Behar Bechukotai: The Greatest Tzedaka

The Bneh Yissachar writes that the greatest tzedaka of all tzedakot is providing someone who is poor in the mind with knowledge. If a person is lacking in understanding of what life is all about or who Hashem is, or if he has a problem that is weighing down upon him, if someone will give him the words that he so desperately needs to hear, that is the greatest form of tzedaka . The sefer Divreh Elokim Chaim brings a hint to this concept from a pasuk in parashat Behar , the first of this week's two parashiot . The pasuk says וכי ימוך אחיך – if your brother is impoverished – והחזקת בו – give him chizuk . The simple meaning of the pasuk is talking about someone who is impoverished monetarily, but on a different level, it can also be referring to someone who is impoverished in his mind, a few words of chizuk can benefit him so much. Everybody could use chizuk , and if we are able to give people chizuk , we should. A compliment or just a nice word could accomplish more than we could imagine. Even people that we think don't need to hear compliments, they do. The compliments that we give to people can have an impact on their life decisions. Rabbi Aharon Tusig told over a story, which took place many years ago, which he heard from a prominent Rosh Yeshiva in Israel. The Rosh Yeshiva said, when the yeshiva that hired him asked him to be the Rosh Yeshiva, he told them he would do it on one condition – that he would not be involved in any of the monetary aspects of the yeshiva. He only wanted to be a part of the spiritual part of the yeshiva. They agreed and, baruch Hashem, for years the Rabbi never had to raise any money. But one year, they were struggling a lot and one of the board members asked the Rabbi if he would please make an exception and travel abroad to collect funds that the yeshiva so desperately needed. The Rosh Yeshiva saw the situation was dire so he agreed to go. The Rabbi went and had a driver take him around to potential donors. On one of those trips, the driver asked the Rabbi if he minded if he pulled off the highway to find a convenience store to buy a drink, as he was very thirsty. The Rabbi said, "Sure, no problem. I'm also thirsty. I'll come in with you." When they got off the highway, they saw a kosher restaurant and pulled up in front and went inside. When the Rosh Yeshiva walked in, one of the waiters there asked if he wanted a table. Then, after a brief pause, the waiter said to the Rabbi, "Rosh Yeshiva, do you recognize me? I'm so-and-so. I used to learn in your yeshiva." The Rosh Yeshiva couldn't believe his eyes. He asked in astonishment how he ended up in this place. In the words of the Rosh Yeshiva, "I was sure with your diligence and brain power, you were going to become one of the great Rosh Yeshivas of the next generation." The man replied, "Rabbi, this is the first time I ever heard you say that you think that about me. I didn't know you thought I had that kind of potential." The Rosh Yeshiva replied, "What do you mean? I have your name in my notebooks with questions that you asked when we were learning Masechet Pesachim together. I never showed you that?" "No," replied the young man. The Rosh Yeshiva then said, "You were always so diligent in your studies and you always seemed to be enjoying your learning so much, I guess I didn't think you needed to hear compliments." The young man asked the Rosh Yeshiva if it's too late for him to come back. The Rosh Yeshiva replied, "It's never too late." So the young man said, "Rosh Yeshiva, if you will learn with me one-on-one for two weeks and get me back into the learning, I will come back to the yeshiva and rededicate myself to Torah." And so it happened. The Rosh Yeshiva concluded the story by saying, "Today, that student of mine lives in Ashdod and he is from the greatest talmidei chachamim in that city." He thought he was traveling abroad to collect funds at that time. In reality, the yeshiva got into financial crisis just so the Rosh Yeshiva would go and find that gem of his and bring him back to Torah. We should never underestimate the power of giving somebody chizuk or giving somebody a compliment. It's the greatest form of tzedaka . It will motivate people and it will engender love. Shabbat Shalom.