There is a story told about Yossele the Miser who lived in Krakow, Poland.
Yossele, or perhaps he might be colloquially known as Joe, was a mean of great means. He lived in a palatial abode, surrounded by luxury. The local charity collectors appealed to him regularly for donations, but Joe was consistent in his response.
It was always a flat out No.
The most heart wrenching stories wouldn’t move Joe.
He held on to his fortune with hands clasped shut.
Time passed on, and even Joe could not outwit old age. He slowly succumbed to illness.
The leaders of the community visited Joe on his deathbed and gave him an ultimatum.
Either he would share his wealth with the indigent paupers who desperately needed support, or he would receive a simple burial, no pomp and circumstance as befitting his station, rather just a grave in the least prominent part of the cemetery.
Even in his weakened state, Joe, or Yossele remained intractable.
No charity.
The day dawned and Yossele returned his soul to his Maker.
He received the most perfunctory of funerals, as the community leaders laid him to rest in disgust.
Then something unusual started happening.
The leaders of the community were deluged with requests for charity. People who had never asked for money before, came with desperate requests for assistance.
The community leaders were befuddled.
What had created such an economic crisis?
The leadership started interviewing the supplicants to find out what had happened.
It seems that all these individuals would receive a weekly envelope filled with money which contained enough to supply their needs.
This week, for the first time in decades, they had not received an envelope and they were now desperately in need.
It did not take long for the communal leadership to realize they had made an egregious error.
Yossele the Miser had secretly been sustaining almost the entire town for almost half a century.
He had done it quietly, wanting to preserve the dignity of the recipients, and was willing to accept censure and ridicule to keep their secret safe.
Yossele the Miser kept the 479th of the 613 commandments.
To give charity.
This week’s Torah portion is called Re’eh, which means See.
It begins with a verse which instructs us to see, or look, at choices we need to make between good and evil.
Human beings are always making choices, standing at the crux of the fulcrum of morality with the choices they make.
The mitzvas, commandments, are instructions for life, delineated in the manual, the Torah, that points us toward good choices. These choices will help us in our journey towards purpose and fulfillment.
At the time of the famous Rabbi Akiva in about 130 AD there was a Roman senator named Turnus Rufus who enjoyed debating Rabbi Akiva.
He once asked Rabbi Akiva,
If Gd loves the poor and insists on charity to care for them, why doesn’t He support them Himself?
Rabbi Akiva explained that Gd’s purpose in creating the world is not to provide a perfect world, but rather for man to change the world for the better and in that way man will improve himself.
Our Sages teach us that the process of changing our character for the better begins with charity.
They teach us that charity’s power is transformative because it trains the donor to really see the recipient, provide what the poor person needs, and does everything in his power to do this while still preserving the dignity of the vulnerable receiver.
That training can change and refine a person’s character.
I have had the honor of collecting funds for some wonderful Jewish causes.
Soliciting funds, even when it’s not for oneself, is a humbling experience.
But it has taught me a great deal about how I should give charity when given the chance.
Giving is not about the amount, it’s about how it’s done.
With a smile, a kind word, a generosity of spirit and alacrity.
There is a gentleman I approach annually for a specific cause. He always listens with a kind attitude, tells me right away what his gift will be, and then sends it immediately.
Every year, when I thank him, I give him the same blessing.
I wish for him that Gd, Hashem, will answer him as quickly and as kindly as he answers me.
Yossele the Miser chose a difficult path for his charity. But he valued the dignity of his recipients above his own.
That is why his story is eternal and continues to inspire us long after his sojourn on this earth.
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!