As we enter the final phase of the days of judgment, we look to generate the best possible outcome for ourselves and our loved ones. To be blessed with a year of health, nachat, prosperity and SHALOM in our homes, in our communities and in our holy land of Israel.
One the most stirring prayers of Yom Kippur is Unetaneh Tokef in which we spell out
On Rosh Hashanah they are inscribed, and on the fast day of Yom Kippur they are sealed: How many shall pass away and how many shall be born; who shall live and who shall die;
Then it finished off with a heartfelt cry, which will be echoed by hundreds of thousands of Jews around the world crying out:
‘TESHUVA, PRAYER and TZEDAKAH avert any negativity that may be looming’.
Here are some thoughts regarding tzedakah.
The story took place in Teheran before the Islamist revolution. The Jewish community was vibrant, stable with many who were affluent.
The elders of the community would make their rounds of the well-to-do members of their community whenever there was a need for charity.
One donor stood out. Rather than treat the collectors as a necessary ‘nuisance’, he seemed genuinely happy about their visit. He would always greet the solicitors with much warmth, sit them down for a cup of tea, and give a very substantial amount with great joy.
He shared with the tzedakah collectors why he was so welcoming and happy.
‘There was a time when my business failed and although I wanted to participate in the communal collections, I couldn’t afford it. I prayed that I would be able to earn enough to once again merit to be on the list of those visited for tzedakah.
Now that I am back in the position of donating, I am grateful to the Almighty for His blessings, and I relish and appreciate that I can once more be on the list of those solicited for tzedakah.
Please always make sure to call on me for any collection that you are making.
Whenever I get a tzedakah request I am reminded to be grateful to Almighty G-d for blessing me with the gift of being on the giving side. I never want to take that for granted.’
My friend Mr. Abtin Etessami of blessed memory told me this story many times as he graciously and generously accompanied me to solicit the NY Mashhadi community to collect tzedakah for the Passover seders for travelers in Thailand. I must say that I experienced this same approach with all the people that we visited.
The story says so much about what a healthy attitude and approach to tzedakah looks like and feels like.
It is an approach that we ought to laud, highlight and share.
In traditional Jewish homes, a Jewish child starts his relationship with money by putting coins in a tzedakah box.
I will say something bold – sourced in the Torah – every single Jew is charitable by default.
While not everyone has been so fortunate to imbibe the incredible power and pleasure of tzedakah from their childhood, I believe that with some education, everyone can come around to being more positive about tzedakah (even if the multiple requests that come by mail and email may seem like a bit of a nuisance at times).
Let us understand the basic concept of tzedakah. The actual word tzedakah would be best translated as ‘righteousness’ rather than ‘charity’.
(Click here for the Rebbe’s approach to the word tzedakah. Don’t give charity. Balance the universe. Give tzedakah ).
It is the ‘fair’, proper and rightful thing to do.
Hashem has deposited with the rich person the portion that is allocated to the poor person.
G-d has made his world in a way that the distribution of wealth is uneven and unequal.
Some have multiple times more than they need and some don’t have enough to subsist.
This is because Hashem gives us the ability to partner with him in acts of kindness.
By depositing the needs of the recipient in the coffers of the giver, Hashem is allowing for the great cosmic ‘give and take’ which is what life is all about.
This allows the giver to earn the great merit of giving.
Our Sages go as far as to say ‘more than the giver does kindness with the receiver, the receiver does a favor to the giver by being the conduit through which the giver gets the incredible merit of giving’.
Once you get the inner story and see the bigger picture, tzedakah becomes so much more meaningful and enjoyable.
You are G-d’s trusted banker here on earth. What an honor!
Yet even for those familiar with tzedakah it doesn’t necessarily come instinctively.
Giving is a trait that needs to be nurtured.
It is tempting to keep more for oneself. Giving to someone else is always somewhat of a sacrifice.
(One should preferably give tzedakah to the point where it requires effort).
That is why it is one of the most central mitzvahs.
Because you are taking money you worked hard for, and that you could acquire things for yourself and instead you are giving it away to others. Click here for more.
My mission in life as the Rebbe’s Shliach to Thailand is to help Jews nurture their relationship with Hashem, with His Torah and Mitzvahs and in any other way possible.
One of those super important mitzvahs is tzedakah.
I consider it my privilege to have many conversations with fellow Jews (and with non-Jews when the opportunity arises) about the importance and centrality of tzedakah and about the blessings it will bring to their life.
The Torah promises that giving tzedakah enriches you and when given as mandated (not in a way that may impoverish you) cannot yield anything bad.
The discussion here is about tzedakah in general. To any needy and reputable cause.
When I teach the Torah’s algorithm for giving tzedakah which is 10% - maaser tithe – as a base and 20% for those who are more scrupulous, I point out that I am not telling them where to give. That is for them to decide.
It is their G-d given choice where they choose to distribute it.
I am simply sharing the G-dly instructions to give tzedakah to others.
Some of you may be asking.
Is it the right time to engage in talking, giving, raising, and distributing tzedakah?
To some it may sound incongruous and out of place to even mention and discuss tzedakah in the synagogue.
But it is not.
Tzedaka is the best thing to be talking about and resolving to upgrade during these opportune moments.
Money is a huge blessing which carries great potential. It also has possible pitfalls.
It can be used for good or for the opposite. It is like a ladder (the Hebrew word for money ‘mamon’ has the same gematraya as ‘sulam’ - ladder).
Money can take you to the greatest heights. Or G-d forbid it can pull you down into the dirt.
It is also not about how much you give. It is more about how often and how central you make tzedakah in your life.
In this vein, the Rebbe promoted the tzedakah pushka – box as being one of the most important ‘appliances’ in the home.
What makes a Jewish house Jewish? Well, there's a mezuzah on the doorpost. Books of Jewish wisdom on the shelves. Guests are welcome, and when a needy soul knocks on the door, he doesn't go away empty handed.
And then there's a little box or tin can sitting on a counter somewhere. Every day, a little spare change gets dropped in there, plus a few more coins just before Shabbat. When it's full, it goes to a good cause, whichever the family chooses.
There are, of course, other ways to give charity. What's so special about the pushkah?
"How often," said the 12th century sage Maimonides, "is more important than how much."
Why? Because when you write a check for $365, a good cause gets another $365. But give a dollar every day for 365 days — and your hand becomes a giving hand. As an anonymous Jewish sage wrote, "A person is more influenced by the things he does than by the knowledge he is taught."
So, if you want to pick yourself up, get into some elevated habits. Like dropping coins in a box. Any receptacle can be used.
The Tzedakah Charity Box: Pushka Power
In today’s age where we keep our money in banks, it is a great idea to open a separate bank account where one can keep their tzedakah funds. In this way, when the cause that they want to support comes their way, they simply have to choose to allocate money from their ‘tzedakah account’.
The picture below shows how the Rebbe entered the afternoon service mere hours before the onset of the holy day of Yom Kippur with a bag of coins. The Rebbe painstakingly put coins in every one of the tens of boxes that were placed on a table at the center of the synagogue.
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In that spirit, of having a ‘virtual Tzedakah smorgasbord’ I attach below a small selection of tzedakah causes that I find myself drawn to. Our local tzedakah fund Thailand Humanitarian Fund Thailand Jewish Life Jewish Thailand Development Fund International Jewish life – kaleidoscope https://dollardaily.org/ Soup Kitchens in Israel https://pantrypackers.org/ Wounded soldiers and Victims of Terror in Israel https://www.ctvp.org/ May you be blessed to be able to give to others. It may not be money. Perhaps you are one of those who Hashem has given the role in life to be a recipient of tzedakah. The above perspective should make you a better receiver. If G-d wants you to receive, you ought to do it graciously and gratefully. Yet you too can give. Small amounts of tzedakah in your box. And we must also remember that giving love, time and care to someone else is also Tzedakah. We can all be givers. May Hashem answer our prayer and do with us tzedakah and kindness in an unlimited and unprecedented way! May the greatest tzedakah of all, the coming of Mashiach be given to us by G-d speedily. With blessings for a Chatima uGmar Chatima Tovah, To be inscribed for a good, sweet year. Have a meaningful and easy fast. Rabbi Yosef Kantor
PS. As I interact with older people, and as I myself become older, I find it critical to speak about Jewish burial. Please reach out to me to discuss Jewish burial. Our community considers it a mitzvah to ensure that every Jew receives a proper burial regardless of ability to cover expenses. And I also want to mention the topic of wills and bequests. You would not believe how many people haven’t thought about their final wishes although they may be advancing in years. I find that people welcome the discussion about how they can make a meaningful difference once they pass away. Click here if you want more information about planned giving. May you have a long life and good, sweet year!!!
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