משלי, פרק ל׳, פסוק ז׳

Transitioning from general observation to a deeply personal prayer, a wise individual turns directly to God to present two fundamental requests meant to shape both his physical and spiritual life. These are not sudden desires, but ongoing pleas that he has asked for in the past and continues to seek [עמנואל הרומי, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. At their core, these requests revolve around staying far from falsehood and finding a perfect balance between poverty and wealth.

The urgency of the prayer peaks as he begs God not to deny him these things before his death. The most straightforward understanding is a request for lifelong consistency. He asks that these balanced conditions remain with him for his entire life [מצודת דוד], recognizing that this physical world is the only place where a person can achieve true perfection and gather spiritual accomplishments [רלב״ג]. Another perspective views this plea as an expression of a desperate need. The speaker feels so strongly about these conditions that he is essentially declaring he would rather die than live without them [עמנואל הרומי].

Other commentators understand the danger of death in a purely spiritual sense. The speaker is pleading with God to save him before his soul perishes. The extremes of wealth and poverty carry severe temptations that can easily lead a person toward sin, arrogance, or a complete loss of faith. Since a person consumed by sin is considered dead even while physically alive, he begs for protection from these extremes [אלשיך].

This spiritual danger also extends to matters of faith. A spiritual death can result from being lured into false philosophies and empty investigations [מלבי״ם]. Therefore, the prayer includes a request for a genuine, grounded understanding of God built on solid tradition and clear evidence. He actively seeks to distance himself from the perceived wealth of excessive intellectual probing, which ultimately offers no real truth and only brings exhaustion and burden to the soul [אמרי דעת].