As it was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer says: If it is stated: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul,” why is it stated: “And with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5)? And if it is stated: “With all your might,” why is it stated: “With all your soul”? One of these statements appears to be superfluous.

תַנְיָא, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: אִם נֶאֱמַר ״בְּכׇל נַפְשְׁךָ״, לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר ״בְּכׇל מְאֹדֶךָ״. וְאִם נֶאֱמַר ״בְּכׇל מְאֹדֶךָ״, לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר ״בְּכׇל נַפְשְׁךָ״?

Rather, it is to tell you that if there is a person whose body is more beloved to him than his property, therefore it is stated: “With all your soul.” The verse teaches that one must be willing to sacrifice his life to sanctify God’s name. And there is a person whose property is more beloved to him than his body, therefore it is stated: “With all your might.” 

 אֶלָּא לוֹמַר לָךְ: אִם יֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁגּוּפוֹ חָבִיב עָלָיו מִמָּמוֹנוֹ — לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר ״בְּכׇל נַפְשְׁךָ״. וְיֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁמָּמוֹנוֹ חָבִיב עָלָיו מִגּוּפוֹ — לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר ״בְּכׇל מְאֹדֶךָ״.

The Gemara mentions two kinds of people. There are some who value their bodies over their wealth, and others who would rather risk death than lose their money. The Torah asks that a person make sacrifices in either direction, depending on which kind of person he is, and what he values most.

I find this Gemara odd in that it seems to treat these two individuals on equal footing, as if to say it like some people like chocolate and others vanilla. But does it make sense? Isn’t it pathological for someone to risk his life for money? The pashut peshat is that, much as we hate to deny it, too many of us do risk our lives or at least our well being for money. 

However, the Levushe Serad in his Arvei Nachal (VaYishlach 1) commentary offers a different chassidishe peshat in this Gemara. He does not ask my question, but he asks a different question:  The verse is in singular language, as if talking to one person, but the simple reading of the Gemara seems to understand the verse as talking to two types of people - the one who values his money over his well-being and the opposite person.

Therefore he reads the Gemara differently but we first need learn certain fundamental ideas from the Arizal. When a person sins, he deposits a part of his soul in that particular physical aspect of the world that he sinned with. Therefore, if he dies without repenting, part of his soul will be imprisoned in that physical aspect. The only way he can become free is when a righteous person utilizes that same physical aspect of the world in service of G-dly matters. Thus even mundane acts of eating and other physical pleasures when done to serve G-d can become elevated. This liberates the trapped aspects of lost souls from the physicality.

This presents a tzaddik with two paths in life. He can operate from an ascetic approach, and deny himself pleasures of this world. It is a safer path but will not liberate his body nor the trapped aspects of others’ souls who invested their soul in sinful physicality. The ultimate tzaddik can partake of the pleasures of this world, in service of G-d, thereby liberating the physical.

This brings us now to a re-reading of the Gemara:

 אֶלָּא לוֹמַר לָךְ

Rather these verses talk to you, the tzaddik 

אִם יֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁגּוּפוֹ חָבִיב עָלָיו מִמָּמוֹנוֹ

There are kinds of people who in their lifetimes who would value their bodies above all

וְיֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁמָּמוֹנוֹ חָבִיב עָלָיו מִגּוּפוֹ

And different kinds of people who in their lifetimes valued their money over all.

Both of these kinds, caused parts of their souls to be invested and trapped in physicality, some in money and others in flesh. Nevertheless they both can be liberated when the tzaddik properly partakes of this world.

That is why the earlier part of the verse, בכל לבבך with ALL your heart is interpreted by Gemara (Berachos 54a) בִּשְׁנֵי יְצָרֶיךָ, בְּיֵצֶר טוֹב וּבְיֵצֶר הָרָע With all your heart” means with your two inclinations, with your good inclination and your evil inclination, both of which must be subjugated to the love of G-d. Meaning, the Tzaddik uses physicality as well as spirituality to serve G-d.

While you might think this is merely a chassidishe vort, actually the Ramchal (whom at least Litvaks would like to be believe learned in Brisk), at the end of Mesilas Yesharim (ch. 26), says pretty much the same thing:

Behold, for the man sanctified with the holiness of his Creator, even his physical deeds become actual matters of holiness. A sign of this is in "the eating of temple offerings", which our sages of blessed memory said: "the priests eat and the owners obtain atonement" (Pesachim 59b).

והנה האיש המתקדש בקדושת בוראו אפילו מעשיו הגשמיים חוזרים להיות ענייני קדושה ממש, וסימניך אכילת קדשים שהיא עצמה מצות עשה, ואמרו ז"ל (פסחים נט ב): כהנים אוכלים ובעלים מתכפרים.

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

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