Money is what makes the world go round, and the Torah is full of meaningful guidance on how to earn, view, and spend it properly. Read on for 17 Jewish teachings about money and wealth.

1. “If you eat the labor of your hands, you are fortunate and it is good for you” (Psalms 128:2)

Working hard to make a living is a virtue. Many of the great Talmudic sages were engaged in professions such as drawing water and carrying packages. Living in the lap of luxury might seem like the perfect life, but it’s not the Torah ideal.

Read: 13 Meditations on Finance

2. “Want to ‘salt’ your money? Decrease it” (Ketubot 66b)

It’s the paradox of financial security: Want to protect your money? Decrease it by giving charity. Charity might look like a loss on paper, but it’s your best insurance policy.

Charity does more than preserve your numbers—it raises them. The Hebrew words for “tithe” and “wealth” are similar, leading to the Talmudic saying, “Aser bishvil she’tis’asher”—tithe so that you will acquire wealth.1

Read: Tithing in Torah and Jewish Law

3. “Who is wealthy? He who is happy with his lot” (Ethics of the Fathers 4:1)

The key to happiness is not wealth; it is being satisfied with what you have. There is so much in life to be grateful for. Focus on what you have, not on what you don’t, and you are well on the way to happiness and true peace of mind.

Read: Happiness: What It Is and How to Get It

4. “Rabbi Yehuda the Prince would respect the wealthy” (Eruvin 86a)

G‑d picks His customers wisely. If He granted you wealth, that means He trusts you to use it well. Rabbi Yehuda the Prince would respect the wealthy—not to gain favor, but because he recognized their Divine potential.2

Read: Is Wealth a Vice or a Virtue?

5. “Remember the L-rd your G‑d, for He is the one Who empowers you to make money” (Deuteronomy 8:18)

This might be the most foundational teaching on this list: When you succeed, don’t let it get to your head. It’s not your careful decisions and clever manipulation that brought you to where you are. Everything you have is from G‑d, so remain humble and thankful.

6. “One handful of gratification is better than two fistfuls of hard work and anxiety” (Ecclesiastes 4:6)

Making less money without aggravation might be better than making a fortune without being able to sleep at night. You’ll end up with enough to buy whatever you want, but no peace of mind to enjoy it.

Read: Why Work for a Living?

7. “A person prefers a portion of their own over nine portions of another” (Bava Metzia 38a)

G‑d wired us with a unique nature: we appreciate the little we earn ourselves more than the plenty handed to us by someone else. Even if you end up with more, when it’s not yours, an uneasy feeling lingers.

8. “He who loves money will never be satiated with money” (Ecclesiastes 5:9)

Money is a bottomless pit: the more of it you get, the more you want. It’s like a thirsty person trying to quench his thirst with salt water.3 The only way out of this vicious cycle is to stay focused on what really matters in life: G‑d, Torah, family, and giving to others.

9. “For the righteous, their assets are more precious than their own body” (Sotah 12a)

This one seems counterintuitive. Why would a righteous person hold material possessions so dear? The Talmud explains: “Because they don’t engage in theft.” If money comes easily through dishonest means, it loses value, and you’re more inclined to waste it. But if you’re honest to a fault, every penny is precious.

10. “When you are brought to the Heavenly Court, the first question they ask you is: Did you make an honest living?” (Shabbat 31a)

That tells you something. Before they ask whether you studied Torah, raised a family, or awaited Moshiach, they ask about your integrity in business.

11. “Making a living today is manna from Heaven” (Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn of Lubavitch)

At the end of day, making a living is nothing short of a miracle. With today’s competitive marketplace and high cost of living, simply putting food on the table is a heavenly gift. And just like the Jews in the desert, you can rely on G‑d to keep giving it.

12. “He Who gives life gives sustenance” (based on Taanit 8b)

When times are tough, remember this: you didn’t get here on your own. G‑d is the one who gave you life. And that same G‑d can be counted on to give you everything you need. As we say in the Grace After Meals, “He sustains the entire world with His goodness, with grace, kindness, and compassion.”

Read: What Is Bitachon—Trust in G‑d?

13. “The more you own, the more you worry” (Ethics of the Fathers 2:7)

Sure, it’s nice to have a fancy car, a large house with all the latest gadgets, and everything else the 21st century has to offer. But everything comes with a price—and not just the credit card type. And hiring someone to do the worrying just adds another headache to the list!

Read: 5 Things We Learned About Money

14. “Money Is Mud” (Yiddish saying)

The numeric value of געלט, the Yiddish word for money, is the same as בלאטע, mud. That’s a colorful way of conveying an important message: If you aren’t careful, money can easily get to your head, harming your dignity and dirtying your character. As the chassid Rabbi Meir Simcha Chein put it, “Three things are guaranteed to affect you. Money makes you crazy, alcohol makes you drunk, and Chassidic teachings make you a better person. And if any of them didn’t affect you, it’s because you didn’t have enough of it!”

Read: 22 Yiddish Expressions About Saying the Truth

15. “Skin a carcass in the marketplace for pay, and don’t say, ‘It is beneath my dignity’” (Pesachim 113a)

There is nothing more dignified than doing whatever it takes to support those you love.

16. “People worry about a loss of money (ibud damav), yet they don’t worry about a loss of days (ibud yamav)” (ancient Jewish proverb)4

Every moment in life has a Divine purpose. A financial loss can be recovered, but a moment that wasn’t used for its Divine purpose is gone forever.

17. “Your friend’s money should be as precious to you as your own” (Ethics of the Fathers 2:12)

The Torah teaches us to “love your fellow as you love yourself.”5 But the Torah adds the possessive letter lamed before “your fellow.” So the verse is also telling us to cherish that which belongs to your fellow as you cherish that which is your own.6 A little sensitivity can go a long way toward making this world a more peaceful place.

Read: Love Your Fellow