This week’s Torah portion deals with the construction of the Tabernacle in the desert. At the beginning of the portion G-d commands Moshe to instruct the Jewish people to wholeheartedly contribute to Him. Moshe then specified the materials to be contributed. Finally, Moshe told them that the campaign was for the construction of a Temple.
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein o.b.m. asks, wouldn’t it have made more sense for the Torah to have first stated that the campaign was for the creation of the Tabernacle, then mention which materials were needed for the construction and then appeal for the people to generously contribute. Why does the Torah seem to go in a reverse order?
Reb Moshe explains that the Torah is teaching us that the ultimate and purest way to give Tzadakah –is to do it solely because G-d wants us to perform the Mitzvah, without us even knowing what it is for! This will bring the giver to realize that he is only the medium through which G-d entrusted His wealth and resources and he is not the ultimate master over his assets.
In fact, Rambam – Maimonides – in his code of Jewish law, tells us three levels of giving Tzadakah: 1) The giver does not know the recipient nor does the recipient know the donor – such as money given to a Tzadakah fund to distribute. 2) The donor is aware of the recipient but the recipient does not know the donor. 3) The donor knows the recipient and the recipient knows the donor.
Actually, the highest level of helping a person out is by supplying or matching him up with a job so that he can support himself and his family with dignity.
The following two stories portray Chesed that was done on an entirely different level:
While growing up in New York, it was a treat to have Reisman’s packaged baked goods in our home. I was friendly with Moshe o.b.m. the son of Mr. and Mrs. Reisman who were such kind people. Recently, during a speech given by their son Rabbi Yisroel Reisman, he related a story about his father.
“Another commercial baker in the same area had suffered extensive damage due to a fire. My father called the owner and offered him the use of his facility each day from 6 p.m. until the early morning.” I asked my father, “How can you do this? After all, that’s one of your competitors.”
My father told me, “I don’t call others in my line of business competitors; I call them ‘my helpers.’ Whatever prosperity Hashem has decided to grant me this year is already determined. Why should I not help him out when my equipment is not being used?”
Another story:
On Saturday, January 12,, 2019 a fire destroyed Yossi’s Fish Market in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn. The owner Mr. Yossi Heiman was suddenly left without a location from which to operate his business. That same night, Mr. Heiman received a call from Mr. Shea Langsam, owner of Fish to Dish, a fish store located just a few blocks away. Mr. Langsam reached out to Mr. Heiman with the following amazing offer, “Why not join me in my store? I have a section from where you can work to serve your customers!”
New York State Assembly Member Mr. Simcha Eichenstein commented, “While we are a community that is known for its vast amounts of Chesed, the act of offering a direct competitor a space in your own store truly goes above and beyond. Fish to Dish is setting a new bar for what it means to be a neighbor and business owner in our community.”
The approach that these exceptional people took to help and assist others is something unique and it portrays a G-dly level that can only be produced through our relationship with G-d, His Torah and the Jewish people!
We are currently in the beginning of the month of Adar which is infused with special energy of Simcha – happiness and joy – and we are able to tap into it.
This year is what we call a Shana Me’Uberes – an expectant year – when we will have a thirteenth month included in our lunar calendar year.
Perhaps such a year is specifically called an expectant year – for just as there is immense joy with the emergence of a baby – similarly, such a year contains an additional month of joy with which we can enrich our lives!
Generally, when one is in a happy mood, he wishes that the people and the world around him will also be happy and upbeat. So, think of how much we can accomplish with Adar’s extra dose of positive energy!
