Kavod Habriyot Project

EXPLANATION OF MY KAVOD HABRIYOT PROJECT:

My Kavod Habriyot project is with Anna, Sydney, and Shir-elle. We are going to be selling t-shirts and other homemade clothing items. All profits of our sales are going to go to Chai Life Line. Chai Life Line is an organization that supports kids who aren't as privileged as us and unfortunately have cancer. We are directly going to be donating the money to their Disney Trip. Disney World is a very fun place and I want those kids to be able to have fun in the short amount of time they are alive. Everyone should get to experience Disney World as a kid.

כבוד הבריות| חביב עד מאד| אין לך מדה| חביבה ממנג|

Human dignity| is extremely precious| there is nothing| more valuable than it|

EXPLANATION OF THE SOURCE:

Commentary of the Meiri, Talmud Brachot 19b

From the time of the Rishonim

This source is very concise but has a very meaningful meaning. It explains how nothing comes even close to being more valuable than human dignity. It is the most precious thing in the world. Of course, all the mitzvot of the torah are very important but being kind voluntarily is the best thing you can possibly do. It will bring you on a high level to hashem and make your neshama stronger.

CONNECTION:

This source of the Meiri connects very closely to my Kavod Habriyot project. I am going to be raising money for Jewish Children with Cancer so they can get the chance to go to Disney World and have a great time. Disney World is one of my favorite places to go and some of these kids unfortunately don't have very long to live, so I want to give them the experience of a lifetime. I want to put huge smiles on all their faces and make them as happy as they've ever been before.

משנה תורה, הלכות מתנות עניים י׳:ח׳

Mishneh Torah, Gifts to the Poor 10:8

(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 OF THE SOURCE:

Mishneh Torah, Gifts to the Poor 10:8 The Rambam

This source is the second highest level of Tzedaka. It is when the giver does not know who he is giving to and the receiver doesn't know who he is receiving from. It is anonymous on both ends. This isn't the highest level because the highest level is actually helping the needy person find a job and make a living so they are set for life. The second level is just a person anonymously giving to a person who he doesn't know and the poor person does not know who it's from.

CONNECTION:

This source connects to my Kavod Habriyot project because it is the level of tzedaka I am doing. We don't know who the money is going to individually. We do in a general sense, though. The children in Chai Life Line don't know where the money is coming from at all. It is anonymous on both sides, which is what this source states. My level for my Kavod Habriyot project is level 2 of giving tzedaka.

EXPLANATION OF THIS SOURCE:

Chafetz Chaim, Ahavat Chesed, Introduction

This source talks about what the definition of "Gemilut Chasadim" is. It explains how it is any type of voluntary good deed someone does for another. There are people who do chesed with their possessions, like tzedaka or lending something to someone. Another version of chesed is someone "giving" themselves, like having guests in your house and being kind to them.

CONNECTION:

This source relates to my project because it talks about "Gemilut Chasadim" which is what I am doing. I am doing the first example the Chofetz Chaim talks about. The possession example. I am giving money to the kids of Chai Life line which is a physical thing. Therefore my project relates to this source.