Weekly Parsha

Thanks to you all who supported and came to our Pesach Seder celebration. “Leshanah haba'ah b'Yerushalayim—Next year in Jerusalem.”

Deuteronomy 14:22-16:17; Numbers 28:19-26

This Shabbat has a special reading for the Eighth Day of Pesach. It includes the Second Tithe (the first tithe being taken for the Cohen and Levite) of one's crop which was to be eaten in Jerusalem; remission of loans in the Shemita year (the seventh year of a seven year cycle); take care of the destitute; the Jewish slave; the three pilgrimage festivals -- Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot -- where the Jewish people were commanded to go up to Jerusalem. The portion from the Book of Numbers deals with the mitzvot of the Pesach holiday.

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Dvar Torah
based on Love Your Neighbor by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

The Torah states:

"And you shall rejoice before the Lord, your God, you and your son, and your daughter and your servant and your maid, and the Levite that is within your gates, and the convert, and the orphan and the widow that are in your midst" (Deut. 16:11).

Rashi cites the Sifre which points out that in this verse we have a list of four members of a person's household: his son, his daughter, servant and maid. We also have four that are needy: the Levite, convert, orphan and widow. The Almighty says, "If you take care of My four, I will take care of your four." We learn from here that by helping the needy we merit that our needs are taken care of as well; the Almighty responds to us measure for measure.

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Dvar Torah
based on Growth Through Torah by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

The Torah states regarding helping the poor:

"You shall surely open your hand unto him and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need which he lacks" (Deut 15:8).

What are the details of this mitzvah, commandment?

We are told that we must give charity to a poor person. What if the person doesn't want to take it? Rashi, the great commentator, tells us to then give the person the money as a present or a loan.

It is a positive commandment to give charity to the needy with happiness and a good heart. The mitzvah of giving tzedakah (charity) does not only apply to giving aid to the poor. To aid a wealthy person when he needs assistance is also a fulfillment of the mitzvah of tzedakah. Furthermore, whenever you give pleasure to others, whether it be through money, food, or comforting words, you fulfill this mitzvah. The Rambam (Moshe Maimonedes) writes that he never saw or heard of a city in which there lived ten Jews that did not have a charity fund (Hilchos Matnos Aniyim 9:3).

The word the Sages used for charity is tzedakah, which literally means "righteousness" or "justice." This term illuminates the Torah's concept of charity. It is not merely a charitable act to give to the poor; it is the obligation of every single person to do the right thing, the just thing.

Actions speak louder than words
but not nearly as often.

No God, no peace. Know God, know peace!

SHABBAT SHALOM & CHAG SAMEACH!!!