seeing them as a reward for a pious life and good behavior.

In Pirkei Avot, Teachings of our Sages, Ben Zoma addresses qualities typically associated with success: wisdom, power, wealth, and status. He subversively redefines each of them, saying the wise person is the one open to learning from everyone; the mighty person is one who can control their power; a rich person, one who is satisfied with what they have; and an honored person, one who honors other people.

Joseph, whose story begins in this week’s Torah portion, may be the only character in the Torah referred to as successful. In next week’s portion, he will become the second most powerful person in Egypt, but it is in this week’s portion that he is referred to as successful three times (Genesis 32:2, 32:3, and 32:23), all during his downward trajectory, as he is sold into slavery, falsely accused, and thrown into jail. As our hero, the slave and prisoner, is repeatedly called successful, our first reaction may be to quote Inigo Montoya from the Princess Bride: “I do not think that word means what you think it means!”

But this seems to be the point. Each of those three verses that calls Joseph successful also says that God is with him. Rabbi Harold Kushner, of blessed memory, said that Joseph felt God was with him in bad times as well as good ones.

The Hebrew for success (matzliach) is derived from a root that can mean to ford or to penetrate, and Rabbi Moshe Chaim Ephraim of Sudilkov translates it as splitting, saying Joseph was able to split through the material world in order to focus on God’s presence, to concentrate on the spiritual.

In this vein, being successful can be read as the opposite of the prosperity gospel. Irrespective of one’s material resources, or of society’s expectations, success can be redefined as being able to sense God’s presence, as being able to feel a part of something larger than oneself.

The Hebrew root for matzliach also forms the word tsalachat—plate, dish, or container. The prosperity gospel views success as having a full plate. Success in the Torah, rather, is predicated on seeing the container as half full instead of half empty, no matter how large the glass is (or what one might be drinking). Or of being a “bucket-filler,” one who uses the material and spiritual resources one has been blessed with to help others, without thought of reward.

At the heart of the Hineni prayer that prepares us for the High Holiday musaf service, are the words heyei na matzliach darki הֱיֵה נָא מַצְלִֽיחַ דַּרְכִּי — please, help me succeed on my path.

This is the key for an alternative to the prosperity gospel. The strength and the resources that we wish for ourselves and for each other need to be for the purpose of carrying out our mission. Whatever the ups or downs we face, may we, like Joseph, feel like we are embraced by the Divine presence. May we view the gifts we have received with gratitude, and use them to make a difference in our communities and in our world.

Rav Hazzan Ken Richmond is the co-senior Rabbi of Temple Israel of Natick. He received ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Cantorial School in 2004 and from Hebrew College’s Rabbinical School in 2021.

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