In the days of the Magid, of blessed memory, there was a wealthy and distinguished man who opposed the Magid’s followers. His followers told him of this man. [The Magid] said they should try to draw this man closer to him, to extend great effort on this, and to pray to God that He assist them. And so they did, until God helped them and they brought him to the Magid, of blessed memory. The man became virtuous and God-fearing, but began losing his possessions.

The Magid said: These two cannot be together in one place—Torah and prominence. For “He who wants to become wise, let him face south; to become wealthy, let him face north” (Bava Batra 25b). We find therefore that when a person wants to become wise, he stands to the south, and so it is impossible for him to become wealthy. This is because when he is in the south, he is not in the north, and wealth is in the north. And the reverse is also true.

The exception to this is if he is on the ultimate level of humility so that he is literally “nothing.” Then, he does not stand on any side. For it is impossible to say of him that he is in the north or in the south, since he is nothing and naught, literally. It is therefore possible for Torah and prominence to be in one place; as for example Moshe Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, and Rabbeinu HaKadosh.