The Torah’s Command to Support Others Early
The verse in this week’s Torah reading says (Vayikra 25:35), “And should your brother become poor and his hand will falter in your midst, you shall hold on to him.” Rashi explains that the expression, “hold on to him,” alludes to someone who is on the verge of financial collapse, and we are commanded to reach out to him and keep him afloat, before he actually suffers a financial downfall.
The Chofetz Chaim’s Concern
Rabbi Nachman Shlomo Greenspan shared a fascinating encounter he once had with the Chofetz Chaim. He happened to be in the publishing house in Warsaw at the time that the Chofetz Chaim had brought his famous work, the Mishnah Berurah, to be printed.
Rabbi Greenspan was taken aback when he saw the Chofetz Chaim holding freshly printed papers in his hand, with a most distraught look upon his face. Rabbi Greenspan immediately addressed the Chofetz Chaim to find out what tragedy occurred which caused him so much anguish.
The Chofetz Chaim in turn handed him the printouts and said, “See for yourself.” Apparently, there was a printing mistake, and that section had to be reprinted properly.
When Rabbi Greenspan realized that that was all it was, he felt at ease, but he was still baffled as to why the Chofetz Chaim seemed to be beside himself about such a trivial matter. And so, Rabbi Greenspan respectfully inquired as to why the Chofetz Chaim had such a horrified expression on his face, being that such a simple mishap could easily be rectified by printing the work again correctly.
The Chofetz Chaim stared at him with a puzzled look and said, “Do you think I am concerned about this monetary loss?! I am concerned about the future of the poor employee who was negligent in his work! He has a wife and children who are dependent on his salary, and when the owner of the press finds out about his worker’s error, he will almost certainly fire him. Please give me advice as to how to get out of this predicament! I cannot simply hide this from the owner of the press, since the misprints need to be disposed of properly and a new printing is required.”
In the end, the Chofetz Chaim made sure to secure a promise from the employer that his employee would not suffer any consequences for his mistake.
Charity Before Crisis
Giving charity to the poor is a great mitzvah (fulfillment of God’s will) which we are well acquainted with. It is not always easy, and some of us have an easier time performing it, while others find it more challenging. For the most part, we are moved to help when we are approached with an opportunity to help people who do not have sufficient funds to cover their needs. The Torah is hereby telling us that more is expected from us.
It’s not enough to wait until someone is already in dire straits, and then come to the rescue. The Torah is instructing us to reach out and keep others standing on their own before they have sunken financially.
Picking up the pieces is much more difficult than preventing the calamity in the first place. It is much easier to dismiss someone’s needs before he reaches desperation. We must realize however, that stepping in early on is actually a much greater act than helping someone after he has lost financial stability. Preventing someone from experiencing a financial crisis will usually take less effort and be a much greater financial assistance than working on helping someone out of one. In addition, maintaining someone else’s financial stability prevents that person’s dignity and morale from being shattered.
Recognizing the Signs
The challenge is that before someone’s finances collapse, we may be oblivious to the situation and not feel as motivated to find out and reach out until afterwards.
We must realize that it is our responsibility to pick up on any hints we may perceive of someone else’s impending financial downfall, and act upon them. Sometimes it could be just a matter of a loan to tide a person over for a little while. Perhaps short term assistance, some good advice or putting in a good word for someone may save the day.
Instead of waiting until someone is already in bad shape, we need to do everything in our power to ensure our fellow man is prevented from reaching poverty in the first place, just as the Chofetz Chaim made sure to do.
By Rabbi Yitzchok Aryeh Strimber torah4every1@gmail.com
