Tzedakah
Charity is a fundamental part of Judaism. We are taught from a young age to give
with happiness and a full heart. The Maharal observes that charity is different from
all other commandments. When other commandments are performed more than
once, it is considered as two separate good deeds. One who dons tefillin today
and again tomorrow has performed two separate commandments.
This is not so with tzedakah. If we give something to one person today and to
another person tomorrow, the second gift is related to the first one, and both
contributions merge into one large act of kindness. Thus all the thousands upon
thousands of charitable gifts a person distributes throughout his lifetime are
inseparably bonded into one huge, lifelong mitzvah.
with happiness and a full heart. The Maharal observes that charity is different from
all other commandments. When other commandments are performed more than
once, it is considered as two separate good deeds. One who dons tefillin today
and again tomorrow has performed two separate commandments.
This is not so with tzedakah. If we give something to one person today and to
another person tomorrow, the second gift is related to the first one, and both
contributions merge into one large act of kindness. Thus all the thousands upon
thousands of charitable gifts a person distributes throughout his lifetime are
inseparably bonded into one huge, lifelong mitzvah.