איוב, פרק כ״ז, פסוק י״ז

The tireless efforts of corrupt individuals to hoard wealth and possessions ultimately amount to nothing. Despite their lifelong pursuit of material gain, the fruits of their labor are destined to end up in the hands of honest people. A corrupt person may gather garments and amass fortunes, but he will not be the one to enjoy them. Instead, a righteous individual will wear the clothing, and an innocent person will receive the accumulated wealth [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This transfer of assets often occurs after the corrupt person dies, ensuring that his inheritance never reaches his children [רמב״ן]. Alternatively, this shift in fortune can happen while the corrupt person is still alive. This serves as a clear demonstration that honest people often achieve greater success, proving that a life of wrongdoing is ultimately pointless [מצודת דוד].

It is God Himself who orchestrates this transfer, taking the wealth and placing it into the hands of the innocent [רש״י]. Once in control of these assets, the innocent person does not simply hoard them as the previous owner did. Instead, he freely distributes and manages the wealth as he sees fit [רלב״ג, מצודת דוד]. There is a profound connection between the type of reward and the character of the person receiving it. A righteous person is someone whose good deeds are visible to the public, which is why he inherits clothing, an item worn externally for all to see. In contrast, an innocent person is someone whose purity is kept hidden and private. Fittingly, he receives the money, an asset that lacks identifiable markings and is easily kept out of sight [מלבי״ם].

A natural question arises regarding how honest people can morally and legally enjoy property that was originally gathered by someone corrupt. One approach explains that the wealth itself undergoes a process of purification. Because the original owners have legally given up hope of retrieving it and the property has changed domains, it becomes completely permitted for the righteous to use [חומת אנך]. Another perspective suggests that the wealth in question was actually gathered by the corrupt person without any direct malice or explicit violation. Because the money itself is not tainted by a specific crime, the righteous and innocent can acquire it and enjoy it with a clear conscience [אלשיך].