Overview of My Project:
I am knitting scarves for the children of Chai Lifeline. Chai Lifeline benefits Jewish children with cancer and their families. The organization comforts the kids who are suffering and they also take care of the child’s siblings by playing with them. Chai Lifeline also takes care of the parents. They have many programs to fundraise for the kids like marathons and bike trails. This project is connected to my study of gmilut chasadim and tzedaka.
(א) מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה לִתֵּן צְדָקָה לָעֲנִיִּים כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁרָאוּי לֶעָנִי. אִם הָיְתָה יַד הַנּוֹתֵן מַשֶּׂגֶת. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים טו ח) "פָתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת יָדְךָ לוֹ" וְנֶאֱמַר (ויקרא כה לה) "וְהֶחֱזַקְתָּ בּוֹ גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב וָחַי עִמָּךְ" וְנֶאֱמַר (ויקרא כה לו) "וְחֵי אָחִיךָ עִמָּךְ":
(ב) וְכָל הָרוֹאֶה עָנִי מְבַקֵּשׁ וְהֶעֱלִים עֵינָיו מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא נָתַן לוֹ צְדָקָה עָבַר בְּלֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים טו ז) "לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת לְבָבְךָ וְלֹא תִקְפֹּץ אֶת יָדְךָ מֵאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן":
(1) It is a positive mitzvah to give tzedakah to the poor according to what is fitting for the poor person if he has the means to do so, as it is said, (Deut. 15:8) Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs. And it is said, (Lev. 25:35) [If your kinsman, being in straits, comes under your authority,] and you hold him as though a resident alien, [let him live by your side:] And it is said (Lev. 25:36), [Do not exact from him advance or accrued interest, but fear your God.] Let him live by your side as your kinsman.130See Babylonian Talmud Ketubot 67b-68a.
(2) Anyone who sees a poor person begging and averts his eyes from him and does not give him tzedakah transgresses a negative mitzvah, as it is said, (Deut. 15:7) [If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kinsmen in any of your settlements in the land that the LORD your God is giving you,] do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman.
Explanation:
The Rambam explains that it is a positive commandment to open your hand and give charity to a poor person, according to their needs if the giver is able to, as it is said in Sefer Bamidbar. this means that in order to do the mitzvah one must give as much as they can afford to a poor person. However, they shouldn't just give anything, they should give according to what the person needs. Although, it is also two negative commandments. The Rambam refers to Sefer Devarim saying, it is a negative commandment to ignore a person in need. If you ignore you are transgressing the negative commandments of "do not harden your heart, and do not close your hand, from a fellow brother". Instead, you must be kind and open your hand to the poor. This means if a poor person comes to you for help, but you ignore them, you are trangressing the negative mitzvah. When the Rambam says brother, he really means another Jew.
Connection:
I am knitting scarves for Chai Lifeline. Chai Lifeline is an organization that benefits Jewish children suffering from diseases, and their families. These children are in need of comfort. By giving them home made scarves, I am fulfilling the mitzvah of opening my hand and giving according to what their needs are. This is because they need comfort and scarves can do that. I am acknowledging that these children are unfortunate, instead of “hardening my heart, and closing my hand”. Also, since I am giving charity to Jewish people, I am completing the “fellow brother” part of the mitzvah.
(ח) פָּחוֹת מִזֶּה הַנּוֹתֵן צְדָקָה לָעֲנִיִּים וְלֹא יָדַע לְמִי נָתַן וְלֹא יָדַע הֶעָנִי מִמִּי לָקַח. שֶׁהֲרֵי זוֹ מִצְוָה לִשְׁמָהּ. כְּגוֹן לִשְׁכַּת חֲשָׁאִים שֶׁהָיְתָה בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ. שֶׁהָיוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים נוֹתְנִין בָּהּ בַּחֲשַׁאי וְהָעֲנִיִּים בְּנֵי טוֹבִים מִתְפַּרְנְסִין מִמֶּנָּה בַּחֲשַׁאי. וְקָרוֹב לָזֶה הַנּוֹתֵן לְתוֹךְ קֻפָּה שֶׁל צְדָקָה. וְלֹא יִתֵּן אָדָם לְתוֹךְ קֻפָּה שֶׁל צְדָקָה אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהַמְמֻנֶּה נֶאֱמָן וְחָכָם וְיוֹדֵעַ לְהַנְהִיג כַּשּׁוּרָה כְּרַבִּי חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן תְּרַדְיוֹן:
(8) One level lower than this is one who gives tzedakah to the poor and does not know to whom he gives, and the poor person does not know from whom he receives.187Maimonides holds the anonymity of both giver and receiver of great importance, but he does not require anonymity at the highest level of giving. This is perhaps because the highest level of giving addresses the source of poverty whereas giving something to a beggar only alleviates a person's temporary need. Preventing poverty is therefore of such importance that anonymity becomes secondary in that instance. This is purely a mitzvah for its own sake, such as the Chamber of Secrets in the Holy Temple, for there the righteous would give in secret [and leave], and the poor, of good background, would sustain themselves from it in secret. Very close to this is one who gives to the kupah of tzedakah, but one should not contribute to the kupah of tzedakah unless one is certain that the one who counts it is trustworthy and wise and behaves competently, as was Rabbi Chanania ben Teradion.188See Babylonian Talmud Bava Batra 10b and Avodah Zarah 17b. Rabbi Chanania ben Teradion had a reputation for competence and honesty, so he dealt with the collection and distribution of charity funds. He was later tortured and executed by the Romans.
Explanation:
From the משנה תורה, הלכות מתנות עניים we learn the second greatest level of Tzedakah, is when the giver does not know to whom he is giving and the receiver does not know from whom the charity came from. The Rambam explains, this is an act of pure motives, because the doner is not looking for credit, just to help. This source also gives an example; During the times of the temple, there was a room in which one could leave a bundle of money. After they left, a poor person would go into the room and use the money for their necessities. This way, neither person knew the other was part of the arrangement. Another example is a charity box. However, one should not contribute to a charity box if they aren't completely sure that the person handling it is trustworthy.
Connection:
I am completing the mitzvah of charity by donating scarves I knitted to Chai Lifeline. This act of charity is the second level of tzedakah. This is because I won't know the people getting the scarves and they won't know me. Once I drop off the scarves at the Chai Lifeline office, they will distribute them to the children. In this way, I know the scarves are going to children suffering from diseases, but I don't know their specific names. Also, the distributors might mention the scarves were given by Hebrew Academy students, but they will not say our names, so everything will be anonymous.
(ב) שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק הָיָה מִשְּׁיָרֵי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה. הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, עַל שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֵד, עַל הַתּוֹרָה וְעַל הָעֲבוֹדָה וְעַל גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים:
(2) Shimon the Righteous was from the remnants of the Great Assembly. He would say, "On three things the world stands: on the Torah, on the service and on acts of lovingkindness."
Explanation:
Shimon the Tzadik was a member of the Great Assembly. In the first chapter of Pirkei Avot from Sefer nizikim of the Mishnah, it quotes Shimon the Righteous on something he would say. "The world stand upon three pillars: upon Torah study, upon divine service, and upon acts of lovingkindness". This means that our world relies on these three concepts. Divine service refers to davening to Hashem and sacrifices. The third concept, is chesed, chesed includes charity.
Connection:
One of the three concepts the world is based on is kindness. Chesed also refers to tzedakah. My plan to donate scarves to children is an act of kindness. Since, chesed includes tzedaka. I am also doing an act of charity. This act of charity and kindness, is one of the acts that keeps the world stable.
My group and I are still working hard on kitting the scarves.