Asshalam everyone and welcome to our study of Parashat Bihar. In Parashat Bihar we have different mitzvot, and today I would like to focus about this very famous mitzvah, mitzvat dzdaka, which we will call or translate as charity. But I think during the Shi'ul, during this class, we will find out that perhaps the translation, the English translation for the word tzdaka, needs to change a bit, at least in terms of meaning. So take a look at the Pasuk in Vaikra, in the book of Leviticus, chapter 25, verse 35, it says the following. Which means when your brother's hand, what is Yamuch? He's about to fall. So if I will try to, in a way like almost to describe it, it will, you see someone is about to fall, he is stretching his hand, and you are grabbing his hand and hold his hand. And if it might be a convert or it can be someone who settled in the land and he will live with you. So what does that mean? So first and foremost, before we even start dealing with the commentary of Rashi and Sfono and many others, there is something very interesting in terms of giving tzdaka. There's a question, which is something that I think we all grapple with from time to time. When should I give tzdaka? When I see someone is already in need, he's desperate, he or she are desperate, or when I see it's coming, do I need to wait for someone to basically fall and then to try to pick him aware up and help them financially? Or when they are about to fall, I need to immediately grab them so they don't fall. Now, obviously, there are advantages and disadvantages to every option. So now, when you have this question in mind, let's see Rashi. Rashi, 11th century commentary from France, one of the most famous commentators on Humash and on the Talmud, says the following. Or you should really hold him. But rather strengthen him, empower him, give him financial aid when you see that he is going down. He brings a parable. When you have like a load on a donkey, if this load is on the donkey and it starts tilting, but it's still on the donkey, one person can just what? Can balance it on the donkey and the donkey can go on with the load on him. But if the donkey collapses with the load on him, even five people, it's very hard for them to what to raise that donkey. So Rashi says something very interesting. When you see someone that is struggling financially, he or she made some wrong decisions or just bad luck. Don't wait for them to basically reach a level of bankruptcy. Don't wait for them to become really destitute. Help them out the minute that you see the decline, because then it's easier. It's easier to help them because they still have something. Live alone their dignity, but they still also have some funds so it can help them. Don't wait for them to totally collapse. Because then it will be very hard to raise them up. However, Desfono says something very different than Rashi. Unlike Rashi, that says don't wait for him to fall, but when he shows any signs of a decline from his financial status, go ahead and help him. Now, if you analyze these two parsanoyod, these two commentaries, you see a major divide and a major distinction in a perspective of how to view tzdaka. Is tzdaka is for the people who are destitute, who are already bankrupt, they are already collapsed, and then you help them a bit with the hope that they will be able to raise themselves up and you will help them. Or you don't let them do it. You don't let them fall. You help them in the process and with the intent of stopping the decline. Now, I would say that as I said before, there are advantages and disadvantages to each aspect, but there is something like, for example, the Swono, who says you need to wait for him to basically fall and only then you raise him up. It perhaps because you want him or her to experience and to understand the consequences of their decisions, of their financial decisions, and therefore they need to get really to the to the bottom of the barrel in order to experience poverty and then laat, laat, slowly but surely you can raise them up, but they will always remember the position that they experienced once in their lives when they were so destitute. So they will never get there ever. The disadvantage of what Rashi, for example, says is definitely that you know, if I made a bad decision financially and I didn't collapse yet, and you are basically bailing me out, I didn't learn much. I learned that even if I make a mistake, someone else will pay for it. I was not destitute yet. However, the advantage is if I'm a smart person, but I did a bad decision, someone helps me out, so I don't fall into despair, I don't fall into being a destitute, and you are helping me in my life. So obviously there are advantages and disadvantages, but this is really the core issue of the main question. What is staka? When we say the word charity, it's from a Greek origin, which means it's like some kind of the generosity of your heart. You see someone miscan, you see someone miserable, so you help him out. First and foremost, according to the Torah, it's not about the kindness of your heart. There is a mitzvah, like any other mitzvah, like putting on the filling or to keep the holidays that we mentioned last week. You have a mitzvah to give tzdaka. Listen to the word tzdaka from the word tzedek, which means justice. You have money, you need to give. You are blessed with financial abilities, you need to give to others who were not that fortunate. Because we believe that the money we accumulate, the money we make, it's we definitely are helping it. We are the one to go to work, we are the one to come with an invention, we are the ones who are dedicated to our jobs and we are making money. Yes, it's because of our efforts, but not only. We know that many people can do the same thing. One is very wealthy, and the other one is definitely not wealthy. How come? Because part of it is definitely God's gifts. And therefore, tzdaka, giving tzdaka, it's not just about, oh, I feel bad for him, I will do something nice and kind. You give tzdaka, you do what you are expected to do. So, how you give tzdaka, how do you help a person? So now we have a machloket, we have a dispute between Rashi and Svono. Rashi says, Don't wait for him to fall, don't wait for him to collapse. Help him out on the in the process. Svono says, let him taste what does it mean to be a destitute and then help him out. Okay, now let's see how Chazal, how our sages, really in the 5th century, 6th century, and later on viewed the commandment of Tzdekah. We will not call it charity, we'll just call it tzdaka. The Midrash in Vikra Rabbah says the following. This is the Pasuk from our Pasha. When you see your brother is becoming mahrib, he's becoming a destitute. That's what it says in Proverbs in Mishlei Utet Malve Hashem Chonendal Ugmulo Yeshalem lo. This is a Pasuk from Ishlei that says Malve Hashem Khonendal, which means when you give money to a destitute, in a way you are lending money to God. It says Hashem gives bread for every creature. Baze vehitafeta mitzvah. And this guy comes along and gives tsedaka and he grabs this mitzvah from God. I will explain in a minute. Now let's pause here for a second. And there is definitely an elephant in the room, a theological question with every penny you give for tzedaka. Who gave me you the I would say the schut, the right to give tzdaka to someone who is destitute? If we believe that everything is by God, God takes care of everyone. If God thought that this guy should be destitute and this guy should be healthy, wealthy, by me giving tzedaka to this destitute, he becomes less destitute. I'm intervening in God's decision. A B, even if God does not want him to be destitute, God takes care of him. He gives him whatever he thinks he or she needs to get. And now I come and I give more. In a way, I'm taking away, I'm intervening in God's walk. Who gave me the right answer? Not only that God gave me the right, because this is a way I can imitate God, but he also owes me. He owes me a favor, he's going to pay me for what I did. It's an incredible idea. Not only that mitzvatzdaka is what you need to do, because part of the money we make obviously is with God's help, and without God's help, we will not be able to make that money. So, in a way, it's not ours. Not only that we intervene in God's work, not only that it's considered like we are lending God the money we gave to that person who is destitute, God is going to repay for us and will praise us. This is the idea of tztakka. Understanding that what we do, we are intervening in God's work and God likes it. God wants us to be involved in chesed, in spreading kindness and taking care of other people. Because when you give money to someone else, even though that's what you need to do, you are showing mindfulness, awareness. There are other people that are in desperate needs, and I need to take care of them. So that's one idea. So we have a list of rabbis who said it, he says, without the Tanakh saying that, we will never dare saying it. What is the it? Kivya Darkoshe Loveliot Evedla Malve, Hada Udihtiv ve eved lovele ish malve. This is something uh profound, I would say, amazing, um overwhelming. The Pasukin Mishlei, the verse that I quoted from Proverbs, Malveashem Honendal, means what? That when I gave tsedaka to a poor person, it's like I lended money to God. Now there is another verse in Proverbs which says Evedluve le ish malve, which means if I lend money to someone, this someone has an obligation to me. He owes me, obviously. And in a very extreme way, in Proverbs, this person is described as a servant. Because he owes me money, he feels like he's my servant. Now, take that idea, copy paste it to tzdaka. We basically just said that when I give money to a poor person, as part of my obligation, as part of my responsibility, as part of a mitzvah that I need to do, I'm lending money to God. And now God owes me one. This idea is profound. By giving tzdaka, which I'm obligated to do, because partially, at least partially, it's not really my money, it's God's gift. God creates a setting that when I give tzdaka, in a way God owe me something. And He creates this idea that I need to be mindful of others as part of my obligation, but at the same time, God feels obligated now to me. A third idea is by Rabbi Pinchas. Rabbi Pinchas or Rabbi Pinchas in the name of Rabbi Ruven says, So everyone who gives a dollar, a shekel to a poor person, Hashem also gives him a dollar back. But then the Midrash says, He says, only you think God only gives him money back? No, no, no. When you give money, when you give tzdaka to a poor person, there can be a case that you basically save his life. How come? Hake tzad, how can you say that? Let's say a piece of bread cost ten dollars, and the poor person has only nine dollars. He goes to the baker and says, Oh, look, I have only nine dollars, can I buy bread? He says, No, it costs ten dollars. I you can't. And I come along and I see this poor person, he has only nine dollars. I give him a dollar now. With my additional dollar, he has ten dollars, so he can buy bread. And this guy, this poor person, takes the ten dollars, buys bread, and he didn't eat for two days, and now he eats the bread, and he basically revived his soul. He revived himself. This is all these drashot are incredible. Basically, we all know the statement that tzdaka tatzil mi mavit, that by giving tzdaka you are being saved for death from death. This is the source. If you have a poor person and you give him money, you don't know that maybe your additional amount help that person to buy food, to buy something that really saves his life. And when you do that, you save his or her life when you are about to die, says Rabbi Pinchas in the name of Rabbi Reuven. God will remember it and will keep your nishama with you, which means you will stay alive. Even if we will pause here for just a second, we already see that this incredible idea of tzdaka. Tzdaka calls us for a different perspective on money, on the funds that we accumulate, on the wealth that we create. To understand that it's ours, but it's all God's gift. It's ours, so we should give it to others who don't have, who are not that fortunate. We are not doing something from the kindness of our heart or from the generosity of our hearts. We are doing that because we are obligated. We are obligated not only because it's not only our money, we are obligated because we want to mimic God, we want to imitate God, we want to make sure that we are aware and we are we have mindfulness of other people. They are there for uh they are there and we need to change their status. This is also something very interesting. We are not giving money in order to continue to keep them poor. We are giving them money in order to try to elevate them, to raise them from their positions, to better their lives. When we do it, we give them their nishamah. Think about it. Someone who is poor, who is destitute, who cannot afford anything, and we help him or her, we show that we believe in them. It's much more than just the dollar that you give, it's the way you give it, the way you speak to them, the way you give them. What do you give? How do you give? So for now we created the idea that it's not intervening in God's walk. That's exactly what God wants us to do. And when we do it, God, in a way, is responsible, is obligated to us. And even in a time of death, the mitzvahzdaka, the mitzvah zdhaka is something so precious that God protects us. When you look at the continuation of this midrash, it says the following. As we mentioned in our pancha, the pasuk says if you see that your brother is becoming destitute. That's what it says in Proverbs, another Pasuk from Proverbs Gomel Nafsho ishesid. What does that mean? Gomel Nafsho is a kind person. So the midrash has a very interesting take on it. Hilelazakin, our famous Hilel, when he would basically part ways from his students after they probably studied together, so he went to his home. So he would walk with them. Amrul Talmidav, so his students told him, Rebbe, where are you going? What kind of a mitzvah rabbi are you going to do? We would like to do the same mitzvah. We are your students. To take a shower. To take a shower? That's a mitzvah. Amrulovizo mitzvah says, this is a mitzvah? To take a shower? Amarlahem? He says, yes, this is a mitzvah. He says, sure. Taking a shower it's a mitzvah. How come? He says, look, we all know that at the ancient times there were public bathtubs. When people will all take a shower and take a bath at the same public house, public bathhouse. In those public bathhouses, especially in the Roman time, also in the Greek time, but mostly in the Roman time, they had some kind of features of different scissors or different gods around the bathtub. And Hillel says to his student, look at all those status, all those idols. Someone has a responsibility to wash them, to clean them. And he gets a stipend from the government. And he is considered as someone very important in the government. So me that I was created in the image of God, even more so that I need to wash myself and to be clean and to be presentable. What's going on here in this midrash and how is that exactly connected to the idea of the kiamuha khikha? I think there is a tremendous insight here which defines tzdaka. Many people like to do tzdaka with everyone else. They take care of everyone besides themselves. Besides their family. Sometimes it's much easier to help others rather than to help your own family. What Hillel is trying to teach his students is that you need to take care of yourself as well. Sometimes altruism and overwhelming generosity will make you forget yourself. It's not about being selfish. It's not about being, it's all about me. But in a way, if you don't love yourself, you will not be able to love others. Again, it's not a selfish thing. It's something that you train yourself that, you know, I like this one, I like this one. You know, someone else also likes it. The idea is what Hillal is trying to tell himself is Gomelnaf showish chesed. Sometimes you need to do chesed with yourself. This is, by the way, just as a side note, in halacha in Jewish law, you can't just wake up in the morning and say, okay, no, I'm giving all the money that I have for tzedaka, because then you become destitute. There is the 10%, the ma'asel, there is even you can give 20%, but not more, because you need to take care of yourself. And I think this is the very delicate balance between what do you spend on yourself and your family and what do you give as tzdaka? Everyone in philanthropy can tell you and can discuss the issue of the balance between what we will call needs and tzdaka. And how do you define a need? This is obviously a very large discussion. How do you define zdaka? How do you calculate zdaka? Who determines how much you need to give? How do you give? It's all in Jewish law, there is a tremendous amount of literature about zdaka. But I think what according to this midrash, what Hillal is trying to encourage us to think, it's also about ourselves. How do you care for yourself? Again, not in a selfish way, but in a way that you can also understand the needs of others. And then the midrash continues. Again, a story about Hilel. When he will part ways from his students, again he would walk and they would ask him, Amrulu Talmidav, Rebi Lehana Taolekh Rebi, where are you going? Amalahem Ligmol chesed imhaden ahsanya begobeta. Amrulokhsanya? He says, I'm going to show kindness to this house, which is probably he called his home his wife. So he says, I am going to want to take care of myself, really. And they said to him, What? Every day you have yourself. Why do you need to do anything for yourself? He says, Who knows? Today I'm here, tomorrow maybe, maybe I'm not here. If we will continue on with Hilel, we would think that this is like a very selfish person, but he was definitely not. Hilel himself, by the way, was a destitute, especially at the beginning. Later on, he became wealthy, but he knew exactly what it means to be destitute. The story about Hilel that he didn't have enough money to go into the study hall, so he went on the roof to listen to the Vray Torah, to the words of Torah. Snow came down and covered him. So he knows exactly what it means to be poor, to be destitute. But he also understands the balance between taking care of others and taking care of yourself and even your own physical needs. I think this is something to think about. I think today's shio is a lot of food for thought. We all involved in any shape, way or form with zdaka, with giving. How do we view giving? How do we view, quote unquote, spending money on our on ourselves? How do we create this mindset of giving to others and not to feel bad, quote unquote, of taking care of ourselves and our families? Those are the questions that we need to deal with. Another interpretation? This is another verse from Proverbs that also says something that if you do some kindness with your own with yourself, you are considered as a kind man. This is this is incredible. He basically says, you know what does it mean to be oblivious to your relative and it consider as cruelty? Is that when you have a simcha and you don't invite your relatives, you don't make it contagious. Because you don't want to be poor, you are considered as cruel. Basically, when you make calculation, you know what, I'm not going to invite all my relatives to my simcha. I don't want to waste on their money. Or if they are poor, I don't want them in my simcha, in my happy times, because it's it's it's not nice. That's cruelty. When you feel simcha, when you feel happiness and joy, make it contagious. Invite everyone, share your happiness with others. This is the idea of not only giving sedaka to the poor people and to keep them where they are. You know, sometimes it's easier to write a check or to pay with credit or to do a transfer to someone. I don't want to meet him or her, I don't want to know them. They are poor, they are destitute. Okay, I'm helping them, but I'm here, basically behind this beautiful table, and they are there. Rabbi Alexandri says, You have a happy event, bring them. Because part of helping someone who is destitute is not only just to give him or her some dollars, it's more than that. It's to try to build their self-esteem, it's to try to build their self-confidence, it's to try to tell them you are people like us. Unfortunately, you don't have the same funds, but you are not a less of a person. Because of this thing, because of Hashem can help you and pay you and encourage you and strengthen you. It's like a circle. Because a person who was wealthy can become poor. We understand the reality. Many people do what we do and they are not wealthy. Many people do what we do and they are wealthier than us. We all understand that God plays a tremendous role in determining who is going to be wealthy and who is going to be destitute. And it's up to us to do two things. To give tzdaka, to help the other to be elevated and to keep the money we have. We are doing two things. One of them is totally selfish. By giving tzdaka, we secure that we and the generations to come are going to continue to be wealthy. It's an amazing thing. But we're going to be wealthy not on the expense of someone else. This is the beauty of Judaism. The idea of tzdaka is to elevate someone else, and I am not scared that he is going to go to be maybe even wealthier than me. Because it's not about who is wealthier, it's about doing God's job. Doing God's work. Here we have the Psukim, the Demidrash, sorry, the demidrash are quoted. And now let's learn another midrash. Again, if you see that your brother is becoming mach, he's becoming destitute. Hada udhtiv, another verse from Ishlay, from Proverbs, rash ve ish trachim nivgashu. Rash means a destitute. A person who likes to conspire. Nivgashu, they met. A wealthy person and a poor person met. God makes them all. What does that mean? Rash, what does it mean? Rash, poor person, the rash betorah. Someone who does not have too much knowledge in Torah. The issim, what does it mean? A person of Thachim, someone who learns a bit. So the person who does not know Torah, ask the person who knows Torah, please teach me one chapter. Teach me one Mishnah. And the person who knows Torah taught the other person a chapter or two. Me'ir a neishnahim. Hashem. Interesting. Now this is a different type of giving. This is the or maybe even a very high level of giving. Giving knowledge. It also means knowledge. I learned more than someone else. I teach him. I'm giving even more than money. Because think about it. It took me time and efforts to gain that knowledge, and I'm giving it for to you for free, and now it becomes yours. And if you are talented, you will take the wisdom that I taught you and you can make something incredible out of it. This is what it means according to Demidrash, Rash Vish Trachim Nivgashu, a person who does not know too much Torah, who met someone who knows Torah and he taught him, me ear shnehem eyashem. Hashem will enlighten the eyes of both of them in Torah. However, a maloma anabai meita vumatni taheme matai karivetan im the khvatach. But however, if someone who doesn't know too much Torah comes to someone who knows Torah and says to him, please teach me something. And I tell him, Who are you? What do you think? I will give you the Torah that it's uh uh represented by water. You think I'm going to give you water, I'm going to teach you, I'm going to feed you? No. Hang out with your with your peers who don't know anything. Ma Karibe Ose kulamashem. Don't be arrogant. The fact that you learn Torah, it's wonderful. Yes. You put a lot of efforts in it. You spend a lot of time in it. But don't forget. Without God's, I will say, without God enabling you to understand and to gain that knowledge, you will not be able to do it. So therefore, share it. Now you see how tzdaka is not just limited to money, funds, it's also for knowledge, to impart knowledge. And in a way, I would say it's even a higher level of tzdaka because the wisdom that I gained is mine, it's part of who I am. It's part of my DNA. Money is something more external. It's made to be even easier to give. But my wisdom, I worked on something for a week and then I'm giving it to you in an hour. I'm doing something that I'm basically giving up, something that I gained with tremendous efforts. But that's part of tztaka. And again, why is it? Because the idea of tztaka is to better everyone's situation. Financially, knowledge-based. The idea that you bring people to have a better life. This is the idea of tztaqa. And when you think about it, I'm not going to read the entire um continuation of that midrash, because basically, you know what? Maybe I will just do the last two sentences. The midrash basically says that if the Ashir gave money to the Ani, and the Ani looks at that and says, and the Ashir looks at the money gave to the Ani and he starts saying, Oh, you know why this Ani is spending it on this one and buying this one. Hashem says to him, No, no, no, no, no, don't do it. Don't do it. It's not your money. When you gave money, it's wonderful, but it's not yours to criticize him. The idea of Tzdaka, it's not to control someone else's life. It's not to control what he or she does. It's to help them, it's to elevate them, it's to lift them up so they can stand in an independent way. It's to give them tools to better their lives. And the uniqueness of tzdaka in Judaism, it's don't forget, take care of yourself. That's Hilel. Don't overgive in a way that you become destitute. Give with Ainyafa, with basically trying to understand what is his or her position, what do they need? Ask yourself sometimes to should I give now at the middle of the decline, or should I wait for them to fall and then to elevate them? And then also to help with the good advice, with parting knowledge on someone else, in order for he or she to be able to do it on their own. Tzdaka is not to cement the differences. I'm wealthy, you are poor, I will help you out a bit, so you can stay destitute, I will help you and I will be wealthy. No. Tzdekah is tzedek. You have money, you give, and you give in a way that you try to help the other to better their lives. So they will not be destitute anymore. In money or with knowledge. So now I think we have a better understanding of this beautiful mitzvah of tzka. It's not only about the generosity of your heart, it's much more than that. It's an obligation which is a privilege. When you give, that's probably the highest level of satisfaction. Give it in a way that you know you made this world a better place, and you made others' people's lives much better lives. Thank you.