What’s the barakha said before giving tzedakkah? (a trick question) TB Rosh Hashana 6

Ever since daf TB Rosh Hashana 4 the Gemara has been discussing the prohibition of bal te-akher (בַּל תְּאַחֵר), you shall not delay fulfilling your obligation. The rabbis learn what promises this prohibition refers to the following verse: ‘The Sages taught in a baraita: The verse states: “That which is gone out of your lips you shall keep and do; as you have vowed as a gift to the Lord your God, which you have promised with your mouth” (Deuteronomy 23:24). “That which is gone out of your lips”; this is a positive mitzva. “You shall keep”; this is a prohibition, as the phrase “you shall keep” is a warning to keep oneself from sinning. “And do”; this is an admonition to the court to make you fulfill your vow. “As you have vowed”; this is referring to a vow-offering. “To the Lord your God”; this is referring to sin-offerings, guilt-offerings, burnt-offerings, and peace-offerings, teaching that one must keep his word and bring them. “As a gift”; this is understood in its literal sense to be referring to a gift-offering. “Which you have promised”; this is referring to objects consecrated for Temple maintenance. “With your mouth”; this is referring to vows of charity, to which one commits himself with his mouth.” (Sefaria.org translation)

Up to now the Gemara has presented five different opinions when the clock starts for this prohibition. The opinions range from a person has to fulfill his vow by the time the next pilgrimage holiday to a person has to fill his promise by the time the three pilgrimage holidays in order have passed. This means if a person made a vow right after Passover, the clock doesn’t begin until the following Passover and runs through Sukkot totaling five pilgrimage holidays. Today’s daf TB Rosh Hashana 6 teaches that a vow of tzedakkah (poorly translated as charity) is qualitatively different. You have to fulfill your pledge immediately.

“The baraita stated: “With your mouth”; this is referring to vows of charity. Rava said: In the case of vows of charity, one is liable immediately if he is late in distributing the charity that he had promised to give. What is the reason for this halakha? It is that poor people to whom the charity may be given exist in all places, and so the charity can be distributed to them immediately, unlike an offering, which must be brought to the Temple.

“The Gemara asks: It is obvious that charity must be given to the poor without delay. The Gemara explains: Lest you say that since the halakha pertaining to vows of charity is written in the passage dealing with offerings, perhaps one does not transgress the prohibition against delaying until three Festivals have passed, as is the halakha with regard to offerings, therefore Rava teaches us that this is not so. Rather, there, with regard to the offerings, the Merciful One made the timing of the transgression dependent upon the time of the Festivals, when one must go on pilgrimage to the Temple. However, here, with regard to charity vows, this is not so because poor people who are ready to accept charity are found in all places.” (Sefaria.org translation)

The Shulkan Arukh codified this halakha concerning tzedakkah. “Charity comes within the general class of vows. Therefore, if one says, "I vow a Sela⁴A coin worth two common Shekels. to charity," or, "I vow this Sela to charity," he must give it to the poor immediately; and, if he delays, he is guilty of transgressing the precept, "Thou shalt not slack to pay it,"¹Deut. 23:21. since he has the money and poor people are a-plenty. But if no poor are available, he should separate the money and lay it aside until he meet one.

RMI (Rabbi Moshe Isserles-gg).—He transgresses a law in delaying payment, only when he vows to give charity which he himself must distribute. But if he vows to contribute to the general charity fund in the synagogue and the like, which must go through the hands of the Gabbai, he does not transgress the precept, although poor are a-plenty, until the Gabbai asks for it; and then, if he delays, he is a transgressor. And if the Gabbai does not know of the vow, he must inform him how much he vowed, so that he might come to collect.
That he must not delay in paying his vows to charity refers to vows as ordinarily made; but, of course, a man is permitted to separate a sum of money which he himself is to distribute a little at a time as he may see fit. And so also, if he stipulates a condition in making the vow, that the Gabbaïm should be permitted to exchange the money for gold, then they are permitted to do so.” (Yoreh De’ah 257:3, Sefaria.org translation)

Here’s the answer to my question found in the title of this blog. There seems to be a blessing for everything. Turn to any traditional prayer book and there you will find sections listing blessings on mitzvot, on pleasures, sights, and sounds. Have you ever noticed though there is no blessing a person says before giving tzedakkah? We might have thought that we should recite a blessing along the lines of “Praised are you Lord our God who has commanded us to give tzedakkah” before every time we give tzedakkah. I think tradition is trying to teach us if there is somebody in need in front of us, don’t waste any time before helping him/her by saying a blessing. Every second may make a difference! Reach into your pocket and give tzedakkah immediately.