“You have enough. Circle the mountain and turn to the north” (Deuteronomy 2:3).
Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz, in his commentary Kli Yakar, spins this verse in a creative way. The Hebrew word for north is ‘tzafon’, which also has the meaning of to conceal. He was concerned with conspicuous and ostentatious displays of wealth, so he taught: You have enough – conceal it!
Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler, in his classic Michtav M’Eliyahu, explains that ayin hara (the evil eye) can only affect someone who provokes envy in others. It is critical to be sensitive to the feelings of others and not flaunt our blessings.
