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Wednesday, Menachem Av 6, 5776 / August 10, 2016 - Hakhel year

We are now in the nine day period, which began on Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av and extends until after the fast of Tisha B’Av. These are nine days of mourning for the destruction of the Holy Temples.

There are various customs associated with these nine days, which express our grieving over our great loss. Although it is more than 2,000 years since the destruction of the Temples, we still grieve over them and pray each day for the re-building of the Holy Temple.

One of the mitzvot we try to do more of during these nine days, is the mitzvah of Tzedakah – giving extra charity and helping the needy. Through expressing our care and mercy for others, we pray that G-d will invoke His care and mercy for us.

The Torah commandment for giving charity is expressed with the word, Venatnu - ונתנו– which in Hebrew can be read forward and backward as the same word. Our sages say that this teaches us that when we give charity, it invokes G-d’s blessings which in turn come back to us.

“There is a Yiddish folk proverb which says that a fool gives while a wise person takes. Rabbi Israel of Rushin would say that this proverb can be said about charity. “A person who gives charity and thinks that he is givingis a fool. But a wise person knows that when he gives charity he is really taking. He is getting much more in return.”

A poor man once came to the Rebbe of Riminov and poured out his heart to the Rebbe. He told him of his many troubles and that he was in great need of financial help and that he didn’t even have the money to buy the very basic needs for his large family.

The Rebbe was very touched by the man’s plea and gave him a nice sum of money. After the man left, the Rebbe asked that he be called back. Upon his return, the Rebbe gave him an additional sum of money.

The people who were there asked: “Rebbe, why did you call him back to give him a second donation?”

The Rebbe answered: “When the poor man came the first time and cried to me about all his difficulties, I was very distressed and I gave him money because I couldn’t bear to see his suffering. But then I thought that that was not charity.. It was to help alleviate MYpain and stress.

“I therefore called him back in order to fulfill the mitzvah of Tzedakah for the sake of Tzedakah. the second time I gave him to fulfill the commandment of giving charity.

The true translation of the Hebrew word, “Tzedakah,” is not charity, but “justice.” According to the Torah the act of giving and helping is not a charitable act, but a justact. It is an obligationrather than a mere act of kindness.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY