Scattering of the Soul: The Invisible Price of Investments and Savings

Asset diversification is considered the golden rule of financial literacy. But the sources reveal the other side of this strategy: the more your assets are spread out, the more "scattered" your soul becomes.

The Rich Man's Insomnia

There is a prayer that mentions the concept of "pizzur ha-nefesh" — the scattering of the soul. When your assets are in every port, every bank, every country, your mind follows them. You wake up at night checking exchange rates. You worry about political stability in the country where your money sits. Each asset is a thread pulling your soul in its direction, and ultimately the soul ends up stretched between dozens of points, not fully belonging to any of them.

The Illusion of Control

The sources remind us: "The more property, the more worries." A simple worker receiving a salary sleeps peacefully because his soul is not scattered. He knows that his sustenance comes from God, and he doesn't need to control dozens of variables. The rich man, trying to control everything, controls nothing — including his own peace of mind. True financial wisdom is not asset diversification but concentration of trust: all eggs in one basket, and that basket is in God's hands.