‘Did you do anything special today?’ she asked her husband.
The husband blushed.
‘Because I had a miracle just now,’ she continued.
One of my overseas friends told me this story about what happened to him this week.
‘A needy member of my community approached me for a loan to take care of something medical. He was asking for several thousand dollars as a loan, but he still owed me several thousand dollars from a previous unpaid loan.
I sent out a note to our Shul group and I was able to collect several thousand dollars to assist him. Within a few hours after he had asked for my help, I sent him the money. Not as a loan but as a tzedakah from our collective shul group.
That evening my wife went out to give a lecture. The intercity road had an oil spill on it. My wife lost control of the car and crashed into another car from the side, while another car rearended her.
We had a miracle that night.’
My friend asked me ‘do you think there is a correlation between what I did during the day, helping that person, and my wife’s miracle in the evening?’.
He didn’t really mean it as a question. For he knows as I do that the Talmud says.
צדקה תציל ממות
‘Tzedaka saves from death’.
Clearly his benevolent act of tzedakah saved his nearest and dearest from injury or worse G-d forbid.
I love this story because of its clarity. Help others, Hashem will help you.
There is also a very important lesson here that will help us reframe the way we look at the sometimes-burdensome task of helping others.
In this story one sees clearly how Hashem implanted this tzedakah opportunity into my friend’s life. Baruch Hashem my friend acted on it and thus activated the opportunity Hashem had given him.
How many times do we whine and complain when we are called upon to help someone. Sometimes we genuinely can’t help and that is justifiable. We all have limitations.
But sometimes we don’t even listen. We ignore and don’t pay attention to the needs of others.
That is where we have to be more aware and more attentive.
My friend could have brushed this request off. He had lent the fellow money. He was not yet paid back on that loan. The same individual came to borrow money again.
My friend rose to the occasion and did what a truly G-dly person should do. He emulated Hashem who always listens to the needs. Especially to the needs of the downtrodden. Those are vulnerable and not able to fend for themselves.
My friend was not cynical, callous or dismissive. Rather he listened empathetically to his plight and expended effort and time to raise funds to help him.
He acted selflessly.
Little did he know…
Really, he was helping himself more than he could ever imagine.
His wife was miraculously saved from what could have been a major tragedy.
Even financially he should be covered. The police wrote a report about the oil spill which means please G-d the insurance will cover all associated costs.
I am inspired by the obvious timing of these two events. Before my friend even knew that he should be praying for the safety of his loved ones, Hashem had organized the response to his yet unspoken prayers.
A similar theme to the Parsha’s story of Eliezer’s mission on behalf of Avraham to find a wife for Yitschak.
Eliezer was sent to the familial territory of Avraham to find a suitable wife for Yitschak. It was an overwhelming task. Finding ‘a needle in a haystack’ may have seemed easier. Eliezer turned to G-d and prayed that he find the right girl.
Before he even finished his prayer Rivka appeared before him. She fulfilled all the criteria and went on to become Yischak’s wife – our second Matriarch.
Hashem always hears and answers our prayers. Sometimes even faster than we can imagine.
Before we even know that we have an issue that we out to pray about.
Yes, I am saying that it is valid and kosher to motivate yourself to be more empathetic, giving and benevolent to others by recognizing that you are earning Hashem’s commensurate kindness to you and yours.
Helping others, even because you realize you are really helping yourself is fully acceptable according to the Torah.
You know why?
Because for the poor person, the loaf of bread will satisfy his hunger even if you are not one million percent altruistic.
The needy person will be able to pay their rent even if you gave them money with the intention that G-d bless you with success in your endeavors.
If you wait till you refine yourself to be a saintly altruistic Tzadik, you may delay your giving and it may arrive too late. Coming too late can sometimes be fatal G-d forbid.
Tzedaka needs immediacy. And shouldn’t be overthought.
When you have an opportunity.
Just DO IT.
I mean acts of kindness and tzedakah.
Look out for those who Hashem cares for, the needy, downtrodden, ill and challenged. The consequence? You will not have less or suffer.
The code of Jewish Law says clearly:
‘A person never becomes poor from giving charity and nothing bad or destructive happens from giving Tzedakah as the prophet says (Isaiah 32, 17) And the deed of righteousness shall be peace’
On the contrary, Hashem will bless you, your loved ones and your wherewithal.
May Hashem bless Am Yisrael with peace, the safe return of our hostages, the secure homecoming of our soldiers and those who have been displaced and the healing of the wounded.
May the entire world finally be blessed with the coming of Mashiach and the utopian peaceful state when ‘the wolf will lie with the lamb’, AMEN.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Yosef Kantor
PS. Just under a month away from Chanuka and from end of year, it is a great time to give Tzedakah to help others. Hashem will help you!