TZEDAKAH AND KINDNESS

Dear Family,

I hope everyone is well, and have had a wonderful Pesach.

Mazal Tov to Batsheva on her birthday next week. Wishing you a year of much development, and with much happiness Batsheva. We should have good news from EY BEH!

In this week's Rambam learning from Mishneh Torah (1 Chapter per day) - Chap 10 of Gifts to the Poor - we have been learning the Laws of TZEDAKAH - CHARITY.

This is a very interesting chapter and I have summarised it below:

Giving tzedakah is the identifying mark of a righteous person. Of all the positive mitzvot,

this is the one we need to be most careful with.

Mashiach (Redemption) will come only through tzedakah.

Also a person will never become impoverished from giving tzedakah.

When a person shows mercy, Hashem will show mercy upon him. When a person does not

show mercy, his lineage from Avraham is suspect.

If a poor person asks for a donation and one has nothing to give, one should at least placate

the poor man with kind words.

On the other hand, a poor person should try and bear hardship and do labour, before

turning to beg. However, if he is severely afflicted, he should not be proud and refuse charity,

because this is similar to murder.

When charity is given, it should be with a pleasant face. If given with a reluctance, the merit

may be lost.

There are 8 levels of charity: Highest level first:

. Providing work for someone, or a loan, to earn his own money.

. Giving without knowing to whom one gave and poor person does not know who gave.

. Giver knows who he is giving, but poor person does not.

. Poor person knows who gave, but giver does not know.

. Giving in hand of poor, before he asks.

. Giving in his hand after he asks.

. Giving less than appropriate with a pleasant countenance.

. Giving with sadness.

Other meritorious acts of giving:

. Supporting ones children who are past age of majority (because really parents are no

longer obligated to support them).

. Feeding father and mother from one's own funds.

. Giving food and drink to the poor by inviting them into one's home. Whoever does this,

when he calls out to G-d, G-d will answer him.

Gut Shabbos to all!