After forgiveness comes compassion TB Shabbat 151

There are only seven more weeks until Rosh Hashanah, Yom Hadin-the Day of Judgment. We would be well advised to use this time to prepare our hearts for our High Holidays so that we can become the person we truly aspire to be. On daf TB Shabbat 149 we learned that if we want God to forgive our sins, we need to forgive other people’s transgressions first. Today’s daf TB Shabbat 151 expands upon this lesson.

“Rabbi Ḥiyya said to his wife: When a poor person comes to the house, be quick to give him bread so that they will be quick to give bread to your children. She said to him: Are you cursing them, your children? He said to her: It is a verse that is written, as it says: “Due to this thing,” and the Sages expounded that it is a wheel that continuously turns in the world. Similarly, it was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Gamliel, son of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, says: The verse that states: “And He will show you mercy and have compassion on you and multiply you” (Deuteronomy 13:18) teaches us that anyone who has compassion for God’s creatures will receive compassion from Heaven, and anyone who does not have compassion for God’s creatures will not receive compassion from Heaven.” (Sefaria.org translation)

If we want God to have compassion upon us, we first must shower compassion upon others. Giving tzedakah is only one means of showing compassion to others. The Gemara back on daf TB Shabbat 127a expands this list to include “hospitality to strangers, visiting the sick, helping the needy bride, attending to the dead, and bring peace between people.”

Nobody is exempt from fulfilling this mitzvah of tzedakah. “Even a poor person who is kept alive by tzedakah funds must give tzedakah from what he receives.” (Shulkhan Arukh, Yoreh De’ah, 248:1) I am sure that you can come up with many reasons underpinning this halakhah. Today’s daf suggests one reason why even a poor person needs to give tzedakah. It’s important to inculcate a tzedakah habit. A person may be poor now, but his fortune may change and become rich as the Gemara says “It is a wheel that continuously turns in the world.” Perhaps if one never had the habit of giving tzedakah when poor, he might not be inclined to give it now that he is rich.

Because so many people are unemployed due to the Covid 19 pandemic, now would be an appropriate time to donate to any food pantry or soup kitchen. If you live in any of the five boroughs of New York, I highly recommend donating to Masbia. Even though it was created to serve the needs of the Jewish poor, absolutely nobody in need is turned away and is helped. https://www.masbia.org/what_we_do and then check out all the different campaigns to meet the overwhelming need of the hungry in our midst.