Timeless Torah

‘Jewish’ Sign Language (25:32)
In a world so dichotomized by prosperity and poverty, there exist two general perspectives on wealth: (A) It is the rightful possession of those who earned it…(B) The unequal distribution of the earth's resources is a travesty…

In a world so dichotomized by prosperity and poverty, there exist two general perspectives on wealth: (A) It is the rightful possession of those who earned it, and if they choose to share their good fortune, they are worthy of praise. (B) The unequal distribution of the earth's resources is a travesty, and helping the needy is not a “good deed” but the rectification of a wrong.

Judaism rejects both views. Charity is more than kindness; it is an act of justice, hence an obligation. On the other hand, it is an honorable deed; a credit to the one who recognizes his duty and shares with the needy.
Certainly, wealth is not a crime, but a blessing. G-d could have allotted equal portions to all. But then the world would be merely a showpiece of His control. Instead, G-d wanted a world in which man is a provider. He therefore demanded that we give tzedakah, honoring us with the role of dispensing “His” resources.
By the same token, if divine providence placed us on the receiving end of charity, we need not be demoralized. G-d could easily have cared for us Himself, but He allowed others to be His banker, “a partner in creation.” This is why our Sages declared, “More than the rich man does for the pauper, the pauper does for the rich man.”

This week's reading, “If your brother becomes poor and his hand fails with you, you should uphold him,” (Leviticus 25:35) emphasizes that giving is not enough; the way in which we provide matters as well.

A number of questions confront us when reading this verse: Why does the Torah use a double expression of poverty (poor and his hand fails)? Why does the second expression include the words, “with you”?

According to the father of modern kabbala, the Arizal, the act of tzedakah actually forms the Name of G-d! The coin is essentially a dot, which represents the Hebrew letter that is most dot-like: yud. The giver then takes the coin in the five fingers of his hand corresponding to the Hebrew letter with the numerical value of five: hei. The giver stretches out his hand to the poor forming a straight line with his arm that resembles the shape of the letter vav, whereupon the poor person opens his hand (hei) to receive the coin. In this way, G-d's Name (yud, hei, vav, hei) has been spelled.

This idea explains the verse in Proverbs, “A rich man and a poor man meet; G-d makes them all,” which can be paraphrased as, “the encounter between giver and recipient enables them to form (oseh kulam Hashem) the Name of G-d.”

This is true, however, only if the giver initiates. If the poor person must request tzedakah, G-d's Name is spelled out of order. In this unfortunate scenario, the poor person opens his hand (hei), stretches out his arm (vav), whereupon the giver opens his hand (hei) and gives the coin (yud). Here the Name is spelled backwards (hei-vav-hei-yud).

According to the Tikkunei Zohar, it is auspicious for the letters yud and vav to come before the hei’s in G-d's Name (as it is when spelled correctly). This draws down Heavenly mercy, life, and peace. But when the letters of His Name are out of sequence, an outcome of strict justice, death, and poverty results.

This answers both questions. The phrase, “and his hand (motoh) fails” is not repetitious. Indeed, it should be translated as, “his hand moves with you.” The Torah is cautioning us that when a poor person stretches out his hand, he should be following your lead (with you). We, not the poor, should initiate charity.

How can we learn to be proactive, and make the first move rather than merely responding to requests for aid? The key is to develop ‘tzedakah’ habits.
A Jewish home is often identified by its mezuzah, books of Jewish wisdom, a kosher kitchen, and the little box or tin can sitting on a counter. Every day, that one drops in a little spare change fills the house with Jewish warmth.
There are, of course, other ways to give charity. What's so special about the pushka? “How often,” says Maimonides, “is more important than how much.” Why? Because when you write a check for $365, a worthy cause becomes a receiver. But by giving a dollar every day for 365 days - you become a giver.

And not just you; your pushka will elevate your living space as well. “A charity box in a home or office,” our Rebbe taught, “redefines the entire space. It is no longer just a home or an office. It is a center of kindness and caring.”
Your time then also undergoes a spiritual boost. If one action elevates one moment: many actions, even if they're small, elevate so many more. That's why the Baal Shem Tov taught, “Don't let a day go by without its own act of giving.” The Kabbalists call this, “elevating time, space and person.” You could just call it, “Making a better world.”
The Jewish people have always been ‘givers’. When, in the fourth century, the Roman Emperor ordered the setting up of hostels for transients in every city, he referred to the example of the Jews, “In whose midst no stranger goes uncared for.” Historical records from every era contain long lists of Jewish societies; free loan funds, soup kitchens, wedding funds, widow and orphan care, help for new mothers, free education, caring for the sick, and much more. There wasn't a Jew who wasn't either giving or getting...and often both.

Even now, when so many Jewish values, including charity, have been universally adopted, Jews continue to respond charitably to all disasters more than the rest of the population. Though we should be proud of the volume of our generosity, our giving techniques could always be improved upon.

We can accomplish this by forming tzedakah habits (strategically place a pushka for maximum exposure in office and/or home); by calling your friend in need before he calls you; and by repeatedly practicing the spelling out of G-d’s name in a uniquely Jewish sign language that actually requires two people to form one word.