All bounty and all things come only from the true tzaddik. Therefore, when someone is close to the true tzaddik, he can easily receive that which he needs, whether it be wealth or children. However, if someone is far from the tzaddik, then it comes to him with great difficulty. For every person receives wealth or children according to his mazal, and the mazal receives the bounty from the tzaddik because it is from there that all bounty comes.
Therefore, when someone is distant from the tzaddik, the mazal has to exert great effort in order to receive the bounty from the tzaddik, on account of his being distant from [the tzaddik]. We consequently find many variations in this. Sometimes wealth comes to a person and he dies as a result, the wealth remaining for the heirs. And sometimes, he dies as a result of receiving the wealth, and also loses it. There are many such variations.
It is analogous to the following: A person wants to lift a heavy load. He exerts all his strength in order to lift the load because it is very heavy. Sometimes he lifts the load, but as a result of the effort that he exerted his innards are wrenched out of place such that he dies. Even so, it is still possible that the load remains in his grasp. Yet sometimes, because of the dislocation inside of him, the load, too, falls from his grasp. Thus it is that he died as a result of lifting the load, and the load as well did not remain with him, even for his children. So, too, in the aforementioned case: since the mazal has to exert itself in order to receive the bounty from the tzaddik—on account of his being distant from him—many variations can result, as explained above.
Despite this, it may occasionally happen that a person draws close to the true tzaddik and because of this loses the wealth. Know! this is a result of his having seen something precious [and] very lofty; “and although he might not see, his mazal sees” (Megillah 3a). As a result of the mazal having seen something precious and very lofty, it throws away his wealth. This is similar to someone carrying a load of copper who sees gold and precious jewels. He throws away everything and runs to grab the precious goods. So, too, as a result of his having drawn close and seen [something] more precious than fine gold and pearls, the mazal unceremoniously discards the wealth.
How much more so, when a person is himself worthy of feeling that closeness to the tzaddik is more precious than all the riches of the world. In that case he pays no attention to money and has no desire whatsoever for wealth.
כָּל הַהַשְׁפָּעוֹת וְכָל הַדְּבָרִים הֵם בָּאִים רַק מֵהַצַּדִּיק הָאֱמֶת. וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁמְּקֹרָב לְהַצַּדִּיק הָאֱמֶת, יוּכַל לְקַבֵּל בְּקַל אֶת מַה שֶּׁצָּרִיךְ לוֹ, הֵן עֲשִׁירוּת אוֹ בָּנִים, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁהוּא רָחוֹק מֵהַצַּדִּיק אֲזַי בָּא לוֹ בְּקֹשִׁי גָּדוֹל. כִּי כָּל אֶחָד מְקַבֵּל עֲשִׁירוּת אוֹ בָּנִים לְפִי הַמַּזָּל שֶׁלּוֹ, וְהַמַּזָּל מְקַבֵּל הַהַשְׁפָּעָה מֵהַצַּדִּיק, כִּי מִשָּׁם בָּאִים כָּל הַהַשְׁפָּעוֹת,
All bounty and all things come only from the true tzaddik. Therefore, when someone is close to the true tzaddik, he can easily receive that which he needs, whether it be wealth or children. However, if someone is far from the tzaddik, then it comes to him with great difficulty. For every person receives wealth or children according to his mazal, and the mazal receives the bounty from the tzaddik because it is from there that all bounty comes.
וְעַל כֵּן כְּשֶׁהוּא רָחוֹק מֵהַצַּדִּיק, אֲזַי הַמַּזָּל צָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ כֹּחַ גָּדוֹל, כְּדֵי לְקַבֵּל הַהַשְׁפָּעָה מֵהַצַּדִּיק, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהוּא רָחוֹק מִמֶּנּוּ. וְעַל־כֵּן נִמְצָא בָּזֶה חִלּוּקִים רַבִּים, לִפְעָמִים מַגִּיעַ לְאָדָם עֲשִׁירוּת וְהוּא מֵת מִזֶּה וְנִשְׁאָר הָעֲשִׁירוּת לַיּוֹרְשִׁין, וְלִפְעָמִים הוּא מֵת עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה שֶׁמְּקַבֵּל עֲשִׁירוּת וְגַם אוֹבֵד אֶת הָעֲשִׁירוּת, וְכֵן חִלּוּקִים רַבִּים,
Therefore, when someone is distant from the tzaddik, the mazal has to exert great effort in order to receive the bounty from the tzaddik, on account of his being distant from [the tzaddik]. We consequently find many variations in this. Sometimes wealth comes to a person and he dies as a result, the wealth remaining for the heirs. And sometimes, he dies as a result of receiving the wealth, and also loses it. There are many such variations.
וְהוּא כְּמוֹ לְמָשָׁל כְּשֶׁאֶחָד רוֹצֶה לְהַגְבִּיהַּ מַשָּׂא כָּבֵד, וְהוּא מַכְנִיס כָּל כֹּחוֹ לְהַגְבִּיהַּ הַמַּשָּׂא מֵחֲמַת שֶׁכְּבֵדָה מְאֹד, וְלִפְעָמִים מַגְבִּיהַּ הַמַּשָּׂא, אֲבָל מֵחֲמַת גֹּדֶל הַכֹּחַ שֶׁהִכְנִיס בָּזֶה נֶעֶקְרוּ וְנִתְלְשׁוּ מֵעָיו בְּקִרְבּוֹ עַד שֶׁמֵּת מֵחֲמַת זֶה, אֲבָל יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת שֶׁאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן נִשְׁאָר הַמַּשָּׂא בְּיָדוֹ, וְלִפְעָמִים מֵחֲמַת שֶׁנִּתְלָשׁ בְּקִרְבּוֹ נָפַל גַּם הַמַּשָּׂא מִיָּדוֹ, נִמְצָא שֶׁזֶּה מֵת מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהִגְבִּיהַּ הַמַּשָּׂא וְגַם הַמַּשָּׂא לֹא נִשְׁאֲרָה אֶצְלוֹ אֲפִלּוּ לְבָנָיו. כְּמוֹ כֵן בְּהַנַּ"ל, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהַמַּזָּל צָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ כֹּחַ גָּדוֹל כְּדֵי לְקַבֵּל מֵהַצַּדִּיק הַהַשְׁפָּעָה, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהוּא רָחוֹק מִמֶּנּוּ, מֵחֲמַת זֶה יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת כַּמָּה חִלּוּקִים כַּנַּ"ל.
It is analogous to the following: A person wants to lift a heavy load. He exerts all his strength in order to lift the load because it is very heavy. Sometimes he lifts the load, but as a result of the effort that he exerted his innards are wrenched out of place such that he dies. Even so, it is still possible that the load remains in his grasp. Yet sometimes, because of the dislocation inside of him, the load, too, falls from his grasp. Thus it is that he died as a result of lifting the load, and the load as well did not remain with him, even for his children. So, too, in the aforementioned case: since the mazal has to exert itself in order to receive the bounty from the tzaddik—on account of his being distant from him—many variations can result, as explained above.
אֲבָל הַמְקֹרָב לְהַצַּדִּיק, אֲזַי אֵין הַמַּזָּל צָרִיךְ לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ כֹּחַ, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהוּא קָרוֹב אֶצְלוֹ.
However, when someone is close to the tzaddik, then the mazal does not have to exert itself, because the person is close to him.
אֲבָל עִם כָּל זֶה, לִפְעָמִים יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת שֶׁאָדָם יִתְקָרֵב לְהַצַּדִּיק הָאֱמֶת, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אוֹבֵד הָעֲשִׁירוּת. דַּע, כִּי זֶה מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהוּא רוֹאֶה דָּבָר יָקָר גָּבוֹהַּ מְאֹד, וְאַף־עַל־פִּי דְּאִיהוּ לָא חָזֵי מַזְלֵהּ חָזֵי (מגילה ג), וּמֵחֲמַת שֶׁהַמַּזָּל רוֹאֶה דָּבָר יָקָר וְנַעֲלֶה מְאֹד, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מַשְׁלִיךְ הָעֲשִׁירוּת מֵאֶצְלוֹ, כְּמוֹ מִי שֶׁנּוֹשֵׂא מַשָּׂא שֶׁל נְחֹשֶׁת, וְרוֹאֶה זָהָב וַאֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת וִיקָרִים, אֲזַי מַשְׁלִיךְ הַכֹּל וְרָץ וְחוֹטֵף אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הַיְקָרִים, כְּמוֹ כֵן מֵחֲמַת שֶׁנִּתְקָרֵב וְרוֹאֶה יָקָר מִפָּז וּמִפְּנִינִים, אֲזַי מַשְׁלִיךְ הַמַּזָּל הָעֲשִׁירוּת כִּלְאַחַר יָד,
Despite this, it may occasionally happen that a person draws close to the true tzaddik and because of this loses the wealth. Know! this is a result of his having seen something precious [and] very lofty; “and although he might not see, his mazal sees” (Megillah 3a). As a result of the mazal having seen something precious and very lofty, it throws away his wealth. This is similar to someone carrying a load of copper who sees gold and precious jewels. He throws away everything and runs to grab the precious goods. So, too, as a result of his having drawn close and seen [something] more precious than fine gold and pearls, the mazal unceremoniously discards the wealth.
מִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן כְּשֶׁזּוֹכֶה שֶׁיַּרְגִּישׁ גַּם בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁהַהִתְקָרְבוּת לְהַצַּדִּיק הוּא יָקָר מִכָּל הָעֲשִׁירוּת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, אֲזַי בְּוַדַּאי אֵינוֹ מַשְׁגִּיחַ עַל מָמוֹן וְאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה כְּלָל עֲשִׁירוּת:
How much more so, when a person is himself worthy of feeling that closeness to the tzaddik is more precious than all the riches of the world. In that case he pays no attention to money and has no desire whatsoever for wealth.