Overview of my project:
For our chesed project, we are going to knit scarves for children who need them. Also, we are giving tzedakah by paying for the materials that we need to make the scarves. We bought four yarns for 12 dollars. We are going to give these scarves to kids that get help from Chai Lifeline. Chai Lifeline benefits Jewish children who have cancer and it also benefits their families. They also support the children’s siblings and parents. We chose to do this project with Chai Lifeline to give the kids comfort and to make their lives happier.
(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":
(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.
Explanation: This source is from the time of The Rishonim, they are the early commentaries of the Gemara. The Rambam says that there is a mitzvah to give charity to needy Jews. The Rambam also says that you are supposed to give to the poor according to what they need. It's stated that we must open our hands to people that are in need. It also says that if you see someone who needs charity and you don't give then charity, you have transgressed a commandment.
Connection: This source connects to our project because we are trying to do a positive mitzvah. We want to do the mitzvah of giving charity to needy Jews. We will help kids that are in need and not ignore them. These kids need comfort and it's nice to make them happy. We will do this by giving them things that they need like scarves to give them comfort.
(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: This source is from the time of The Rishonim which are the early commentaries of the Gemara. The Rambam says that the second highest level of giving tzedakah is when someone gives to someone in need without knowing who they are giving to and the poor person does not know who they are receiving from. In the time of the Beit Hamikdash, there was a room where the righteous would leave money for charity in secret. Then, those who needed would come and take. One thing that we do nowadays that is close to that is a tzedakah box. The Rambam also explains that we should only give charity to these boxes if the person in charge of it is trustworthy.
Connection: This connects to our project because we are doing the second highest level of tzedakah. We are giving scarves to Chai Lifeline. We don't know which kids from Chai Lifeline are getting them. Also, the kids will not know who made the scarves and who gave the scarves to them. We will do this to not embarrass them and make them comfortable.
(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: This source is from the Oral Law. The Oral Law is the Mishnah and the Gemara. Shimon would say that the world stands on three things. These three things are Torah, divine service (prayers and sacrifices), and on acts of kindness.
Connection: This source connects to our project because we are doing acts of kindness to help the world. The world needs three things to function properly. These three things are Torah, divine service, and acts of kindness. We are doing Chesed by giving scarves to kids that need them and by giving them comfort. Chesed is considered to be acts of kindness.