BY:Jaclyn Frankel
It is not very often in the Torah that we find a mitzvah that dictates not only how to perform a mitzvah, but how we should feel while performing it. Human nature does not take very well to feeling emotion on command. Yes, we are commanded to ‘be happy’ on the Jewish holidays and ‘not to be jealous’ of our brethren, but to have the entire worth of a mitzvah be almost completely dependent on the appropriate emotion is quite unimaginable. Yet this is the case for the mitzvah of tzedeka presented in this week’s parsha.
"If there shall be a destitute person among you, any of your brethren in any of your cities, in your land that Hashem, your God, gives you, you shall not harden your heart or close your hand against your destitute brother. (Devarim 15:7)
“You shall surely give him and let your heart not feel bad when you give him…” (15:10)1
Many interesting things stand out when reading this text, but we are going to focus on the specific phrases that refer to the emotional component of this mitzvah; the mentality we must possess when performing the act of tzedeka. “You shall not harden your heart or close your hand… lest there be a lawless thought in your heart .”(15:7-9) It is clear from these pesukim what the Torah would like us to do. We must give charity, and give it with a smile. But what is the deeper meaning behind this? Why would the Torah repeat the emotional aspects of “hardening your heart” and feeling bad about it? Why all of these addenda in general when the Torah could have easily commanded us to “Give money to the poor.”
I would like to propose that the emotion, the intent, the intimacy of the presentation of tzedeka in this parsha illuminates the importance of the Kehilah (the Jewish community) specifically within the context of Parshat Re’eh. But let’s take a step back and start from the beginning. What do these ‘emotional prohibitions’ of the mitzvah actually mean?
The Semak, Sefer Mitzvoth Katan2, includes in his list of the 613 mitzvoth two prohibitions related to charity that one violates in one’s heart and mind. The first being “Do not harden your heart” and the second, “Give him readily and have no regrets when you do so.” Rabbi Wein illuminates the meaning of these two prohibitions.He explains that the first prohibits an individual from even entertaining the thought that he bears no responsibility to help another in need. The instant these thoughts enter his mind he has violated the prohibition, no matter how generous the check is that he writes afterward. He explains the second prohibition as forbidding one from feeling any regret when giving away money for the sake of others, before, after, or during the transaction. Feeling any sense of regret may lessen the likelihood of one’s giving further donations to other people in need in the future.
What emerges from these emotional modifiers is so much more than just the simple act of giving, but rather the embodiment of an attitude that we must possess within our giving. The Torah requires us not only to perform the action of giving to others, but also to feel a sincere sense of responsibility towards our brethren. Yes, we need to perceive the needy person as an individual with his own personal needs, but more importantly we need to perceive him as a member of the Kehilah. He is part of our community, our extended family that we are responsible for. As Rabbi David Silberberg puts it, “One's giving must evolve out of this keen awareness that every Jew, on some level, bears the burden of responsibility to helping his brethren in distress.”3 And just as we would cater to the specific needs of a member of our family, we must cater to the specific needs of a member of our community. As it says in the pesukim, “Dai k’machsoro…”- “Grant him what he is lacking.” (15:8) Rashi goes as far as to say that even if the poor man once had a horse to ride on and a slave to run ahead of him, you must provide him with that. As a member of the Kehilah, we must give the person whatever makes him/her comfortable.
The Torah’s presentation of tzedeka in this week’s parsha truly emphasizes the value of community. The pesukim delineate a requirement on our general attitude that extends well beyond the simple act of giving. We must feel an obligation of collective responsibility towards our brethren, voiding any sentiments of regret or resentment that we may have when giving charity. The Torah understands that it is not within our nature to ‘give away’ our money; on the contrary in our society people want to ‘keep’ money, ‘save’ money, and ‘spend money. But the Torah’s perception of tzedeka is not that we are giving away money to strangers. We are to view it as giving money, which G-d blessed us with in the first place, to members of the Kehilah, our extended community. So we must treat them as if they are a part of our family, cater to each person’s specific needs (“dai machsoro”,Devarim 15:8), feel no regret, perform this mitzvah in an entirely willing manner, and hope that this needy person would do the same for us.
Pirkei Avot, 5:15, frames this idea beautifully when categorizing the different attitudes one can have when giving tzedeka. “One who wishes to give, but doesn’t want others to do so- such a person’s ‘eye is evil’ to those others.” But, “One who wishes to give and that others should give- such a person is saintly.” The person who gives, but is not willing to take does not fully comprehend the essence of tzedeka. It is the person who is willing to give and take who performs the highest level of tzedeka: truly understanding the value of collective responsibility within Am Yisrael.
This lesson regarding the value of the Kehilah is not only illuminated through the mitzvah of tzedeka; it is threaded throughout the parsha. As the Jewish people are on the brink of entering Eretz Yisrael it is crucial for them to understand the importance of maintaining the attitude of Am Echad, (One Nation); they must understand that the actions of individuals affect the entire community. In this parsha Moshe explains the covenantal relationship upon which their success in the Land depends, specifically emphasizing the societal/communal obligations that it imparts upon them. Some examples are the false prophet infiltrating the community, the response of the community to idol worshipers, and providing the kohen with ma’aser and trumah. Most importantly this value of collective responsibility is manifested in the first line of the parsha itself, “Re’eh anochi noten lifneichem ha yom bracha u'klala”, “See (singular), I present before you (plural) today a blessing and a curse.” (Devarim 11:26) The people of the nation, as individuals, are presented with this choice of a blessing or a curse, but in reality it is the actions of the collective community and their behavior towards one another that will determine whether they end up on the path of good or evil. The bracha (blessing) and klala (curse) that we hear about on Har Grizim and Har Eval are not personal rewards and punishments they are communal ones. In order for the nation to succeed they must perform mitzvoth like tzedeka, comprehend that individual actions can affect the entire Klal Yisrael, and understand their collective responsibility towards one another. It is this sense of achdut (unity) and Kehilah (community) that the Jewish people have always and will always thrive on.
"If there shall be a destitute person among you, any of your brethren in any of your cities, in your land that Hashem, your God, gives you, you shall not harden your heart or close your hand against your destitute brother. (Devarim 15:7)
“You shall surely give him and let your heart not feel bad when you give him…” (15:10)1
Many interesting things stand out when reading this text, but we are going to focus on the specific phrases that refer to the emotional component of this mitzvah; the mentality we must possess when performing the act of tzedeka. “You shall not harden your heart or close your hand… lest there be a lawless thought in your heart .”(15:7-9) It is clear from these pesukim what the Torah would like us to do. We must give charity, and give it with a smile. But what is the deeper meaning behind this? Why would the Torah repeat the emotional aspects of “hardening your heart” and feeling bad about it? Why all of these addenda in general when the Torah could have easily commanded us to “Give money to the poor.”
I would like to propose that the emotion, the intent, the intimacy of the presentation of tzedeka in this parsha illuminates the importance of the Kehilah (the Jewish community) specifically within the context of Parshat Re’eh. But let’s take a step back and start from the beginning. What do these ‘emotional prohibitions’ of the mitzvah actually mean?
The Semak, Sefer Mitzvoth Katan2, includes in his list of the 613 mitzvoth two prohibitions related to charity that one violates in one’s heart and mind. The first being “Do not harden your heart” and the second, “Give him readily and have no regrets when you do so.” Rabbi Wein illuminates the meaning of these two prohibitions.He explains that the first prohibits an individual from even entertaining the thought that he bears no responsibility to help another in need. The instant these thoughts enter his mind he has violated the prohibition, no matter how generous the check is that he writes afterward. He explains the second prohibition as forbidding one from feeling any regret when giving away money for the sake of others, before, after, or during the transaction. Feeling any sense of regret may lessen the likelihood of one’s giving further donations to other people in need in the future.
What emerges from these emotional modifiers is so much more than just the simple act of giving, but rather the embodiment of an attitude that we must possess within our giving. The Torah requires us not only to perform the action of giving to others, but also to feel a sincere sense of responsibility towards our brethren. Yes, we need to perceive the needy person as an individual with his own personal needs, but more importantly we need to perceive him as a member of the Kehilah. He is part of our community, our extended family that we are responsible for. As Rabbi David Silberberg puts it, “One's giving must evolve out of this keen awareness that every Jew, on some level, bears the burden of responsibility to helping his brethren in distress.”3 And just as we would cater to the specific needs of a member of our family, we must cater to the specific needs of a member of our community. As it says in the pesukim, “Dai k’machsoro…”- “Grant him what he is lacking.” (15:8) Rashi goes as far as to say that even if the poor man once had a horse to ride on and a slave to run ahead of him, you must provide him with that. As a member of the Kehilah, we must give the person whatever makes him/her comfortable.
The Torah’s presentation of tzedeka in this week’s parsha truly emphasizes the value of community. The pesukim delineate a requirement on our general attitude that extends well beyond the simple act of giving. We must feel an obligation of collective responsibility towards our brethren, voiding any sentiments of regret or resentment that we may have when giving charity. The Torah understands that it is not within our nature to ‘give away’ our money; on the contrary in our society people want to ‘keep’ money, ‘save’ money, and ‘spend money. But the Torah’s perception of tzedeka is not that we are giving away money to strangers. We are to view it as giving money, which G-d blessed us with in the first place, to members of the Kehilah, our extended community. So we must treat them as if they are a part of our family, cater to each person’s specific needs (“dai machsoro”,Devarim 15:8), feel no regret, perform this mitzvah in an entirely willing manner, and hope that this needy person would do the same for us.
Pirkei Avot, 5:15, frames this idea beautifully when categorizing the different attitudes one can have when giving tzedeka. “One who wishes to give, but doesn’t want others to do so- such a person’s ‘eye is evil’ to those others.” But, “One who wishes to give and that others should give- such a person is saintly.” The person who gives, but is not willing to take does not fully comprehend the essence of tzedeka. It is the person who is willing to give and take who performs the highest level of tzedeka: truly understanding the value of collective responsibility within Am Yisrael.
This lesson regarding the value of the Kehilah is not only illuminated through the mitzvah of tzedeka; it is threaded throughout the parsha. As the Jewish people are on the brink of entering Eretz Yisrael it is crucial for them to understand the importance of maintaining the attitude of Am Echad, (One Nation); they must understand that the actions of individuals affect the entire community. In this parsha Moshe explains the covenantal relationship upon which their success in the Land depends, specifically emphasizing the societal/communal obligations that it imparts upon them. Some examples are the false prophet infiltrating the community, the response of the community to idol worshipers, and providing the kohen with ma’aser and trumah. Most importantly this value of collective responsibility is manifested in the first line of the parsha itself, “Re’eh anochi noten lifneichem ha yom bracha u'klala”, “See (singular), I present before you (plural) today a blessing and a curse.” (Devarim 11:26) The people of the nation, as individuals, are presented with this choice of a blessing or a curse, but in reality it is the actions of the collective community and their behavior towards one another that will determine whether they end up on the path of good or evil. The bracha (blessing) and klala (curse) that we hear about on Har Grizim and Har Eval are not personal rewards and punishments they are communal ones. In order for the nation to succeed they must perform mitzvoth like tzedeka, comprehend that individual actions can affect the entire Klal Yisrael, and understand their collective responsibility towards one another. It is this sense of achdut (unity) and Kehilah (community) that the Jewish people have always and will always thrive on.
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1All translations taken from the The Stone Edition Artscroll Tanach
2Sefer Mitzvot Katan (Little Book of Commandments), Isaac ben Joseph of Corveil,2nd half of the 13th century
3Silberberg, Rabbi David, S.A.L.T.: Parshat Re'eh, http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/salt-devarim/47-3reeh.htm
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