Charity
Content
GIVING CHARITY IS KNOWN TO EFFECT CHARACTER
CHANGE AND HEALTH OF MIND BODY AND SOUL. BY THE
GIVING OF CHARITY THE HEART IS OPENED TO RECEIVE
DIVINE LIGHT AND WISDOM, AND BE FILLED WITH
THANKFULNESS, KINDNESS & LOVE. AS RABBI NACHMAN
EXPLAINS, THE GREED OF MONEY MELTS BY THE ACT OF
CHARITY. THIS GREED FOR MONEY IS LIKENED TO IDOL
WORSHIP (AS CAN BE SEEN BY THE STATEMENT ''IN
'HASHEM' WE TRUST" ON THE AMERICAN DOLLAR – IN THE
'HASHEM' OF MONEY- THE IDOL THAT PEOPLE WORSHIP
OVER VALUES OF FAMILY LOVE, CHARITY AND SOCIAL AND
PHYSICAL HEALTH). SO RABBI NACHMAN EXPLAINS TO US
THAT THE ACTUAL GIVING OF CHARITY IS THE HAMMER
THAT SHATTERS THIS IDOL WITH OUR HEARTS, AND WE
MUST BREAK THE VISCIOUS CYCLE OF MISERLINESS THAT
PREVENTS US GIVING TO OTHERS WHILE DESTROYING
OUR HEART AND SOUL.
THE GREAT SAGE 'HA-ADMOR HAZAKEN'
(RABBI SCHNEUR ZALMA OF LEIDI) EXPLAINS IN HIS
MASTERPIECE THE HOLY 'TANYA' THAT GIVING CHARITY
DRAWS DIVINE LIGHT WHICH CLOTHES THE BODILY SOUL
AND PENETRATES THE BODY TO CAUSE HEALING AND
PURIFICATION. THE ORGANS INVOLVED IN GIVING THE
CHARITY, RECEIVE THE LIGHT (THE HAND THAT GIVES AND
THE FEET THAT WALK TO THE BEGGER), AND EVEN
GREATER THAN THIS, ALL THE ORGANS THAT WERE USED
TO WORK TO MAKE THE MONEY THAT IS GIVEN TO
CHARITY ALSO RECEIVE LIGHT, FOR THEY TOO ARE
INVOLVED IN THE GIVING. THIS IS GREAT DIVINE WISDOM
THAT WERE REVEALED TO US, IN ORDER THAT WE KNOW
HOW IMPORTANT THIS MITZVA IS. WE ARE ADVISED TO
NEVER TURN AWAY A BEGGING HAND (IF WE CAN AFFORD
TO) AND IT IS KNOWN:
"THE HOUSE THAT IS CLOSED TO THE
BEGGER IS OPEN TO THE DOCTOR."
OF COURSE IT IS STATED BY THE RIGHTEOUS KIND
SHLOMO (SOLOMON) THE WISEST OF ALL MEN:
":ממוות
"צדקה תציל
)(משלי
"CHARITY WILL SAVE FROM DEATH." (MISHLEI)
OF COURSE THIS IS ALSO REFERRING TO SPIRITUAL
DEATH, FOR MISERLINESS AND GREED IS THE
GREATEST SPIRITUAL CHOLESTEROL AND IS MORE
DANGEROUS FOR THE HEART THAN ANY FOOD OR
CIGARETTES. ON THE CONTRARY- CHARITY, GIVING
WITH A WHOLE HEART IS A GREAT HEALING PRACTICE,
MORE SO THAN MANY FORMS OF 'HEALTH PROGRAMS.'
AND FURTHER SHLOMO HAMELECH TELLS US:
"מלוה ה' חונן דל וגמלו
)'" (משלי יט:ישלם לו
"HE WHO LOANS TO HASHEM (TO HASHEM'S
CREATIONS), THAT HE GIVES TO THE
DESTITUTE, HE WILL BE RECOMPENSATED
(BACK: FOR HIS CHARITY). " (MISHLEI 19)
RASHI, THE HOLY COMMENTATOR OF THE ANCIENT
TEXTS EXPLAINS THERE A VERY VITAL EXPLANATION:
"WHEN HE WHO GAVE CHARITY WILL BE SICK AND WILL
BE CLOSE TO DEATH, HIS CHARITY (THAT HE DID WITH
THE POOR) WILL COME AND TESTIFY INFRONT OF THE
(HEAVENLY) JUDGEMENT AND SAYS 'THE SOUL OF THE
DESTITUTE WAS SUFFERING AND ABOUT TO LEAVE HIM
DUE TO HIS HUNGER, AND THIS PERSON SUSTAINED IT
(WITH HIS CHARITY) AND RETURNED IT (THE
DESTITUTE'S SOUL) TO ITS BODY, SO WILL I (SAYS HIS
CHARITY) – SO WILL I RETURN HIS SOUL TO HIM! (TO
THE PERSON WHO IS HIS DEATH BED! " AMAZING
AND MISHLEI ALSO EXPLAINS TO US:
)(משלי
":"בחסד ואמת יכופר עון
"WITH KINDNESS AND TRUTH SIN SHALL BE
ATONED." (MISHLEI)
SO AFTER WE EXPLAINED THE CORRELATION
BETWEEN SUFFERING AND SIN, WE CAN SEE HOW
CHARITY SAVES FROM DEATH AND RELIEVES
SUFFERING, IN ITS ATONEMENT FOR SIN. ATONEMENT
FOR SIN LEADS TO REMOVAL OF SUFFERING.
NOW LET US EXPLORE THE MEANING OF THE WORD
'TZEDDAKA'. TZEDDAKA IS THE HEBREW WORD FOR
CHARITY. HOWEVER THE WORD TZEDDAKA MEANS
MORE THAN JUST GIVING TO THE NEEDY. THE WORD
TZEDDAKA STEMS FROM THE WORD 'TZEDDEK.' THE
WORD 'TZEDDEK' MEANS JUSTICE, OR
RIGHTEOUSNESS. FROM THIS WE KNOW THAT THE ACT
OF GIVING TO THE POOR IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF
THE PATH TO BECOMING RIGHTEOUS. THE ASPECT OF
JUSTICE THAT IS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF
GIVING CHARITY MUST BE CLEARLY EXPLAINED. IN
JEWISH LAW WE ARE COMMANDED, TO DO JUSTICE IN
THE WORLD, BY GIVING A TENTH (10%) OF OUR
EARNINGS (AFTER TAX) TO CHARITY AND UP TO 20% (IF
ONE CAN AFFORD IT. THIS IS TO DO JUSTICE. WE ARE
THE CHANNELS CHOSEN FOR THIS ABUNDANCE TO
COME TO THE WORLD IN ORDER TO GIVE IT TO THOSE
WHO NEED IT. WE ARE CHOSEN TO HAVE THE MERIT
TO BESTOW 'CHESED' (KINDNESS) ON OTHERS.
KABBALLA EXPLAINS THAT DIVINE LIGHT IS CLOTHED IN
THE FORM OF CHESED- KINDNESS- AND THE MONEY IS
A PHYSICAL MANIFISTATION OF THIS DIVINE KINDNESS.
WE ARE THEREFORE CHANNELS FOR DIVINE LIGHT,
WHICH FLOWS THROUGH US AND TO THOSE WHO
NEED IT- THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF THE MONEY. IN
THIS WE ARE HEALING OURSELVES BY HAVING THIS
DIVINE LIGHT FLOW THROUGH US (IN THE FORM OF
MONEY) AND THIS CAUSES HEALING OF BODY MIND
AND SOUL. FOR THIS REASON WE RECEIVED IT!
BECAUSE WE NEED THE HEALING AND HASHEM HAS
GIVEN US THE METHOD BY WHICH TO HEAL- BY GIVING
THIS PORTION (AND MORE IF WE CAN) TO THE NEEDY.
IT IS ACTUALLY TAUGHT BY THE SAGES:
"MORE THAN THE RICH PERSON GIVES TO THE
POOR THE POOR GIVES TO THE RICH."
IN OTHER WORDS, REALLY THE POOR WHO IS TAKING
THE MONEY IS ACTUALLY GIVING TO THE RICH, GIVING
MERITS AND CAUSING HEALTH – SPIRITUAL AND
PHYSICAL.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT REALLY, THIS
MONEY IS NOT OURS. HASHEM SAYS 'I AM GIVING YOU
A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY AS YOUR INCOME, YET
10% OF IT IS NOT YOURS, AND YOU MUST PASS IT ON
TO THOSE WHO NEED IT." THAT IS THE CONDITION. IF
ONE DOES NOT FULFILL THEIR OBLIGATION BY GIVING
10% OF THEIR INCOME TO CHARITABLE CAUSES ONE IS
STEALING FROM HASHEM. ONE IS TAKING WHAT IS NOT
THEIRS. FOR THIS 10% IS NOT OUR MONEY. IN THIS
WAY, HASHEM FORBID, BLOCKAGES OCCUR IN THE
SPIRITUAL FLOW, THAT TRANSLATE TO BLOCKAGES IN
PHYSICAL HEALTH AND DISEASE MANIFESTS.
REMEMBER :
"THE HOUSE THAT IS CLOSED TO THE
BEGGER IS OPEN TO THE DOCTOR!"
ASIDE FROM FULFILLING THIS LAW THAT WAS DIVINELY
SET IN ORDER TO BRING JUSTICE AND PEACE IN THE
WORLD AND HEAL OUR SOULS AND BODIES, THE
GIVING IS ACTUALLY A JOYOUS PROCESS AND IF ONE
IS SENSITIVE ONE CAN FEEL THE HEART OPENING IN
THANKFULNESS FOR LIFE AND TO HASHEM, AND LOVE
FOR HASHEM AND HIS CREATIONS.
THERE ARE MANY WORTHWHILE CAUSES TO DONATE
TO. THE RIGHTEOUS…THE POOR, AND THE ILL
NEEDING HEALING.
IN ADDITION TO GIVING THE REGULAR DONATIONS, WE
SHOULD UNDERSTAND AND ALWAYS BE AWARE, THAT
WHEN WE ARE APPROACHED, AS DISCUSSED EARLIER
IN THE SECTION OF HASHGACHA PRATIT, DIVINE
PROVIDENCE, WE SHOULD SEE THAT THE PERSON
APPROACHING US WITH A REQUEST, WHETHER A
POOR PERSON IN THE STREET OR TO OUR DOOR, OR A
FRIEND WANTING A LOAN- THEY ARE ALL MESSENGERS
FROM HEAVEN TO HELP THEM RID OURSELVES OF THE
MONEY, AND HARSH JUDGEMENTS ALONG WITH IT,
OPEN OUR HEART FURTHER AND HELP IN OUR
SPIRITUAL ADVANCEMENT. THIS GIVING WILL SURELY
WORK SOME SORT OF HEALING AND SALVATION THAT
WE NEED RIGHT NOW ON SOME LEVEL. THIS IS WHY
THIS AGENT OF HASHEM'S CAME AS THIS TIME, AND WE
SHOULD GIVE TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES WITH A
WHOLE HART, A SMILE AND A BLESSING. IN ADDITION
TO THIS, IT IS GOOD PRACTICE TO ALWAYS HAVE SOME
COINS IN THE POCKET TO GIVE TO AN OUTSTRETCHED
HAND IN NEED ALONG OUR TRAVELS. RABBE SHIMON
THE TZADDIK SAYS THAT THE DOING OF KINDNESS IS
ONE OF THE THREE PILLARS OF THE WORLD. HELP
STRENGTHEN THEM, BY GIVING WHOLEHEARTEDLY &
WITH LOVE.
CHANGE AND HEALTH OF MIND BODY AND SOUL. BY THE
GIVING OF CHARITY THE HEART IS OPENED TO RECEIVE
DIVINE LIGHT AND WISDOM, AND BE FILLED WITH
THANKFULNESS, KINDNESS & LOVE. AS RABBI NACHMAN
EXPLAINS, THE GREED OF MONEY MELTS BY THE ACT OF
CHARITY. THIS GREED FOR MONEY IS LIKENED TO IDOL
WORSHIP (AS CAN BE SEEN BY THE STATEMENT ''IN
'HASHEM' WE TRUST" ON THE AMERICAN DOLLAR – IN THE
'HASHEM' OF MONEY- THE IDOL THAT PEOPLE WORSHIP
OVER VALUES OF FAMILY LOVE, CHARITY AND SOCIAL AND
PHYSICAL HEALTH). SO RABBI NACHMAN EXPLAINS TO US
THAT THE ACTUAL GIVING OF CHARITY IS THE HAMMER
THAT SHATTERS THIS IDOL WITH OUR HEARTS, AND WE
MUST BREAK THE VISCIOUS CYCLE OF MISERLINESS THAT
PREVENTS US GIVING TO OTHERS WHILE DESTROYING
OUR HEART AND SOUL.
THE GREAT SAGE 'HA-ADMOR HAZAKEN'
(RABBI SCHNEUR ZALMA OF LEIDI) EXPLAINS IN HIS
MASTERPIECE THE HOLY 'TANYA' THAT GIVING CHARITY
DRAWS DIVINE LIGHT WHICH CLOTHES THE BODILY SOUL
AND PENETRATES THE BODY TO CAUSE HEALING AND
PURIFICATION. THE ORGANS INVOLVED IN GIVING THE
CHARITY, RECEIVE THE LIGHT (THE HAND THAT GIVES AND
THE FEET THAT WALK TO THE BEGGER), AND EVEN
GREATER THAN THIS, ALL THE ORGANS THAT WERE USED
TO WORK TO MAKE THE MONEY THAT IS GIVEN TO
CHARITY ALSO RECEIVE LIGHT, FOR THEY TOO ARE
INVOLVED IN THE GIVING. THIS IS GREAT DIVINE WISDOM
THAT WERE REVEALED TO US, IN ORDER THAT WE KNOW
HOW IMPORTANT THIS MITZVA IS. WE ARE ADVISED TO
NEVER TURN AWAY A BEGGING HAND (IF WE CAN AFFORD
TO) AND IT IS KNOWN:
"THE HOUSE THAT IS CLOSED TO THE
BEGGER IS OPEN TO THE DOCTOR."
OF COURSE IT IS STATED BY THE RIGHTEOUS KIND
SHLOMO (SOLOMON) THE WISEST OF ALL MEN:
":ממוות
"צדקה תציל
)(משלי
"CHARITY WILL SAVE FROM DEATH." (MISHLEI)
OF COURSE THIS IS ALSO REFERRING TO SPIRITUAL
DEATH, FOR MISERLINESS AND GREED IS THE
GREATEST SPIRITUAL CHOLESTEROL AND IS MORE
DANGEROUS FOR THE HEART THAN ANY FOOD OR
CIGARETTES. ON THE CONTRARY- CHARITY, GIVING
WITH A WHOLE HEART IS A GREAT HEALING PRACTICE,
MORE SO THAN MANY FORMS OF 'HEALTH PROGRAMS.'
AND FURTHER SHLOMO HAMELECH TELLS US:
"מלוה ה' חונן דל וגמלו
)'" (משלי יט:ישלם לו
"HE WHO LOANS TO HASHEM (TO HASHEM'S
CREATIONS), THAT HE GIVES TO THE
DESTITUTE, HE WILL BE RECOMPENSATED
(BACK: FOR HIS CHARITY). " (MISHLEI 19)
RASHI, THE HOLY COMMENTATOR OF THE ANCIENT
TEXTS EXPLAINS THERE A VERY VITAL EXPLANATION:
"WHEN HE WHO GAVE CHARITY WILL BE SICK AND WILL
BE CLOSE TO DEATH, HIS CHARITY (THAT HE DID WITH
THE POOR) WILL COME AND TESTIFY INFRONT OF THE
(HEAVENLY) JUDGEMENT AND SAYS 'THE SOUL OF THE
DESTITUTE WAS SUFFERING AND ABOUT TO LEAVE HIM
DUE TO HIS HUNGER, AND THIS PERSON SUSTAINED IT
(WITH HIS CHARITY) AND RETURNED IT (THE
DESTITUTE'S SOUL) TO ITS BODY, SO WILL I (SAYS HIS
CHARITY) – SO WILL I RETURN HIS SOUL TO HIM! (TO
THE PERSON WHO IS HIS DEATH BED! " AMAZING
AND MISHLEI ALSO EXPLAINS TO US:
)(משלי
":"בחסד ואמת יכופר עון
"WITH KINDNESS AND TRUTH SIN SHALL BE
ATONED." (MISHLEI)
SO AFTER WE EXPLAINED THE CORRELATION
BETWEEN SUFFERING AND SIN, WE CAN SEE HOW
CHARITY SAVES FROM DEATH AND RELIEVES
SUFFERING, IN ITS ATONEMENT FOR SIN. ATONEMENT
FOR SIN LEADS TO REMOVAL OF SUFFERING.
NOW LET US EXPLORE THE MEANING OF THE WORD
'TZEDDAKA'. TZEDDAKA IS THE HEBREW WORD FOR
CHARITY. HOWEVER THE WORD TZEDDAKA MEANS
MORE THAN JUST GIVING TO THE NEEDY. THE WORD
TZEDDAKA STEMS FROM THE WORD 'TZEDDEK.' THE
WORD 'TZEDDEK' MEANS JUSTICE, OR
RIGHTEOUSNESS. FROM THIS WE KNOW THAT THE ACT
OF GIVING TO THE POOR IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF
THE PATH TO BECOMING RIGHTEOUS. THE ASPECT OF
JUSTICE THAT IS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS OF
GIVING CHARITY MUST BE CLEARLY EXPLAINED. IN
JEWISH LAW WE ARE COMMANDED, TO DO JUSTICE IN
THE WORLD, BY GIVING A TENTH (10%) OF OUR
EARNINGS (AFTER TAX) TO CHARITY AND UP TO 20% (IF
ONE CAN AFFORD IT. THIS IS TO DO JUSTICE. WE ARE
THE CHANNELS CHOSEN FOR THIS ABUNDANCE TO
COME TO THE WORLD IN ORDER TO GIVE IT TO THOSE
WHO NEED IT. WE ARE CHOSEN TO HAVE THE MERIT
TO BESTOW 'CHESED' (KINDNESS) ON OTHERS.
KABBALLA EXPLAINS THAT DIVINE LIGHT IS CLOTHED IN
THE FORM OF CHESED- KINDNESS- AND THE MONEY IS
A PHYSICAL MANIFISTATION OF THIS DIVINE KINDNESS.
WE ARE THEREFORE CHANNELS FOR DIVINE LIGHT,
WHICH FLOWS THROUGH US AND TO THOSE WHO
NEED IT- THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF THE MONEY. IN
THIS WE ARE HEALING OURSELVES BY HAVING THIS
DIVINE LIGHT FLOW THROUGH US (IN THE FORM OF
MONEY) AND THIS CAUSES HEALING OF BODY MIND
AND SOUL. FOR THIS REASON WE RECEIVED IT!
BECAUSE WE NEED THE HEALING AND HASHEM HAS
GIVEN US THE METHOD BY WHICH TO HEAL- BY GIVING
THIS PORTION (AND MORE IF WE CAN) TO THE NEEDY.
IT IS ACTUALLY TAUGHT BY THE SAGES:
"MORE THAN THE RICH PERSON GIVES TO THE
POOR THE POOR GIVES TO THE RICH."
IN OTHER WORDS, REALLY THE POOR WHO IS TAKING
THE MONEY IS ACTUALLY GIVING TO THE RICH, GIVING
MERITS AND CAUSING HEALTH – SPIRITUAL AND
PHYSICAL.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT REALLY, THIS
MONEY IS NOT OURS. HASHEM SAYS 'I AM GIVING YOU
A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY AS YOUR INCOME, YET
10% OF IT IS NOT YOURS, AND YOU MUST PASS IT ON
TO THOSE WHO NEED IT." THAT IS THE CONDITION. IF
ONE DOES NOT FULFILL THEIR OBLIGATION BY GIVING
10% OF THEIR INCOME TO CHARITABLE CAUSES ONE IS
STEALING FROM HASHEM. ONE IS TAKING WHAT IS NOT
THEIRS. FOR THIS 10% IS NOT OUR MONEY. IN THIS
WAY, HASHEM FORBID, BLOCKAGES OCCUR IN THE
SPIRITUAL FLOW, THAT TRANSLATE TO BLOCKAGES IN
PHYSICAL HEALTH AND DISEASE MANIFESTS.
REMEMBER :
"THE HOUSE THAT IS CLOSED TO THE
BEGGER IS OPEN TO THE DOCTOR!"
ASIDE FROM FULFILLING THIS LAW THAT WAS DIVINELY
SET IN ORDER TO BRING JUSTICE AND PEACE IN THE
WORLD AND HEAL OUR SOULS AND BODIES, THE
GIVING IS ACTUALLY A JOYOUS PROCESS AND IF ONE
IS SENSITIVE ONE CAN FEEL THE HEART OPENING IN
THANKFULNESS FOR LIFE AND TO HASHEM, AND LOVE
FOR HASHEM AND HIS CREATIONS.
THERE ARE MANY WORTHWHILE CAUSES TO DONATE
TO. THE RIGHTEOUS…THE POOR, AND THE ILL
NEEDING HEALING.
IN ADDITION TO GIVING THE REGULAR DONATIONS, WE
SHOULD UNDERSTAND AND ALWAYS BE AWARE, THAT
WHEN WE ARE APPROACHED, AS DISCUSSED EARLIER
IN THE SECTION OF HASHGACHA PRATIT, DIVINE
PROVIDENCE, WE SHOULD SEE THAT THE PERSON
APPROACHING US WITH A REQUEST, WHETHER A
POOR PERSON IN THE STREET OR TO OUR DOOR, OR A
FRIEND WANTING A LOAN- THEY ARE ALL MESSENGERS
FROM HEAVEN TO HELP THEM RID OURSELVES OF THE
MONEY, AND HARSH JUDGEMENTS ALONG WITH IT,
OPEN OUR HEART FURTHER AND HELP IN OUR
SPIRITUAL ADVANCEMENT. THIS GIVING WILL SURELY
WORK SOME SORT OF HEALING AND SALVATION THAT
WE NEED RIGHT NOW ON SOME LEVEL. THIS IS WHY
THIS AGENT OF HASHEM'S CAME AS THIS TIME, AND WE
SHOULD GIVE TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES WITH A
WHOLE HART, A SMILE AND A BLESSING. IN ADDITION
TO THIS, IT IS GOOD PRACTICE TO ALWAYS HAVE SOME
COINS IN THE POCKET TO GIVE TO AN OUTSTRETCHED
HAND IN NEED ALONG OUR TRAVELS. RABBE SHIMON
THE TZADDIK SAYS THAT THE DOING OF KINDNESS IS
ONE OF THE THREE PILLARS OF THE WORLD. HELP
STRENGTHEN THEM, BY GIVING WHOLEHEARTEDLY &
WITH LOVE.
