Overview:
For my groups project we went to micheals and bought knitting supplies and we are knitting scarves for children who aren't as privileged as we are. When we finish the scarves we are going to give the scarves to the chai lifeline foundation who will then give it to the needy children.
מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה לִתֵּן צְדָקָה לָעֲנִיִּים כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁרָאוּי לֶעָנִי. אִם הָיְתָה יַד הַנּוֹתֵן מַשֶּׂגֶת. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "פָתֹחַ תִּפְתַּח אֶת יָדְךָ לוֹ" וְנֶאֱמַר "וְהֶחֱזַקְתָּ בּוֹ גֵּר וְתוֹשָׁב וָחַי עִמָּךְ" וְנֶאֱמַר "וְחֵי אָחִיךָ עִמָּךְ":
Rambam, Mishnah Torah, Matanot Aniyim 7:1-2
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There is a positive mitzvah to give charity to needy fellow Jews, according to the recipient’s needs, if the giver has the means; as it is written, “Rather, you shall open your hand for him...” And one who sees a needy person requesting help and ignores him, transgresses the following commandments: Do not harden your heart and do not close your hand from your indigent brother." |
Connection: My connection to this that when I see a needy/poor person on the street, That I will not second think to give them money, and I will not ignore them either because they really need it. In my project, we had to buy supplies in order to make the scarves and we used our own money even though we could of used it to get something else.
Explanation: The rambam says that you should give to the poor person and not ignore him especially if he asks you for some and also give him some money even if you do not have a lot. The commandment says:"Do not Harden our heart to them and do not close your hand from your indignant brother"
פחות מזה הנותן צדקה
לעניים ולא ידע למי נתן ולא ידע העני ממי לקח שהרי זו מצוה לשמה כגון לשכת חשאים שהיתה במקדש שהיו הצדיקים נותנין בה בחשאי והעניים בני טובים מתפרנסין ממנה בחשאי וקרוב לזה הנותן לתוך קופה של צדקה ולא יתן אדם לתוך קופה של צדקה אא"כ יודע שהממונה נאמן וחכם ויודע להנהיג כשורה כר' חנניה בן תרדיון:
A lower [level] than this is one who gives charity to the poor without knowing to whom he gave and without the poor person knowing from whom he received. For this is an observance of the mitzvah for its sake alone.This [type of giving was] exemplified by the secret chamber that existed in the Temple. The righteous would make donations there in secret and poor people of distinguished lineage would derive their livelihood from it in secret.
Rambam Mishnah Torah, Matanot Aniyim 10:7- 14
Connection: When people get a present they usually know from who it is from, but when we give the needy a gift they don't and we don't know who we give it to, because we do not want the poor person to feel like they have no integrity. The scarves me and my group are knitting, we do not know who we are giving it too and the people won't know from who they are getting it from.
Explanation:The rambam says that when you give charity, make sure that you don't know who you are giving to and that the needy person does not know who they get it from because lets say that you see the needy person somewhere, you do not want to embarrass him.
(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 righteous from the remnants of the great assembly says that our world relies on these three concepts. The first is in the torah, the service of following hashem and the second is being kind to one another. Finally,the third concept is chased which means to give charity. If we do not do these things our world would be in chaos with everyone being rude and letting people die.
Connection:Lets say that we see people needing something, we should give it to them, and if we see people need love and kindness we should give it to them. I am making scarves for children who have been through things in life like poverty, and I believe that the scarves will give the children some kind of comfort.If we keep on helping people we will live long and make the world a better place.
UPDATE: Me and my group are almost done with our scarves, but we need more time to make more. We figured out all the techniques and everything. We plan to give the scarves in to chai lifeline in a couple months.