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Beit Midrash
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- Chemdat Yamim
- Ein Ayah
Ein Ayah: We should understand that the value of philanthropy in the world is not just when it comes from the churnings of the heart when one is agitated by the suffering of the poor person and empathizes with him. If that were the case, the philanthropist’s help is in effect to calm his own pain. Nor is the value of philanthropy a mere result of the intellectual realization that it is correct to have mercy on one’s counterpart.
Rather, Hashem created an order in the world that includes the poor and the rich. The poor have a known function to play in the world, for if they were missing, the world would be incomplete, missing part of its character. It would not be able to reach the lofty goal that its Creator set for it.
It turns out, then, that the needy, whose poverty enables the world to be complete and put up with painful lives, receive their donations as an earned portion. This secret is the most internal part of the mitzva of tzedaka in its highest form and removes from the recipient the lowliness of spirit that people mistakenly attribute to one who might be seen as receiving that which he does not deserve.
The philanthropist who already reached the level of recognizing that he should not give because he is squeamish about the suffering of the poor has an advantage in his philanthropy. If it were a reaction, then he would not give when he was not witness to the great suffering of the needy. But if he knows the great purpose that philanthropy has in the world and the holy satisfaction that the community and the individual are blessed with through tzedaka and acts of kindness, then he will always seek opportunities to expand his philanthropic activities. This is represented by the leg of the gimmel facing toward the dalet.
The idea of tzedaka in the Jewish world stands above the difficulties of life; it transcends the necessity to fill the needs. The great role that philanthropy plays in the world influences not only the moral standing of the philanthropists, who provide the tzedaka, but spiritually impacts the recipients. The Jewish destitute person, who is forced to receive donations, can be uplifted by the notion of his spiritual role to the point that it removes the pain of his physical lacking. He can revel in his part in improving the world and the souls of those who are involved in philanthropy.
Then he can request donations, but not to solve his physical tribulations. He will not need to be pushed by need to present himself to eager philanthropists. Rather, he will come himself like the letter dalet reminds us. He needs to come forward to facilitate bringing the goodness of acts of kindness from the potential to the actual. In this way, he enriches with the gifts of generosity and love, in which both sides of the philanthropic process are equal. The feeling of pain can then be absent even when the need is great, because "the blessing of Hashem is enriching, and sadness will not continue to exist with it" (Mishlei 10:22).
Beit Din Eretz Hemda - Gazit
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P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
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P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Realtor’s Fee on Large Commercial Building – part I
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 85031 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
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Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 263 (address at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yeshiva Chakla’it in Kfar Haroeh)
Re'e NEVER EXTREME EXCEPT ISRAEL
Parshat Re'eh
Judaism is against extremism, so how can we understand the seemingly extreme statements found in our sages in favor of living in the Land of Israel and against living in Chutz laAretz? The article deals with the seeming contradiction between the strength of Free-Will and the strength of being influenced by our surroundings.
Ekev DANCE FOR ISRAEL- FOR YOUR BENEFIT
Parshat Eikev
Description: The 7 Haftarot we read after Tisha B'Av ("Shiva D'Nichemta") surely get us excited that they're coming TRUE, and awaken us to yearn, dance & join the return to Zion! The short article also deals with the problems and solutions facing the American Jewish community as discussed at a recent panel, as well as the question why Jews come from America to Israel to help when we face problems, but Israelis don't come to aid Jews in America when they face anti-Semitism.
P'ninat Mishpat P'ninat Mishpat: Complaints about Contractor’s Work – part II
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
(based on ruling 83037.1 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Chemdat Yamim Moreshet Shaul: Twin Foundations
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 690
D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
