B"H

Tuesday, Menachem Av 21, 5783 (Hakhel Year) / August 8, 2023

In this week's Parsha, Re'ay, the Torah commands us about the mitzvah of Tzedakah - charity. 

"If there be among you a needy person... you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your needy brother...  because for this the L-rd your G-d will bless you in all your work and in all that you put your hands to."

In essence, all 613 mitzvot are rooted and based on the concept of charity because performing any mitzvah brings positiveness, goodness, and spirituality into this world. The entire world benefits.

According to Maimonides, one should continuously visualize that the scale of good and evil in the world, and in one's life, is perfectly balanced.  By performing even one mitzvah, one tips the scale to the good.  Thus, every mitzvah and good act we do is a performance of charity on a global scale.

In addition to the physical act of giving to charity, we must also perform it with heart and soul.  The Torah states that when helping the needy, "Your heart shall not grieve when you give to him because for this the L-rd your G-d will bless you in all your work."

In fact, our sages say, “More than what the giver does for the poor person, the receiver, does for the giver.” The reward for giving is much greater than what they gave. It’s more than just giving… It’s a great investment.

The Talmud teaches us, "Whoever gives charity to the poor is blessed with six blessings; and whoever speaks to him soothing words is blessed with eleven blessings.  Thus, one who gives charity in a manner that comforts the poor person receives seventeen (6+11) blessings! This has the same numerical value as the Hebrew word, "Tov," which means "good."

"The mitzvot are compared to a candle," Proverbs states.  Our sages explain: "Just  a person can light many candles from one candle without diminishing any of the light from the original candle, so too, through the performance of the mitzvah of giving charity, one's wealth is not diminished. In fact, it is blessed."

Our sages tell us that the mitzvah of giving the tithes to the poor and needy is expressed in this Parsha with the words, "Aser T’Aser" which can also be read as "Aser TeAsher" which means "give tithes and you shall be wealthy."  The Torah tells us that through giving tithes (charity) one will gain wealth.

The Talmud makes the following analogy about charity.  Two sheep were crossing the river.  One was sheared and the other not.  The one full of wool mocked the sheared one for allowing herself to be sheared.  But as they went deeper into the water, its wool absorbed the water, and it drowned. The one who was sheared made it across safely.  So too, says the Talmud, "Whoever gives of their money to charity will make it across safely and be saved in this world and in the World-to-Come. "

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY