DO YOURSELF A FAVOR

When Rivky heard the door open and her sister’s voice calling her name, she had no desire to find out what Bassie wanted. She was pretty sure that she knew what her older sister was going to request, and she was definitely not interested. I’ll just pretend I don’t hear her, she thought to herself. It’s better than saying no and then having to listen to a lecture on Ahavas Yisroel.

Rivky hadn’t counted on Bassie’s perseverance, however. The older girl came into the bedroom that she shared with her younger sister. “Oh, here you are, Rivky! I’ve been looking for you. I was just at Mrs. Levy’s house, and she asked me to ask you if you can walk her kids to school tomorrow, like you did today.”

“Right,” Rivky rolled her eyes, “like I did today, and yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. Why should I have to help take them to school every day?”

“Well, how about because their mother is sick and weak and can’t do it herself, and because the Levy’s can’t afford to pay someone to do it? How about doing it simply because it’s a Mitzvah? It’s like giving tz’daka, except it’s giving your time and energy instead of your money.”

“But how many times do I have to help them? Haven’t I helped them enough already? I know that you go every evening to help with bedtime and cleanup, but I’m not on your level, Bassie.”

“Do you know that the answers to your questions can be found in this week’s parsha?”

“Really? Where?”

“There are two p’sukim in Parshas R’ei about giving tz’daka again and again. One pasuk says ‘Give, you shall give’ to the poor man. Rashi says that this means that you should give him what he needs, ‘even if you have to give him one hundred times!’”

“A hundred times?”

“Yes, until his needs have been taken care of. Just before this, the Torah says, ‘Do not be tight-fisted, but you shall certainly open your hand to give.” Here Rashi says ‘even a number of times.’”

“What is the difference between the two p’sukim? And why does Rashi specify 100 times by one and just says ‘a number of times’ by the other?” Rivky was so curious to hear the answer that she forgot that she hadn’t wanted to listen.

“The two p’sukim are talking about two different aspects of Tz’daka. ‘Give you shall give’ is focusing on the obvious purpose of this Mitzvah: to help another Jew by supplying him with what he needs. That is measurable, so Rashi gives a measurable amount, give even 100 times.

“The pasuk that says ‘open your hand,’ however, is talking about another result of this Mitzvah: the effect it has on the giver, namely that he overcomes his natural selfishness to give to others. This is immeasurable, so Rashi uses an ambiguous amount.”

“Oh.” Rivky was quiet for a few minutes, and then she said in a small voice, “Bassie, how come you’re so naturally kind, while I find it so hard?”

“Don’t worry Bassie. When you find it hard, yet you overcome your nature and give Tz’daka, you are truly expressing your power of free choice which is connected to the essence of the neshama, which is connected to Hashem Himself.”

“Wow! Okay, tell Mrs. Levy that I’ll take the kids to school. This that I don’t want to do it is all the more reason for doing it!”

The above story is fictional. The lesson is based on Likkutei Sichos Vol. 34 pp.-88.