Parasha Thoughts
By Rabbi Aharon Seleh
The Gemara in ×‘×‘× ×‘×ª×¨× brings a story: רב ×¤×¤× was walking up a ladder and slipped and almost fell to his death. He was frightened; had he died, he would have had the same death as idol worshippers. ×—×™×™ בר רב told him, “Maybe a pauper came to you and you did not provide for him, as we’re taught that one who turns away from a pauper is as if he worshipped idols.†The question is why?
The rabbis teach us that no one ever suffered financially because of צדקה. On the contrary, whatever you give you get back and more! Furthermore, the צדקה one gives will be in place of other losses or expensive medical bills that one would have suffered otherwise. Last but not least, צדקה saves from death. One who refuses to give צדקה does not believe Hashem runs the world! If he did, he wouldn’t hesitate to give generously as much as he could. Rav Akiva says Hashem created poor people so that we are able to save ourselves from harsh punishment in the next world by giving to them.
Rav Chaim Kanievsky has said that a powerful סגולה to save us from the Coronavirus is to give צדקה, especially to poor people who are sick and can’t afford to pay the bills. May Hashem protect us from all harm and bring משיח soon.
Shabbat Shalom.