Our Gemara on amud Aleph and Beis discusses how we view the obligation to pay a worker’s wages, and how it would affect a betrothal that was done via an agreement for the groom to perform a task as the exchange of an object of value:

תַנְיָא: ״עֲשֵׂה לִי שִׁירִים נְזָמִים וְטַבָּעוֹת, וְאֶקַּדֵּשׁ אֲנִי לָךְ״, כֵּיוָן שֶׁעֲשָׂאָן – מְקוּדֶּשֶׁת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר, וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: אֵינָהּ מְקוּדֶּשֶׁת עַד שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ מָמוֹן לְיָדָהּ.

It is taught in a baraisa: If a woman gave gold to a goldsmith, instructing him: Make bracelets, earrings, and rings for me, and I will be betrothed to you as payment for your work, once he has made them she is betrothed; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis say: She is not betrothed until money enters her possession.

בְּיֶשְׁנָהּ לִשְׂכִירוּת מִתְּחִלָּה וְעַד סוֹף קָמִיפַּלְגִי, מָר סָבַר אֵינָהּ לִשְׂכִירוּת אֶלָּא בַּסּוֹף. וּמָר סָבַר: יֶשְׁנָהּ לִשְׂכִירוּת מִתְּחִלָּה וְעַד סוֹף.

The question is whether or not the obligation to pay a wage is incurred continuously from the beginning of the period he was hired to its end. One Sage, Rabbi Meir, holds that the obligation to pay a wage is incurred only at the end of the labor when he returns the item to her. Since it is at this stage that he forgives the money due him and converts it to money for betrothal, it was never considered a loan. And one Sage, i.e., the Rabbis, holds: The obligation to pay a wage is incurred continuously from the beginning of the period he was hired to its end, at which point the debt is viewed as a loan that has accumulated throughout the period of hire.

Yismach Moshe (Pinchas) uses this idea that wages are only owed at the end to explain a Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 21.). The Midrash says that Hashem affirms that Pinchas is entitled to take his reward. What is the Midrash driving at? Everyone is entitled to take their reward, so what was special about Pinchas? Yismach Moshe explains that really Hashem should give us a reward for mitzvos immediately in this world. After all, it is a Biblical obligation to pay one’s workers on time (Vayikra 19:13). But we cannot complete our work in this world until the end, because as it states in Avos (2:4), “Do not trust yourself (in morality) until the day you die.” Since, we hold that wages are only obligated upon completion, God does not owe us payment in this world.

However, Pinchas was different. Since he strove to merit the people by encouraging them to perform mitzvos, and of course to immediately correct the disgrace of engaging with the Moabite women, he was assured of righteousness all the days of his life. As it states in Avos (5:18):

כָּל הַמְזַכֶּה אֶת הָרַבִּים, אֵין חֵטְא בָּא עַל יָדוֹ. 

Whoever causes the multitudes to be righteous, sin will not occur on his account; 

Therefore, since Pinchas was assured that he would not sin, his work was completed and he deserved his wages immediately.

Yismach Moshe does not spell this out, but if we are to follow his line of reasoning, we too can cash in on Pinchas’ deal. If we help the community perform mitzvos, we will then be assured of continued righteousness. If so, like Pinchas, we should be entitled to obtain our reward in this world as well.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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