THE ART OF TEACHING VALUES OF MONEY
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THE ART OF TEACHING VALUES OF MONEY
Every Chanukah, we place a few shining coins into the hands of our children. Some treat it as a sweet custom, a fun family tradition. But beneath the surface lies a profound lesson. If we teach it the right way, Chanukah gelt becomes one of the most powerful tools of education we have.
Money seems so powerful. A person with a lot of it is considered wealthy. A person without it is “poor.” But when you analyze it honestly, money is… nothing. It is not food. It is not clothing. It is not shelter. It cannot keep you warm or nourish your body or raise a family.
So why is it so influential? Because of what it can become. Money sitting untouched in a drawer has no value. Only when it is used, invested, given, transformed, does it matter. Only when it becomes food for the hungry, support for a family, funding for Torah, kindness to another Jew, then the money becomes something real. And that is exactly the message hidden inside Chanukah gelt.
Your child is The Coin. Every child comes into this world with treasures inside them. Some are visible. Most are hidden. The ability to learn. The capacity to love. Sensitivity. Creativity. Curiosity. Strength. Resilience. But raw potential is like a coin in a box: If it’s never used, it never becomes anything.
Potential unused is worthless. Potential invested becomes destiny. When we hand a child a coin on Chanukah, we are giving them a metaphor in their palm: “This is what you are, enormous potential waiting to be used. You don’t “have” greatness… you must use the abilities Hashem gave you until they become something. Unused creativity doesn’t just stay in a “box”. It metastasizes, it turns into grief, rage, judgment, sorrow, shame. When you have unused potential, it will make you feel heavy. It will weigh you down. Warren Buffet said: If you buy things you don’t need, soon you will have to sell things you need. Same is true with potential. Ignore your abilities long enough, and you may reach a point where you need them, but they’re too underdeveloped to help. Every hour spent scrolling or escaping is an hour not invested in building competence. One day you’ll need that competence, professionally, emotionally, spiritually… and it won’t be there. When you spend your best hours on low-value activities, you won’t have the energy or clarity for the opportunities that truly matter.
But why is it only on Chanukah, that we give Chanukah gelt? Why not on Purim, Pesach or Sukkot?
Chanukah is the holiday of light. And light only exists for one reason: Something is burning. You cannot have a flame if you are not consuming oil. You cannot grow without spending energy. You cannot become great without investing effort. You cannot shine unless you are willing to “burn” something … comfort, laziness, self-doubt, excuses. This is why the Chanukah menorah becomes a second metaphor that reinforces the first: The oil is your abilities. The wick is your choices. The flame is what you become when you use your gifts. Whenever you want to shine, you need to combust something.
What is the price of your dreams, and are you willing to pay the price in full, and in advance?
A friend once showed me his wallet. Inside the transparent sleeve was a picture of his family. I asked him, “Why do you have your family picture in your wallet?” He said with a smile: “To remind me why there is no money in my wallet.”
The price to have a happy family, is many times, to make your family more important to you, than your money. When you spend on your kid’s tutors, therapy, camp, and give him what he needs to stay above water, that is the best usage of your money. That is money best spent.
True wealth is measured by what and whom you give your money to. This is the deeper meaning behind giving Chanukah gelt to children. We aren’t giving money so they become materialistic. We give money to our children to teach them the rights and wrongs of money: Money is not for ego, so don’t just amass it for the sake of healing a broken ego. Money is not for comparison, you will never know what is going on, on the other side of the fence. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, usually because it is fake grass. Money is not for selfishness, as you can’t take the money with you, after 120.
So what is money for?
Money is for the people you love. Money is for responsibility. Money is for becoming someone who brings light into the world.
