Re'eh 5784: Kindness: A Gift Everyone Can Afford

GOOD MORNING! In 1968, on the 20th anniversary of its independence, the State of Israel minted a coin to commemorate the occasion. Because it was during the heady days following Six-Day War and the reunification of the city of Jerusalem, the images chosen for the two sides of the coin were directly related to this momentous achievement. On one side of the coin is a view of the city of Jerusalem, and on the other side is an image of the Holy Temple that was taken from a coin struck during the time of the Bar Kochba revolt of 130 CE.

Seeing as there were likely many people still alive at the time who remembered what the Holy Temple looked like (it had been destroyed only 60 years prior), I find the image from that Bar Kochba coin quite meaningful, and I have bought quite a few of the 1968 version. Because much of our daily prayers revolve around the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple, I often take one of the coins with me when I go to the synagogue during the week. I find the images both inspiring and helpful in keeping me focused during prayers.

I have bought as many of these coins as I can find at reasonable prices, and I give them to fellow congregants who might find them as inspiring as I do. Some time ago, one such congregant was admiring my coin and I offered it to him. He declined saying that he was very careful not to accept gifts from others based on the wisdom of King Solomon who wrote, “he that abhors a gift will live” (Proverbs 15:27).

I explained to him that King Solomon did not intend to abrogate the concept of gift-giving. After all, one of the great pleasures in life is receiving a gift from a loved one (e.g. a basically useless pen holder that a grandchild made in kindergarten for Father’s Day). These expressions of love and friendship should be embraced and cherished I argued, and my friend relented and accepted the coin.

So how are we to understand King Solomon’s statement in Proverbs? Additionally, we find a similar passage in the Talmud (Sotah 47b), which also derided receiving gifts. In discussing the rapid declination of ancient Jerusalem during the time of the Second Temple the rabbis said, “When those who received gifts became numerous, the days became few and years short.”

Like every part of the Torah, the explanation lies in a careful reading (and proper interpretation) of the verse. King Solomon says that abhorring a gift will enable a person “to live.” What did he mean?

The famous medieval philosopher and Kabbalist Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato (1707-1746), better known by his acronym Ramchal, asserts at the beginning of his famous work The Way of God that the Almighty’s purpose in creating the world was to bestow on mankind the ultimate “good.”

He goes on to explain that the Almighty didn’t simply give this “good” to mankind because that would be akin to receiving charity, and a person wouldn’t feel comfortable with this gift. In fact, he would feel rather ashamed (this is known as “nahama dikisufa – bread of shame”). Therefore, God created a system by which man could earn the good that God intended for him and, in this way, man would perceive this reward as a product of his efforts.

The very essence of this structure requires us to earn this “good” through a system of decision making; choosing between right and wrong, which will result in either being closer to the Almighty or further from Him. This “good” is now a product of man’s efforts. When a person earns something, it allows him to feel that he can take care of himself and that he has justified his existence. Perhaps even more importantly, it is what gives our existence meaning; this ability to earn gives us a sense of independence and allows us to feel that we exist.

By contrast, continually relying on someone else’s largesse for your basic necessities is emotionally debilitating because you haven’t gained your independence or achieved a sense of existence. This is a very deep concept, and this is what King Solomon meant when he said that loathing gifts enables a person “to live.” Having the ability to provide for oneself is the affirmation that our independent existence is justified. Living on someone else’s largesse should be abhorrent to us and it is why it is inherently difficult for a person to accept charity until he is quite desperate.

However, receiving a gift that isn’t related to the critical issue of providing for oneself can be a life affirming experience; one that tells a person that he is deeply valued by another person. Thus, a gift given in this context can be a sublime experience for both the giver and receiver, and should be encouraged.

Of course, this discussion reminds me of a story. In 2009, when the world was in the throes of the “Great Recession,” a rabbi decided that he had to impress on his flock the importance of giving charity and that the wealthier congregants should help support the poorer and needier members of the community. He spent all night trying to figure out how to properly express this concept in a way that the wealthier members would heed his call, and the needier members would accept the help.

In the morning, he hurried out to the synagogue to give his sermon. When he returned his wife said to him, “Well, how was your sermon?” “So-so,” replies the rabbi. “What do you mean?” his wife asked. He replied, “Well, I certainly convinced the poor.”

In this week’s Torah reading we find the obligation to give charity to the less fortunate and a lesson regarding the giving of charity, which underscores the issue expressed by both King Solomon and the sages of the Talmud.

“You shall surely tithe from all the crops that come forth from your field each year” (Deuteronomy 14:2).

(According to Jewish law, one must give ten percent of yearly net income to charitable causes. The etymology of the English word “tithe” is Middle English, from the Old English word teogotha – a tenth.)

The Talmud (Taanis 9a) records a fascinating conversation between the sage Rabbi Yochanan and his young nephew. Rabbi Yochanan asked his nephew, “Recite to me the Bible verse [you have learned today].” The latter replied, “You shall surely tithe.” Thereupon his nephew asked, “Can you explain to me the meaning of these words?” Rabbi Yochanan answered, “Give tithes that you may be enriched.” His nephew asked, “How do you know this to be true?” Rabbi Yochanan replied: “Go test it [for yourself].”

Rabbi Yochanan thus explained to him that he may actually test this secret to achieving wealth through tithing. But children often don’t let things go and he continued to question his uncle; “Is it permissible to test the Holy One, blessed be He? Do we not have a verse (Devarim 6:16) that says, ‘You shall not try the Almighty?’”

Rabbi Yochanan replied, “Thus said Rabbi Oshaia: Giving charity is excepted [from the prohibition of testing God], as it is said (Malachi 3:10), ‘Bring the tithes unto the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and with this you may test me.’”

In other words, God explicitly says that a person can literally test His promise to enrich those who give charity. Even though the general rule is that one may not test the Almighty; the mitzvah of giving charity is exempt from this prohibition. Not only is it exempt, but God actually encourages us to test Him by giving charity. This seems unusual. Why is the mitzvah of giving charity an exemption to the prohibition of testing God?

The great medieval Biblical commentator Rashi explains that in Hebrew the word “chessed” means “kindness,” yet in Aramaic the word “chessed” means shame (see Leviticus 20:17 and Rashi ad loc). As I have explained in prior columns, Aramaic is a language based on an understanding of another person’s perspective.

While a charitable person may feel uplifted by sharing his good fortune with others, one has to also consider the receiver’s perspective. When someone has to accept charity or kindness from another there is a devastating feeling of embarrassment that accompanies the realization that he is unable to take care of his own needs. This is why in Aramaic the word “chessed” means shame – it is focused on the other person’s perspective.

Yet, we know that giving charity and doing acts of kindness – “chessed” – are key components of one’s obligation of acting in a God-like manner. So how do we reconcile this obligation with the pain being caused to the recipient of charity?

This is the reason why the Almighty devised a system in which the person giving the charity is further enriched by his act of kindness. Just as a person would not be embarrassed to be paid for giving someone terrific investment advice, so too a person receiving charity is also providing the giver the opportunity to enrich themselves. In fact, it is better than ordinary investment advice; its success is actually guaranteed by the Almighty.

God, in His infinite wisdom, is removing the poor person’s shame in having to receive charity by enabling the recipient to “give back” to his benefactor. Perhaps this is why the Hebrew word “nassan – to give” is a palindrome – a word that reads the same backwards and forwards – because the giving goes in both directions.

Re'eh, Deuteronomy 11:26 - 16:17

This week is a jam-packed portion. It begins with a choice: “I set before you a blessing and a curse. The blessing: if you obey the commandments of God […]; the curse if you do not […] and you follow other gods.”

The portion continues with rules and laws for the Land of Israel, primarily oriented towards staying away from idol worship and the other religions in the land. In verses 13:1-12 you will find the section that caused a missionary’s face to blanch and silenced him from continuing to proselytize a renowned rabbi.

One of the indications of the existence and necessity of the Oral Torah – an explanation and clarification (later redacted as the Talmud) of the written Torah (The Five Books of Moses) – comes from verse 12:21, “You will slaughter animals […] according to the manner I (God) have prescribed.” Nowhere in the Torah are we instructed in the manner of shechita, ritual slaughter. One might conclude that there was a very sloppy editor. Or one might conclude that there are additional teachings (the Oral Law/Talmud) clarifying and amplifying the written Word.

The source of the Chosen People concept is brought this week: “You are a nation consecrated to God your Lord. God has chosen you from all nations on the face of the earth to be His own special nation” (Deuteronomy 14:1-2). We are chosen for responsibility, not privilege – to act morally and to be a “light unto the nations.”

The portion then gives instructions regarding: permitted and forbidden foods, the Second Tithe, remissions of loans every 7 years, treatment of those in need (to be warm-hearted and open-handed), a Jewish bondsman, and the three pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot).