TZEDAKA

Dear Family,

Hope everyone is well.

Mazal Tov to Shmueli Bassin on his birthday which I think is today. Mazal Tov to Shmuly and Devorah Leah on your upcoming Anniversary. Also hope you are settling down well in your new flat. I believe also that Freida and Mendel are coming home after their shlichus in Hawaii. Well done and I am sure it was also enjoyable. It was also so nice to see Shmuly and his whole Family doing mivtzoim this week, and Pesach and his Family at the Kosel.

I have limited internet facilities today as we are on holiday in Devon with the Family, which has been very nice BH.

Last week we mentioned the research project of Moll et al - 'Human fronto mesiolimbic networks guide decisions about charitable donations'. There was a question tickling my mind after I read about their work, and I did wonder what their results would show if their subjects were giving charity lishma Ie just because Hashem commanded, and not because of any ulterior motives, but I think that this would be beyond research.

However this week there were many pointers to discuss the Torah view of Tzedaka.

Today we read about giving Maaser in Pashas Reeh, and for weeks now, the Alte Rebbe is discussing Tzedaka in Tanya , which gives us a deep Chassidic insight into how Tzedaka operates.

Chumash.

Rashi questions why Maaser command is placed straight after the command of not to cook a kid in the milk of its mother Ie what is the connection? And he answers as follows 'Hashem says to Yisrael - do not let Me 'cook the young shoots of your crops in their mothers innards '(Ie before ripening), because if you do not tithe properly, just before their ripening, I shall summon the East wind and batter them. Similarly with the Bikkurim gifts.' And then today's Chumash ends - 'If you do separate all of your tithes ....for the Levite and the proselyte and the orphan and the widow who are in your city, let them eat their fill, in order that Hashem your G-d bless you in all the endeavours that you make.

Tanya

But really the deep explanations of the Alte Rebbe allow us to understand Tzedaka , and allows us to see better, how the results of the above Research are starting to shed a little light. However , because it is complex, it may be better to leave this till next week.

Wishing everyone a very Gut Shabbos.