Our parsha deals with the interpersonal laws that apply between people. For instance, אם כסף תלוה את עמי, when you will lend money to my people. Rashi tells us that normally when the Torah says אם it's translated as “if”, which implies that it's optional; this is one of three places in the Torah where it's translated as “when”, which makes it a requirement.
We know that the highest form of charity is to give someone a loan, for it is better to help someone maintain his dignity by giving a loan during a hard time rather than waiting until the person is totally down and needs a hand out.
There is a posuk in משלי that says צדקה תציל ממות, charity saves from death. The בן איש חי asks how does it work that an inanimate object can save a living being? We see by the קרבנות that they can atone for sins and save a person from punishment; however, they are live animals, so it might be the concept of a soul for a soul. How, though, does it work with money that's inanimate? The יערות דבש explains that when a poor man brings a Korban mincha, he brings a small measure of flour. The midrash says that Hashem looks away from what was supposed to come to Him. Then the midrash continues and says this is what is written, “search Hashem and find Him when He is close, because He will forgive.”
Now, what does the Korban of the poor man have to do with searching out Hashem? יערות דבש explains that if a person becomes weak with great pain, so he can't daven properly, there is one thing he can do to help which is crying out to Hashem. Even a plain cry without heart can still reach the heavenly throne.
This he learns from the poor man's Korban. Despite the absence of a soul in his Korban, Hashem looks away and accepts it anyway because of the plight of the poor man, so, too, by davening, if a person has troubles, and can't bring the complete tefilla, then Hashem will accept even just a cry just as He accepts the poor man's lifeless Korban.
We can apply this concept to money, too. Charity was designed for the poor man, for he needs the inanimate money. The same way Hashem equated the poor man's inanimate Korban to that of a live one, so, too, Hashem does this same kindness with the rich man who gives charity. As far as his inanimate object is concerned, Hashem considers it like something that does have a soul and can stand as redemption for his own soul and save him from death.
There's a powerful story that shows us just how true this is.
A person, who was in charge of free loan fund from which many people benefited, had specific hours every night when he made sure to be there on time to help the people that needed it. One night, he was very busy with a family simcha when he realized he had to leave right then so as not to be late. As he ran out, his family member stopped him and said, “you have to take your clothes so you can change and come straight to the wedding”, but he said, “no, if I wait another minute, I'll be late to open the fund. People need their money. I'll come back later to change”. That night, after closing the fund, he came back home to change. As he was changing, he heard crying coming from the kids’ room. He went in to check what was going on and saw that his niece was burning up with fever with a terrible cough. He called Hatzolah who took her straight to the hospital. Afterwards, it was determined that, had he arrived a few minutes later, it would have been too late. The only reason he was home then was because he didn't want to be late to open the fund. In the merit of distributing charity and free loans, the child was saved!
We know that the highest form of charity is to give someone a loan, for it is better to help someone maintain his dignity by giving a loan during a hard time rather than waiting until the person is totally down and needs a hand out.
There is a posuk in משלי that says צדקה תציל ממות, charity saves from death. The בן איש חי asks how does it work that an inanimate object can save a living being? We see by the קרבנות that they can atone for sins and save a person from punishment; however, they are live animals, so it might be the concept of a soul for a soul. How, though, does it work with money that's inanimate? The יערות דבש explains that when a poor man brings a Korban mincha, he brings a small measure of flour. The midrash says that Hashem looks away from what was supposed to come to Him. Then the midrash continues and says this is what is written, “search Hashem and find Him when He is close, because He will forgive.”
Now, what does the Korban of the poor man have to do with searching out Hashem? יערות דבש explains that if a person becomes weak with great pain, so he can't daven properly, there is one thing he can do to help which is crying out to Hashem. Even a plain cry without heart can still reach the heavenly throne.
This he learns from the poor man's Korban. Despite the absence of a soul in his Korban, Hashem looks away and accepts it anyway because of the plight of the poor man, so, too, by davening, if a person has troubles, and can't bring the complete tefilla, then Hashem will accept even just a cry just as He accepts the poor man's lifeless Korban.
We can apply this concept to money, too. Charity was designed for the poor man, for he needs the inanimate money. The same way Hashem equated the poor man's inanimate Korban to that of a live one, so, too, Hashem does this same kindness with the rich man who gives charity. As far as his inanimate object is concerned, Hashem considers it like something that does have a soul and can stand as redemption for his own soul and save him from death.
There's a powerful story that shows us just how true this is.
A person, who was in charge of free loan fund from which many people benefited, had specific hours every night when he made sure to be there on time to help the people that needed it. One night, he was very busy with a family simcha when he realized he had to leave right then so as not to be late. As he ran out, his family member stopped him and said, “you have to take your clothes so you can change and come straight to the wedding”, but he said, “no, if I wait another minute, I'll be late to open the fund. People need their money. I'll come back later to change”. That night, after closing the fund, he came back home to change. As he was changing, he heard crying coming from the kids’ room. He went in to check what was going on and saw that his niece was burning up with fever with a terrible cough. He called Hatzolah who took her straight to the hospital. Afterwards, it was determined that, had he arrived a few minutes later, it would have been too late. The only reason he was home then was because he didn't want to be late to open the fund. In the merit of distributing charity and free loans, the child was saved!
No comments:
Post a Comment