B"H
Thursday, Shevat 25, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / February 16, 2023
One of the many mitzvot in this week’s Parsha, Mishpatim, is the mitzvah of Tzedakah, to help those in need. If one is limited in their means, there are preferences in this mitzvah. Helping another Jew comes first. Helping a relative in need takes preference to helping a stranger. Helping someone who lives in your city takes preference over someone in another city.
Tzedakah and acts of kindness can be performed in many different ways. One can be charitable by giving money to someone in need. Tzedakah can also be in the form of Gemilas Chasadim - lendingmoney to someone who is in need now, but who will eventually be able to pay it back. Helping someone in a spiritual way, such as teaching Torah, giving proper direction and good advice is also a form of tzedakah-charity.
Rabbi Asi said, “Charity equals in importance as all other mitzvot combined.” (Tractate Baba Batra 9a).
Rabbi Eliezer said, “Greater is the one who does charity than he who offers all the sacrifices, for it is said, ‘To do charity and justice is more acceptable to G-d than sacrifices’” (Tractate Sukah 49b).
Rabbi Yehuda said, “Ten strong things have been created in the world. The rock [mountain] is hard, but iron splits it. Iron is hard, but fire softens it. Fire is powerful, but water quenches it. Water is heavy but the clouds carry it. Clouds are thick, but winds scatter them. The wind is strong, but the body resists it. The body is strong, but fear crushes it. Fear is powerful, but wine banishes it. Wine is strong, but sleep works it off. Death is stronger than all, yet, it is written, “Charity delivers from death!” (Tractate Baba Batra 10a).
The Talmud tells the following tale: Once two pupils of Rabbi Chanina went into the forest to cut wood. An astrologer saw the two disciples enter the forest and remarked, "I see that these two men will not return alive!
As they were about to enter the forest, an old man encountered them and said, "Please give me some food, it is three days since I had anything to eat."
The two disciples had with them one loaf of bread, so they broke it in half and gave half to the old man. After he finished eating, he blessed them and said, "Just as you saved my life today, so may your lives be spared." At the end of the day, the two disciples came out of the forest with their load of wood.
Seeing the two pupils alive and well, the people said to the astrologer, "Didn’t you predict that they wouldn't return alive? You’re a liar!”
The astrologer was puzzled. He called the two disciples over to him and said, "May I examine the bundles which you are carrying?” They agreed. Taking their bundles apart, the astrologer found a poisonous snake, cut in half; half in one bundle and the other half in the other bundle.
Turning to them, he asked, "What good deed did you do today that saved your lives?" The two disciples told him about the starving old man and how they saved his life with their half loaf of bread.
"That saved your life," exclaimed the astrologer. "What can I do if the G-d of the Jews can be appeased with half a loaf of bread?!"
Helping one in need may be helping ourselves and more to our benefit than the person we think we are helping!
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY