Haggadah on the Jewish Idea about Tzadekah

[muman613]

From Rabbi Binyamin Kahanes Passover Haggadah


http://www.hameir.org/haggada/page5.php

All who are hungry. If we previously spoke of matzah symbolizing humility, we now arrive at chesed  (loving-kindness), for loving-kindness can exist only in a humble person. The arrogant person, out of his material inclination to receive and not to give, puffs himself up and focuses only on himself. In contrast, the humble person annuls his “I”, his ego, and is able to see others, and to give of himself to them. And by his very giving to others, he further diminishes his ego and selfishness, rising in holiness.

The Rav wrote:

Regarding tzedaka (“charity”), Chazal said a great thing which holds true regarding all mitzvot between man and his fellow man: The poor man does more for the donor than the donor does for the poor man (Leviticus Rabbah 34:8). The greatness of the mitzva of tzedaka is not that the poor man receives, but that the giver gives. There is no greatness in a person receiving something material – but great is the person who gives to someone else, thereby relinquishing the benefit that he could have received from his money. Performing this mitzva affects his soul. He elevates and sanctifies it by removing the selfishness that encrusts it… This is the great difference between Torah and socialism: Torah emphasizes the giving, whereas socialism emphasizes the receiving – and receiving only increases the selfishness of the recipient, who will never be satisfied with what he has received.

(Perush ha-Maccabee, Exodus p. 195)

All who are hungry. Judgement and tzedaka (righteousness)[1] hasten the Redemption: Zion shall be redeemed with judgement, and those that return to her with righteousness (Isaiah 1:27). And Chazal said: Great is tzedaka, for it hastens the Redemption (Bava Batra 10a). And similarly: Keep judgement and do tzedaka; for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness [tzedaka] to be revealed (Isaiah 56:1) And Chazal explain on this verse: If you have kept both judgement and tzedaka, I will immediately redeem you with a complete redemption. And similarly: Shall you not share your bread with the hungry, and bring the poor outcasts to your house? When you seek the naked, you shall cover him, and do not hide yourself from your own flesh – then shall your light break forth like the morning and your health shall spring forth speedily (Isaiah 58:7) – i.e. the Redemption will come speedily.

The Vilna Ga’on connects tzedaka with at’chalta de-ge’ula (the beginning of the Redemption) – that the settlement of the Land of Israel will be built through tzedaka: For The Almighty wanted all Jews, from near and far, to have merit in this mitzvah of building the inheritance of Hashem, according to the verse, (2 Chronicles 24:5): ‘Gather silver from all Israel to strengthen the house of your God’  (Kol ha-Tor, 1:19)

All who are needy. The Torah explicitly connects the concept of aiding the needy with the Exodus from Egypt: You shall not pervert the justice of the convert and the orphan ... you shall remember that you were slaves in Egypt and Hashem redeemed you from there – therefore I command you to do this thing (Deut. 24:17-18). Rashi comments: For this I redeemed you, that you should keep My commandments, even where monetary loss is involved.

The Rav offers a similar insight:

The Torah connects the Exodus from Egypt to [aiding the needy] for three reasons: 1) Since the Jew suffered, he should understand what pain and suffering is, and there is none more cruel than he who once suffered, and now refuses to help another who is suffering similar pain. 2) As the Sforno writes (v. 18): Hashem looked upon your misfortune and went beyond the letter of the law to redeem you. Therefore, you, too, must go beyond the letter of the law in pursuing justice. 3) In order that you know that all you possess is not really yours, for you were slaves in Egypt without property and without freedom, and all that you have today is only because God redeemed you. Therefore, remember that everything in the world belongs to the Almighty, and He commands you to give of it to the needy.

(Perush ha-Maccabee on Deuteronomy 24:17)