
The Money Advantage Podcast Money is Spiritual, with Rabbi Daniel Lapin
Mar 6, 2023
01:10:39
Money is often confused, misunderstood, and classified as part of our basic, natural, carnal human nature. But money is spiritual. Understanding, earning, using, managing, and growing money is a part of our lives that is deeply spiritual. Rabbi Lapin knows this and shares his wisdom about money far and wide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdDMBgWHwkg
For more than forty years, Rabbi Daniel Lapin has taught audiences around the world that wealth creation isn’t merely practical, but also moral. His message reframes the way we view money, showing that financial success reflects service, trust, and contribution rather than greed or selfishness. By recognizing that money is spiritual, he encourages people to synchronize their values with their actions, so that prosperity becomes a genuine extension of their overall purpose.
Today, Rabbi Daniel Lapin explains why and how you can improve your finances with this one simple mindset shift. Tune in now to join the conversation!
Table of contentsOn Redistributing WealthMoney Is Spiritual: The Spiritual Attributes of MoneyThe Exception, Not the RuleWhen Should You Teach Children About Money?How Do You Price Your Services?About Rabbi LapinBook A Strategy Call
[3:45] “You’re only a slave to money when you don’t have the money.”
On Redistributing Wealth
[6:48] “The one problem is that we don’t have a successful model anywhere in history to go on. You know, when has this approach to economics actually worked? When and where? Oh, nowhere at no time? Well then, I recommend you be extremely cautious about applying something to the lives of three hundred million people that hasn’t been successfully done anywhere.
That’s one huge problem. The other huge problem is that redistribution or equality is just a really nice word for a really ugly idea, which is taking money away from people who own it. And that’s really a fundamental value of all morality. We really have to decide: Do you or do you not agree with the statement that nobody else has a right to any money that you have made?”
[8:00] “Something that’s really worthwhile [for people to understand] is that the government can only get money by taking it from the people who have made it. The government has no way to create wealth. The government can print money, but that’s just another way of taking it away from productive people; it’s called inflation. And so, no, there is no way for the government to give you money other than taking it away from other people.”
Rabbi Lapin draws a sharp distinction between forced redistribution and spiritual generosity. In his view, wealth shared voluntarily — whether through charity, service, or community giving — retains a moral connection between the giver and the outcome. This bond is broken when wealth is redistributed through coercion, eroding the spiritual principle that you gain by giving value, hinting at the age-old notion that money is the root of all evil.
Giving with purpose is rooted in biblical tradition, where obligation is guided by intent, not guilt. In this context, money is spiritual because it reflects the choices we make, not just in what we earn, but in how we give.
Money Is Spiritual: The Spiritual Attributes of Money
When something is physical, as Rabbi Lapin shares, you can measure it in a lab. It’s real and tangible. When something is spiritual, it’s felt. You cannot measure it in any scientific way. And yet, the effects of spirituality can be observed. While money may have physical uses, it also has spiritual significance because it can transcend physical results.
[16:44] “Each and every one of us can benefit financially by understanding the spiritual implications of what money really is.”
When you give someone cash, there’s a physical connection between the value of the money and the work that went into earning that money. It helps others, like children, understand the true significance of what they have and its spiritual value.
