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A YWN reader writes:
I would appreciate it if you could publish the following letter:
Unfortunately due to the terrible global economic situation that we find ourselves in, tzedokoh’s and institutions throughout the world are facing very tough times. They have been hit by a double edged sword: On the one hand donations to their worthy causes have been dramatically reduced due to some people losing their jobs and others having their incomes slashed, and on the other hand peoples difficult economic situations have meant that the demands from people seeking assistance from these organisations have increased as well.
I would like to remind readers that the only thing we can test the Ribbone Shel Olom with is with tzedokoh. We all know the famous Chazal based on a posuk – Aser Bishvil Shetisasher, but we should all put this very much into practice. Though it may seem difficult to give 10% of our incomes when we are struggling to make ends meet as it is, we should be clear that it is a win win situation and it is the most certain business deal you can do. We don’t need the Federal Reserve to guarantee this investment, we have a much more powerful guarantee. There are plenty of stories of people who accepted upon themselves to give maaser kesafim even when they could not see how it was physically possible for them to survive the month on the income they had let alone once 10% had been deducted, and they saw tremendous yeshuos.
Clearly we all have to daven that we should soon all see a yeshuah from these difficult times.
Boruch Richer
We did our taxes yesterday and entering each charity donation into turbo tax made us realize that we were very behind in donations this year.
We are making a committment to donate a lot of money to organizations that provide food to people. I think most other things people can survive without (even if your shoes have holes or your clothes are ragged), at least a stomach of food will keep you going.
May Hashem grant us the strength to get through these hard times.
(PS the guy’s last name is ironic)
Aser beshvil shetisasher is only true for maaser peiros. It does not apply to maaser kesafim, which is only a minhag according to most poskim. the gemara in shabbos 119b says that the ashirim in eretz Yisroel are rich because they give maaser peiros. It says the ones in chutz la’aretz are rich because they honor Shabbos. It does not say because they give maaser kesafim. I’m not saying not to give tzedakah. I’m just saying you can’t test Hashem based on this.
I know someone who made a lot of money in the stock market during the tech bubble. He gave maaser and lost it all (900k), except for the maaser. when he spoke to a gadol he was told that either he’ll make it back or was chayav misa and this was in place of it. He still didn’t make it back, and according to my rav, there was never a guarantee anyway. Mitzvos don’t hurt though.If you don’t get the sechar in this world, you get them in the next.
The source for “testing” Hashem with Ma’aser is an explicit pasuk in Tanach, from Malachi 10:3, which says (roughly translated), “Bring all the Ma’aser to the Bais HaOtzer…and test Me in this, if I will not open the windows of the Heavens (arubos hashamayim) and send you unbounded blessings.”
(Does anyone know the other two times “arubos hashamayim” are mentioned in Tanach? Extra credit if you can do this without a concordance.)
Anon, yes, for maaser peiros we are allowed to test Hakadosh baruch Hu. The question is for maaser kesafim in chutz la’aretz. Clearly Hashem rewards those who give tzedakah. But that reward may be in the next world, or in this world in the form of something besides wealth. the person in the story I referenced was told by Rav Scheinberg that either he will get it back or he was mechuyav misa and this was in place of that. He’s still not rich, but he’s happy to be alive.
Jothar, obviously that reference was not to ma’aser k’safim, because it mentions bringing the ma’aser to the bais haotzer. I just wanted to mention it because it explicitly discusses the idea of testing through ma’aser. (the ma’mar chazal “aser k’dai she’tisasher”, is derived from the double lashon of “aser t’aser”)
Anyone want to try the bonus question from my last post?
Anon, Parshas Noach by the flood.
PY, correct. And what’s the other one? (it’s from the nevi’im rishonim & I think it’s read as an haftorah).
anon-I don’t know the answer, but could you start a new thread on those types of questions throughout tanach? I think that would go over well.
when Elisha (I think) predicted in a time of seige and therefore famine that the price of wheat would drop the next day to very cheap, one of the officers doubted and asked whether hashem was going to make windows in the sky for the wheat to drop out of.
tb, you got it! Aram was besieging Shomron, and the Jews were starving. Elish Hanavi announced a n’vuah that bread would be sold very cheaply, and the king’s officer mocked him, asking, “Will Hashem send food through windows in the sky?”. Elisha told him he would witness it, but not eat it.
Four m’tzoraim outside of the city, who were also starving, decided to ask the aramim for food. When they approached the camp, they saw no one was there, because Hashem had frightened them away & they’d left all their food behind. After eating, they returned to the city & announced their find. The officer who’d mocked Elisha was in charge of crowd control, and was trampled in the resulting stampede.
This is the haftorah for Parshas M’tzora.
Sorry for the off-topic excursion. Kiruvwife, that thread sounds like a good idea. I don’t have much time to post, so I don’t think I’ll start it, but if someone else does I’ll try to post there.
could Joseph, Jothar, Feivel, Feif Un or anyone else start the interesting questions in tanach thread? (like the question anon started?) {I prefer just to be a poster not a starter}
Kiruvwife, do men know Tanach? I always thought men knew gemara only and the women were the Tanach wizards!
SjS–I guess we’ll find out. JayMatt was kind enough to start the thread so I think it will be fascinating to follow.
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